Airport Master Plan 2012 - City of Waterville

5.6 Historic, Architectural, Archaeological, and Cultural Resources
Maine DEP recognizes the importance of preserving unusual natural areas for educational and scientific
purposes. As such, any proposed development should reasonably ensure that the preservation of any
historic or archeological resources will not be adversely affected. Additionally, Maine DEP states that
proposed development sites should also minimize the disturbance of adjacent archeological sites.
As stated in previous Site Location of Development Act permit application materials (2004), no cultural
or historic resources were identified by the State Historic Preservation Office for the Waterville Airport.
With the exception of future vegetation clearing, all of the proposed short term improvements are located
within areas that were previously developed. It is not anticipated that any development identified within
the preferred alternative will have impacts to any historic or archeological site.
5.7 Biotic Communities
The Airport consists of previously cleared and developed lands, runways, roads, and support structures.
The majority of the vegetation found within the developed area of the Airport consists of mowed
grasslands. Although there are natural habitats including managed grasslands and wetlands surrounding
the Airport property, the proposed projects would be largely confined to developed areas of the Airport,
thereby avoiding large impacts on natural areas.
Wildlife species that congregate around the Airport are typically highly mobile and may be temporarily
displaced or disturbed during future development. Although it is expected that obstruction removal will
have a minimal impact to biotic communities, this impact is not expected to be adverse.
5.8 Threatened or Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna
As stated in the baseline conditions chapter, the Airport is not contained within any protected species
habitat mapping. Therefore, the preferred alternative is not anticipated to be in conflict with these
protected areas.
5.9 Wetlands
As stated above in Section 5.4.1, the only proposed improvement project that would be located directly
within areas of known wetlands is obstruction removal.
The known wetlands that would be impacted are comprised of forested wetland. Tree species in the
forested wetland include red maple, elm, green ash, balsam fir, white birch, willow, and eastern hemlock.
However, since the majority of the Airport property has not been delineated and surveyed in accordance
with Army Corps of Engineers wetland delineation standards, all wetlands in the vicinity of the proposed
obstruction removal will need to be flagged prior to clearing.
The wetland vegetation management minimum performance standards apply to all delineated wetlands,
unless the DEP determines that the functions and values of the wetlands will not be impacted by the
removal of vegetation. Additionally, if initial obstruction removal results in areas of bare soil or
minimally vegetated cover, the areas of bare soil must be allowed to re-vegetate naturally, where
practicable.
It is expected that a functional assessment of wetland impacts will be completed in a subsequent EA,
however, considering the amount of obstruction removal required within existing wetlands, it is
The City of Waterville Maine
Environmental Review – Page 5-6
Airport Solutions Group, LLC & The Louis Berger Group, Inc. December 2011