INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Letter of …

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INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Letter of Interest – RFP #1610 Item #03 Environmental Services – Wetland Mitigation Services – SR 641

October 24, 2016

Indiana Department of Transportation

Attention: INDOT RFP 1610-03 Selection Committee

RE: Letter of Interest for RFP 1610, Item No. 03, Environmental Services, Wetland Mitigation Services – SR 641

Dear Selection Committee:

Cardno, Inc. (Cardno) is pleased to provide you with our qualifications and proven team of highly-experienced professionals to perform Wetland Mitigation Services for the SR 641 On-Call for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). Cardno has provided environmental services, including wetland mitigation, ecological surveys, monitoring and maintenance services to INDOT since the 1990s. During our tenure as your provider, Cardno has a proven performance history and a solid and innovative project team that will continue to be dedicated in meeting your environmental service needs.

Our team also brings extensive knowledge, familiarity and experience with all of the SR 641 mitigation sites that is unmatched by other environmental consulting firms. In 2012, INDOT tasked Cardno with completing an out-of-season delineation of the entire Phase IV of the SR 641 Terre Haute Bypass Project (Project) to support the waterway permitting schedule and keep the project construction moving forward. However, as a result of unpermitted impacts to wetlands, streams, and floodways on Phases III and IV, Cardno was additionally asked to assist INDOT in the location, design, and permitting of the mitigation needed for these phases as well as remaining mitigation needs from Phase II. These tasks needed to be completed expeditiously to keep project construction schedules moving forward. Moreover, the Project was under an extremely high level of regulatory scrutiny due to a US Army Corps of Engineers Cease and Desist Order issued against it. Working closely with INDOT Environmental Services (ES), Cardno was able to coordinate with multiple landowners and regulatory agency personnel to develop mitigation plans and acquire any/all necessary permits for the necessary mitigation at an accelerated pace, putting the Project in compliance and back on track. Cardno has since provided construction oversight on all of the mitigation sites since the Cease and Desist order which has resulted in all sites being completed on-time, keeping the Project in compliance with its permits.

We would be honored to build on the project success we have experienced in the design and construction phase of many of the SR 641 mitigation sites, with a continued trusted partnership with INDOT to provide monitoring and maintenance of the SR 641 mitigation sites. Should you have any questions, or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at 317 388 1982 (office), 574 229 8780 (mobile) or via email at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Sean Clauson Regional Manager, Assistant Vice President Cardno, Inc.

Cardno provided construction oversight for all of the SR 641 mitigation sites since the lift of the Cease and Desist order in 2013.

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Identification

Firm Name, Responsible Office and Authorized Negotiator

Cardno’s Indianapolis and Walkerton offices, along with support from our Cincinnati, Ohio office, will be servicing this contract. The Indianapolis office located at 3901 Industrial Blvd, Indianapolis, IN 46254, will be the primary office involved with this contract for ease of coordination and communication. Indianapolis also coordinates all of our INDOT Central Office ES contracts. Sean Clauson, Regional Manager, Assistant Vice President, is Cardno’s Authorized Negotiator. He can be reached at 317-388-1982 or [email protected].

Qualifications and Key Staff

Cardno has assembled a team of three environmental firms who together will provide INDOT with robust and technically sound project support. Cardno, and our teaming partners, American Structurepoint, Inc. (ASI) and VS Engineering, Inc. (VS), are all prequalified in the requested Prequalification Work Types: 5.4 Ecological Surveys and 5.5 Wetland Mitigation.

Cardno

Cardno is an ecological consulting and restoration firm with more than 25 years of experience providing innovative and successful solutions to challenging environmental issues. Our multidisciplinary teams of professionals offer expertise in natural resources, water resources, and cultural resource management, as well as expertise in regulatory permitting and compliance processes. We have provided each of these services to INDOT over the past two decades.

Cardno also has the distinction of being one of only a few regional consulting firms that has their own native plant nursery. The 130-acre Cardno Native Plant Nursery, located in northern Indiana, is devoted to the propagation and production of native wetland, prairie and woodland plants and seed. We offer 350+ native species – one of the most diverse offerings of any Midwestern native plant nursery. Cardno also provides bare root native trees and shrubs for restoration and mitigation projects, along with a diverse blend of native species of live stakes and fascines for stream bank restoration. Our production capabilities for native wetland and prairie plants include nine heated greenhouses, seed processing facilities, and multiple coolers for properly storing the wetland, prairie and woodland plant seed.

