Environmental Assessment - MdTA

• Maintain forest habitat as close as possible to the road, and maintain canopy closure
where possible.
• Maintain grass height at least 10” during the breeding season (May-August).
c. Large and Significant Trees
There were 356 specimen trees identified throughout the study area. Locations of large and
significant trees within the study area can be found in Appendices A and B.
Impacts to large and significant trees were determined by calculating the percent of critical
root zone affected by each proposed alternative. When more than 30 percent of the critical
root zone (CRZ) was disturbed the tree was considered a total removal. A summary of
impacts for each alternative and associated interchange options to large and significant trees
(LST) is shown in Table III-17. For comparison purposes for the Build Alternatives, the
General Purpose Lanes Alternative includes MD 152 Option 4, MD 24 Option 2, MD 543
Option 1, and MD 22 Option 1 and the Express Toll Lanes Alternative includes MD 152
Option 4A, MD 24 Option 2, MD 543 Option 7, and MD 22 Option 1.
No-Build Alternative
The No-Build Alternative would not impact any LSTs within the study area.
General Purpose Lanes Alternative
The General Purpose Lanes Alternative would impact 20 LST and remove 14 LSTs. The
LSTs are impacted by the roadway widening and interchange improvements. The differences
in the amount of impacts to LSTs for the interchange options were negligible.
Express Toll Lanes Alternative
The Express Toll Lanes Alternative would impact approximately 47 LSTs and remove 25
LSTs. Similar to the General Purpose Lanes Alternative, the LSTs are impacted due to
roadway widening and interchange improvements. The Express Toll Lanes Alternative
Section 200 Draft Environmental Assessment
III-74