Subconsultants

To provide additional capacity, Cardno is proposing American Structurepoint, Inc. (ASI) and VS Engineering, Inc. (VS) as specific subconsultants to our monitoring team as well as any permitting and survey tasks that might be required under this contract. In addition, these firms all have highly qualified staff based in Indiana who can provide a broad scope of expertise to meet any need related to this contract. These firms have extensive experience with INDOT and are reliable partners with whom Cardno has teamed repeatedly on INDOT and other projects.

American Structurepoint, Inc. (ASI) will perform 23% of the work for this contract. ASI is one of the largest engineering firms in Indiana, with 50 years of steady growth and a staff of 400 experienced professionals.

ASI has had a close relationship with INDOT and have had great success on both INDOT and federal-aid projects for local public agencies. ASI has provided engineering and environmental services within all six INDOT districts and various other LPAs in Indiana, and has key staff members who have spent many years working directly for INDOT.

Team Composition:

Cardno: 70% American Structurepoint: 23%

VS Engineering: 7%

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ASI has performed mitigation site monitoring on dozens of sites over the years and is highly qualified to assist with the mitigation site monitoring. ASI has extensive experience in permitting under Section 404 and Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, the Indiana State Isolated Wetlands Law, the Flood Control Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the mitigation site design and monitoring that supports all of these permits.

VS Engineering, Inc. (VS), a certified Minority Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) with INDOT, will perform 7% of the work for this contract. VS is an Indiana-owned and operated professional engineering consulting firm that provides cost-effective solutions to civil engineering problems routinely encountered by municipalities, counties and the private sector. Founded in 1980, VS specializes in engineering services for civil, transportation, environmental, structural, surveying and traffic projects.

Project Management and Key Staff

Cardno’s associates are trained, certified and licensed professionals at the forefront of the ecological and environmental services industry and are helping to shape the way ecological restoration services are provided nationwide. Cardno maintains contracts with more than 30 state transportation agencies. We are uniquely qualified to provide the types of services that this contract will require. We have helped INDOT and other state DOT agencies develop successful monitoring and maintenance programs and are excited about the potential to bring our knowledge and expertise to this contract.

Cardno has a team of experienced professionals to give INDOT the full range of services necessary for this contract. To manage this project we have selected two seasoned Cardno team members, Jeff Spicer, PE, CPESC, and Crystal Renskers, both who bring extensive INDOT project experience and expertise in their respective fields. Sean Clauson, Cardno’s Regional Manager, will be the Principal-in-Charge with contractual authority for the project.

To provide the highest quality of service and communication, Cardno’s proposed Project Manager Jeff Spicer, PE, CPESC, will manage the day-to-day operations of this contract, ensuring that INDOT’s mitigation maintenance and monitoring needs are met. Jeff is an experienced Project Manager, with several years of experience managing INDOT projects, including the SR 641 Environmental Mitigation-Phases I-IV project, where he served as Project Manager and provided construction oversight for nine mitigation sites. In addition, he also managed all of the warranty tree inspections for these sites, and managed the design and permitting of a 20 acre contingency mitigation site. He also served as the lead representative for Cardno for the "Mitigation Oversight Group" (MOG).

Deputy Project Manager Crystal Renskers, a Senior Staff Scientist at Cardno, will assist Jeff with the day-to-day operations of our team, ensuring that INDOT’s mitigation maintenance and monitoring needs are met. With nine years of experience in the environmental services industry, Crystal highly qualified to assist Jeff in managing this contract. Crystal currently oversees maintenance projects with INDOT, and manages maintenance and vegetation monitoring of habitat restoration projects.

Jeff and Crystal are both based in our Indianapolis office. They were selected to lead this effort taking their current and planned schedules into consideration and given their expertise and knowledge from current and past INDOT experience. By identifying a Project Manager and Deputy Project Manager for this contract, we are demonstrating our proactive approach to ensure that Cardno provides the resources needed to lead

Cardno led the design and oversaw construction of the SR 641 Jones Wetland Mitigation Site.

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any task orders resulting from this INDOT contract. When a task order is issued, Jeff and Crystal will assemble a team, composed of Cardno, ASI and VS staff, to perform the given task(s) efficiently and with a high degree of technical skill. Task leads will coordinate with Jeff and Crystal to ensure all activities performed are in alignment with each site’s environmental requirements and addressing all areas of concern. Cardno has established clear and consistent communications and reporting methods to ensure that we operate as a cohesive and unified team.

Organizational Structure

Figure 1 illustrates our vision for the organization of the project team, as well as the coordination and communication channels for the SR 641 Wetland Mitigation Services, Maintenance and Monitoring contract.

Figure 1. Team Organizational Chart

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Key Staff Qualifications

Jeff Spicer, PE, CPESC, Project Manager

Jeff is responsible for wetland and waterway permitting and compliance, including technical report writing, wetland determinations and delineations, wetland permitting and mitigation planning, design of restoration packages for streams and wetlands, and construction oversight for mitigation projects. He also prepares Rule 5 permitting documents and performs site inspections for erosion and sediment control compliance. A Senior Project Scientist with 11 years of experience in the environmental services industry, Jeff has been involved in permitting and

environmental compliance for various types of INDOT projects throughout his career and has managed all aspects of investigation and report preparation for INDOT projects, including field investigation, research, agency coordination, and progress reporting. Jeff is the perfect fit to manage your mitigation maintenance and monitoring needs. A few of Jeff’s representative projects include:

INDOT SR 641 Environmental Mitigation-Phases I-IV – Jeff served as Project Manager and provided construction oversight for nine mitigation sites for more than 6,000 linear feet of stream and 45 acres of wetlands. He also managed all of the warranty tree inspections for these sites, and managed the design and permitting of a 20 acre contingency mitigation site and served as the lead representative for Cardno for the "Mitigation Oversight Group" (MOG).

Des. No.: 1173176, State Road 42 Mitigation, Owen County, Indiana – Jeff served as the Project Manager and engineer of record, preparing permitting and mitigation design documents for the road reconstruction project.

Des. Nos.: 0400091 & 0400090, State Road 57 Bridge Reconstruction, Newberry, Indiana – Jeff prepared permitting and mitigation design documents for the bridge reconstruction. He was the engineer of record for the mitigation component of the design plans and served in an advisory environmental oversight role during construction activities for this project.

Des. No.: 1006088, Mitigation Plans at Adams Mill Oxbow Nature Park, Carroll County, Indiana – Jeff served as the lead designer, preparing mitigation design documents for impacts associated with the U.S. 31 Kokomo Corridor Bypass.

Crystal Renskers, Deputy Project Manager

Senior Staff Scientist Crystal Renskers will support Jeff as Deputy Project Manager. Crystal will assist Jeff with the day-to-day operations of our team, ensuring that INDOT’s mitigation maintenance and monitoring needs are met. With nine years of experience, Crystal oversees maintenance projects with INDOT, and currently manages maintenance and vegetation monitoring of habitat restoration projects. A couple examples of Crystal’s representative projects include:

INDOT, SR 25 Hoosier Heartland Mitigation Monitoring and Maintenance Services – As Project Manager, Crystal oversees all aspects of the wetland, stream, and riparian monitoring and associated maintenance on eight mitigation sites totaling approximately 15,875 LF of stream mitigation and 122 acres of wetland mitigation.

INDOT, SR 641 Environmental Mitigation-Phases I-IV – Crystal has performed maintenance and conducted warranty tree inspections at select sites.

INDOT, Central Office On-Call Consulting Services – Crystal conducted all monitoring tasks such as vegetative sampling, vegetative inventories, hydrology documentation, invasive species control recommendations, wildlife observations and stream stabilization assessments, as well as repair recommendations.

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Complementing Jeff and Crystal’s expertise is a team of professionals with diverse technical experience in the fields of aquatic and wildlife biology, botany, environmental science, wetland science, habitat restoration, and native plants, who are prepared to become an extension of your staff. Key personnel under Jeff and Crystal’s leadership include:

Key Support Staff Qualifications Expertise and Past Project Experience

Tamara Miller, Project Scientist (Cardno)

17 years of experience as a regulatory biologist

MS in Natural Resources

BS in Terrestrial Ecology

INDOT NEPA and CE Trainings

Wetland Plant Identification, Delineation and

Management Trainings

Completes INDOT CE‐2 to CE‐4 level documentation,

including Section 4(f) and Section 6(f) coordination, Red Flag

Investigations, Section 404/401 permitting, and biological

investigations.

Completed CEs for multiple reconstruction, replacement and

repair projects under INDOT Crawfordsville District On‐Call

Consulting Services contract and HS Kline: INDOT Small

Structure Replacements projects.

Kaitlyn Hillier, Staff Scientist (Cardno)

5 years of experience

MS in Environment and Natural Resources

BS in Environmental & Plant Biology

IN licensed commercial pesticide applicator

Provides support for mitigation, and restoration project.

Conducts fieldwork studying wetlands; conducts surveys of plants, soils, and species.

Monitored the survival of tree plantings through

identification of present tree species for the INDOT SR 641

Environmental Mitigation‐Phases I‐IV project.

Ryan Hellmann, Restoration Biologist,

(Cardno)


BS in Ecology, Evolution, and Population,

Biology/ Environmental Science

IN licensed commercial pesticide applicator

Oversees a variety of construction, native landscaping, restoration, and natural resource management projects from

proposal and design stages through field implementation.

Served as Operations Coordinator for INDOT I‐69 Wetland

and Stream Restoration project and INDOT Central Office

(OES) On‐Call Mitigation Consulting Services contract.

Ryan Templeton, Project Scientist (Cardno)


Bachelor Landscape Architecture

IN Licensed commercial pesticide applicator &

Certified Prescribed Burn Manager

Manages large‐scale mitigation, best management practice

storm water projects.

Project Manager for two restoration and site stabilization

project sites along the I‐69 construction corridor for INDOT I‐

69 Wetland and Stream Restoration project.

Leah S. Boits, Environmental Specialist (ASI)


MS in Aquatic Ecology

BS in Aquatic Biology & Fisheries, & Ecology

38‐Hour Army Corps of Engineers Wetland

Delineation Training Program

Section 106 Training

Ohio Rapid Assessment Wetland Training

Experienced in habitat assessments, erosion control,

macroinvertebrate identification, ETR survey, wetland

delineation and mitigation, waterway permitting,

stormwater permitting, NEPA assessments.

INDOT Project Experience – INDOT RFP 1401 Item No. 5 On‐

Call Wetland Mitigation Services; SR 57 over West Fork

White River Bridge; SR 441 over Wabash River Bridge

Rehabilitation; SR 53 over Turkey Creek; SR 63 over Fall

Creek ‐ Bridge Rehabilitation; SR 8 over Cobbs Creek Bridge

Rehabilitation.

Ben Harvey, CPESC, Senior Ecologist and

Mitigation Specialist (ASI)


Worked at INDOT ES as a water permit coordinator.

Conducts mitigation site monitoring; erosion and sediment

control permitting and field evaluation; wetland

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Key Support Staff Qualifications Expertise and Past Project Experience

BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

INDOT NEPA and Categorical Exclusion

Wetland Botanical Monitoring and Plant

Identification Trainings

Vegetative Index of Biotic Integrity Training

Planning Hydrology, Vegetation, and Soils for

Constructed Wetlands

determinations and delineations; wetland and stream

permitting; and mitigation site design.

INDOT Project Experience – ASI Project Manager for INDOT

RFP 1401 Item No. 5 On‐Call Wetland Mitigation Services,

SR 38 Mitigation Alternatives Analysis Des. No. 0800946;

SR 57 over West Fork White River Bridge; SR154 over Turtle

Creek Bridge Rehabilitation; SR 26 Jay County Env Services;

SR 26 at Gephart‐Mageet Ditch.

Alan Ball, Senior Environmental Scientist (VS)


BA in Biology

Wetland Flora, Advanced Wetland Delineation,

and Plant Identification for Wetland

Delineation Trainings

Responsibilities include preparation of all elements of CE

and EA‐level NEPA documentation, GIS data analysis and

mapping and USACE 404 and IDEM 401 permitting and

mitigation.

INDOT Project Experience – US 50 North Vernon Indiana

Bypass, CE‐4: SR 46 over the Eel River, Clay County.

Relevant Project Experience

INDOT, SR 25 Hoosier Heartland Mitigation Monitoring and Maintenance

Cardno (prime) and American Structurepoint (subconsultant) have teamed to assist the INDOT ES with wetland, stream, and riparian monitoring and associated maintenance on eight mitigation sites totaling approximately 15,875 LF of stream mitigation and 122 acres of wetland mitigation. The mitigation is to offset impacts from the construction activities from the 36-mile Hoosier Heartland (State Road 25) upgrade project, which runs from Lafayette to Fort Wayne in central Indiana.

Cardno provides site specific invasive species management, installation of live plant material, monitoring of native species development, coordination amongst agencies and landowners, as well as holistic long-term solutions to erosion

and overall habitat establishment to meet multiple objectives set forth by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) permits. We work closely with the IDNR to manage habitat restoration of seeps, wetland, stream and riparian habitats in line with the mitigation objectives and public usage goals at Prophetstown State Park. American Structurepoint is supporting Cardno in field data collection and plant identification at the Prophetstown State Park mitigation site.

INDOT SR 641 Environmental Mitigation-Phases I-IV

In 2012, Cardno was brought in by the INDOT to help address a non-compliance violation they received for a failed 150-acre wetland mitigation site along the Wabash River, in Terre Haute, IN. In 2011, an agency investigation also found that 821 linear feet of stream mitigation for Phase I and II of the project had not been built on-site as required by the permit. INDOT had been working with another consulting firm to identify mitigation sites for impacts that were associated with future Phases (III & IV).

Cardno staff member conducts monitoring at a SR 25 Hoosier Heartland mitigation site.

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As Cardno was assisting INDOT with finding other mitigation sites to remedy Phases I and II non-compliance, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued INDOT a Cease and Desist order for violations associated with the clearing of Right-of-Way for Phases III & IV. The contractor impacted wetlands and streams that had not been permitted. The Cease and Desist resulted in stopping road construction for more than a year and a half. Cardno was asked to assist with this issue as well.

A portion of the 150-acre failed mitigation site was able to be used to mitigate floodplain impacts for future Phases III and IV by planting more than 20 acres of floodway habitat. Within five months, Cardno located seven new mitigation sites in the watershed that covered the Phase I and II non-compliance issues, as well as part of Phases III and IV, including the mitigation required for temporal loses associated with the Cease and Desist. As a result of finding suitable sites to fulfill the needs for Phases I, II, III, IV and address the Cease and Desist in such a short timeframe, INDOT asked Cardno to take over the Phase III and IV environmental work from the previous consultant.

As a result of Cardno's work, EPA lifted the Cease and Desist in August 2013. IDEM permits were received in August 2013 and USACE permits are going through the public notice period. Services provided by Cardno included identification of mitigation sites for more than 6,000 linear feet of stream and 45 acres of wetlands, developing mitigation plans, negotiating with agencies, developing NEPA documentation for three of the sites, securing DNR floodway permits and Rule 5 permits, managing the appraisal and acquisition, ROW engineering and construction plan development through a sub consultant. Cardno provided construction oversight for all of the mitigation sites since the lift of the Cease and Desist order in 2013.

INDOT, Central Office Environmental Services On-Call Mitigation Consulting

Cardno is supporting the INDOT ES by providing various environmental services through the Central District On-Call Contract. Services provided under this On-Call Contract include Waters of the U.S. delineations, waterway permitting assistance, development of mitigation plans, NEPA documentation, mitigation maintenance, easement coordination, and monitoring of existing mitigation sites. This On-Call provides support to various districts through the Central Office with a predominant focus on the maintenance and monitoring of existing mitigation sites. Cardno was initially awarded this $1 million dollar On-Call Agreement in 2012, based on our experience and capabilities managing large mitigation task orders. Due to our continued success and performance, INDOT has renewed the On-Call Contract twice resulting in an additional $1M to perform mitigation task orders.

I-69 Wetland and Stream Restoration

INDOT is conducting a multi-year project to construct an expanded I-69 corridor to better connect Indianapolis with Evansville, Indiana. CLR Construction retained Cardno to conduct restoration and site stabilization work at 18 sites along the I-69 construction corridor, in Daviess, Greene, Monroe and Pike Counties. Wetlands and streams were both being impacted by the project, and mitigation was required. Across the 1,300 acres, Cardno has provided and installed native seed, over 450,000 bare root tree and shrub seedlings, over 77,000 3-gallon container tree seedlings, 66,000 live willow and cottonwood stakes, and over 50,000 square yards of erosion control blanket.

Cardno designed and provided construction oversight for the SR 641 Rose Hulman Mitigation Site. Construction included Brush Mattress and Soil Lifts (shown here, top to bottom).

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Wisehart Wetland Mitigation Monitoring and Maintenance

Cardno provided all phases of permitting, design and construction for 15 acres of wetland mitigation and 10 acres of upland buffer. Following construction, Cardno provided and installed native plants and seed mixes at the site including wetlands, uplands, riparian areas and upland buffer areas. Upon completion of all construction and planting phases, Cardno completed annual maintenance and monitoring of the mitigation site. The site has since been released from monitoring.

SR 641 Terre Haute Bypass, Wetland Mitigation Monitoring

American Structurepoint conducted the field work and report preparation for the first and second years of wetland mitigation monitoring for impacts to wetlands associated with the SR 641 bypass. Located on the west side of Terre Haute, the mitigation site connects with the Wabash River. The 150-acre mitigation site includes creation of 7.04 acres of open water, 29.87 acres of emergent wetland, 3.55 acres of scrub-shrub wetland, and 24.80 acres of forested wetland, as well as preservation of existing forested floodway and forested wetland areas. A wetland mitigation monitoring report was prepared for each year.

CR 17 Wetland Mitigation Monitoring, Goshen, Indiana

American Structurepoint designed a 3.75-mile new roadway alignment. As part of the 401/404 permitting for this project, American Structurepoint designed a total of 22.7 acres of forested, emergent, deep water, and scrub-shrub wetlands. American Structurepoint also provided mitigation site monitoring of these wetlands, streamlining the data collection and report preparation into clearer, more concise reports. The reports also included recommendations for minor maintenance activities that the County was able to execute. These wetland mitigation sites were released from monitoring only five years after construction.

Capacity, Ability and Availability

Cardno has assembled a robust team with significant capacity to provide high quality monitoring and maintenance for the SR 641 mitigation sites. With more than 60 professionals, including botanists and restoration specialists, in our two Indiana and Cincinnati, Ohio offices, coupled with the additional capacity and expertise of the Indiana-based ASI and VS staff, our team is well positioned to readily provide these services with the technical and management leadership necessary to fulfill INDOT’s expectations.

The Cardno team has ample capacity of both personnel and equipment to meet your project needs and scheduling requirements. Our workload and resource availability are such that it will allow us to perform the services for this contract in an efficient manner with prompt work commencement and successful completion of every project assignment. In addition:

We have assembled a team of experienced professionals that will be available and will continue to meet your needs and requirements throughout the duration of this contract. Our proposed Project Manager Jeff Spicer managed and provided construction oversight for nine SR 641 mitigation sites. Our proposed Deputy Project Manager Crystal Renskers currently manages Cardno’s existing mitigation monitoring and maintenance work with INDOT. Jeff and Crystal fully understand the needs of this contract and our team members are available and ready to continue to support INDOT’s mitigation program.

Our Indianapolis office is located less than 2 hours from the SR 641 mitigation sites, allowing us to quickly mobilize to any on-site project needs. Our office is also conveniently located within seven miles of INDOT’s Central Office, making us available for in-person meetings.

Cardno continues to increase staff resources across multiple areas of expertise to meet and exceed project needs for wetland, stream and environmental services. With several contracts and assignments coming to a close coupled with the increased staff capacity, we have ample staff and additional resources to dedicate to this On-Call Contract.

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Cardno currently provides the majority of environmental services to INDOT through the Central Office 1211 On-Call and the 1401 SR 25 Hoosier Heartland Highway On-Call. The 1211 On-Call, albeit still active, will be limited in any additional tasks issued due to total contract amount being reached by the end of fiscal year 2016. Services contracted under this On-Call will be predominately considered complete by the end of 2016. We have a great pool of talent and resources that have been dedicated to the 1211 On-Call contract for the last 4 years which will efficiently transition over to this new contract while still exceeding expectations on the 1401 SR25 contract. The Central Office 0911 On-Call for SR 641 has reached approximately 95% completion of task(s) including construction oversight of the mitigation sites.

Project Understanding

Based upon the most recent project ledger, the SR 641 Terre Haute bypass project requires over 50 acres of wetland mitigation and over 17,000 linear feet of stream mitigation as required by IDEM Section 401 and USACE Section 404 permitting. Additional mitigation areas have been incorporated into the project to satisfy tree replacement criteria set forth by the IDNR and the US Fish and Wildlife Service for impacts to forested floodways and endangered species habitat. A portion of the mitigation was built in conjunction with Phase I/II roadway construction (Decker Site and Wabash Pool Site); however a majority of wetland and stream mitigation was recently constructed under INDOT contracts IR-35949 (Jones, Connector Road), IR-37100 (Rose Hulman, Wolfe, Steiner, and Foote), IR-35948 (Linneweber), and IR-30091 (Little Honey Creek). Since many of these sites include a forested wetland restoration component, permit conditions for this project include 10 years of monitoring and maintenance. Cardno and INDOT both understand the importance of assessing and tracking vegetative establishment early and often to prohibit the establishment and spread of invasive species as native species are growing. With construction of all sites concluding in the fall of 2016, it will be important to be prepared to begin maintenance activities on these sites soon in the spring of 2017.

Each mitigation site is unique and comes with its own set of challenges and that is where Cardno stands apart from all other firms when it comes to SR 641 mitigation. Since we were involved in the design, permitting, and construction oversight for a majority of the SR 641 mitigation sites, we can hit the ground running with our understanding of the challenges and maintenance objectives for each sites. For example, we understand the challenges associated with ample wetland hydrology at the Jones Site. We consulted with INDOT, IDEM and the USACE on ways to modify the planting plan during construction to tolerate the extended periods of seasonal inundation. We also know that at this site, timing of maintenance activities will be critical because there is a short window of time when the wetland area can be accessed by equipment due to standing water. We understand that some trees were planted on native soil and others planted in fill soil and that these areas need to be monitored separately because they had differing levels of tree survival in the initial planting. We know that mowing between tree rows will be necessary at the Wolfe, Foote, and Steiner sites to establish the bare root tree planting areas. We are aware of specific areas on mitigation sites that had to be treated with herbicide during the construction phase such as treatment for Johnsongrass and phragmites at Little Honey Creek, bush honeysuckle and Japanese honeysuckle at Connector Road, and crown vetch at Rose Hulman to name a few. Through our previous work on warranty tree survival counting, we have already established vegetation sampling plots and sampling transects for these sites which will be pre-loaded into our handheld GPS when we arrive at the project site. In short summary, we know these sites and we are ready to get to work on the maintenance and monitoring phase of this project.

Cardno oversaw live stake installation at the SR 641 Little Honey Creek Mitigation Site.

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Project Approach

The majority of the work associated with this contract includes mitigation monitoring, maintenance (invasive species control) and restoration (grading, erosion control, supplemental plantings). The work under this contract is to support the permit requirements and facilitate early or on-time release from further monitoring. Per the RFP, our proposal focuses on mitigation, monitoring, and maintenance. In addition to these assignments, our team can efficiently and effectively address Waters of the US identification and wetland delineation, mitigation property Right-of-Way services, wetland & stream mitigation design, permitting, NEPA document preparation, and construction observation. Our extensive work on SR 641, SR 25, and other large INDOT mitigation projects is evidence of our ability to successfully deliver the services required to complete these assignments.

Upon award of the contract, Cardno will schedule a kickoff meeting with INDOT staff members to confirm the program, project objectives, limitations of property ownership and study parameters, schedule, and expectations that will help guide project actions and decisions.

Our past experience working on large mitigation projects has shown us it is very important to quickly devise a set of recommendations that will contribute to improving monitoring results for this coming year. Upon notice to proceed, our team will review all project-related information including mitigation and monitoring plans, permits and annual monitoring reports. We will complete the 2017 spring monitoring by May 1P

stP and will present the initial summary of our findings to INDOT by May

15th. This schedule allows for coordination with INDOT and other agencies, as necessary, to determine the current condition of each site. Through this important step in the process we will work closely will INDOT to identify opportunities to correct site deficiencies and make any necessary adjustments. Once the initial first monitoring visit is completed, we will move forward with standard annual monitoring activities as described below.

Monitoring Approach

We will monitor the success of mitigation at each site according to the agency permits and accepted monitoring plans for the life of the contract, with the ultimate goal of regulatory sign-off within the minimum timeframe as dictated by the permits. Prior to fieldwork, mitigation plans and all relevant permits and correspondence will be reviewed and a complete sampling plan will be established to efficiently and effectively sample the wetlands, stream and riparian areas and the forested and habitat plantings areas to obtain data needed to fully address each of the performance standards.

Site monitoring will occur at least twice each year. The first visit to each site will be in the spring and focus on woody vegetation survival and wetland hydrology observations. The late summer site visit will focus on hydric soils and herbaceous vegetation development. During each sampling event, the site will be surveyed for noticeable problem areas such as presence of invasive plants, erosion and soil stability issues, problems with water level control structures, or insufficient wetland development. These issues will be recorded and brought to the attention of INDOT immediately following the field work.

In the first year of monitoring, the as-built plans will be compared with the design plans for conformity. During the first and final years of monitoring, a formal delineation of the wetland mitigation sites will be completed which will include photo stations, data points and GPS boundaries. Delineations will also be completed in the interim years to actively manage the acreage development of each site as it relates to meeting the required wetland acreage.

Cardno oversaw plug planting for the SR 641 Little Honey Creek Mitigation Site.

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Stream channel stability will be measured in accordance with the mitigation and monitoring plans and permit conditions. If requested by INDOT, water quality monitoring (including dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and conductivity) and biological monitoring (fish, and/or macroinvertebrate sampling) may also be conducted. Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index or Headwater Habitat Evaluation Index forms will be completed for each mitigation stream.

Maintenance Approach

In order to create and restore healthy native plant communities, the control of exotic and invasive plant species is critical. Cardno’s trained specialists are skilled at non-native/invasive plant identification as well control, treatment and removal. Our team includes Indiana licensed herbicide applicators and a complete array of equipment and products to complete small and large-scale control projects.

In instances where mitigation requirements for vegetative cover and tree counts are not fulfilled, supplemental seeding and/or planting may be necessary. Such activities will be done in coordination with invasive species control, grading, erosion control or other necessary site activity. Seed mixes will be custom designed, based on the site conditions and restoration objectives by senior restoration specialists in conjunction with seed research staff from the Cardno Native Plant Nursery. A combination of bare root and containerized native trees and shrubs can be planted at sufficient density to establish a successional state that can ultimately transition into the required mitigation community. All species planted will be selected based upon the accepted and permitted mitigation plan and observed success of previous plantings on each particular site or area. The species composition will be selected to provide long-term stability for the system as well as providing additional benefits such as: root mass for stream bank stabilization; mast production and cover for wildlife, diversity for conservation and resilience.

Areas experiencing erosion or newly seeded bare areas subject to inundation will be evaluated for additional erosion control devices. The exact method and material used for erosion control will depend on slope, anticipated flows, or other application specific factors and may utilize multiple means for long-term stabilization and success. Cardno will work with the INDOT Project Manager to come up with a plan for remedial action prior to implementing corrective erosion control measures.

Reporting

We have been continually working with INDOT to improve the standardized monitoring report templates that meet the needs of INDOT ES while also satisfying the criteria of regulatory permits. We will continue to develop the most appropriate monitoring report format for this project through utilization of standardized report templates in coordination with INDOT ES.

Monthly progress updates will be submitted to INDOT to keep the Project Manager apprised of monitoring and maintenance status and potential problems at the mitigation sites. Field data will provided to INDOT as it is available, but no later than September 15PP to allow for any supplemental work to be completed and documented within the same calendar year.

Draft monitoring reports will be submitted to INDOT as they are completed, but no later than October 31 of each year. Once approved, monitoring reports and transmittal letters will be submitted to the appropriate regulatory agencies by no later than December 31 of each calendar year.

If any of the sites have not been constructed in accordance with the design plans, proof of this claim will be provided to INDOT. Our team will also assist INDOT with any negotiations with regulatory agencies, additional written or verbal correspondence with regulatory agencies, or additional fieldwork required by regulatory agencies throughout the life of the monitoring project.

Documents

INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Letter of …