The Stewart Airport Access Improvement Project (SAAIP) embraces the essence of New York State Department of Transportation’s (NYSDOT) environmental ethic. The objectives of the project are to provide safe, efficient and improved access to Stewart International Airport, while stimulating the local economy and minimizing environmental impacts. In the end, in addition to meeting the project needs, the project results in the establishment of the nearly 7,000-acre (2,833-hectare) Stewart State Forest; preservation of the 8-acre (3.2 hectare) Colden Mansion ruins; creation of 13 acres (5.3 hectares) of wetland; preservation of a large population of a rare plant and establishment of a seed bank for its propagation; incorporation of wildlife crossings into the highway design to maintain habitat connectivity; conservation of federally-endangered Indiana bat potential maternity roosts and suitable summer roosting habitat; and creation and long-term monitoring of twelve vernal pools as breeding habitat for herptiles. This stewardship approach evolved over ten years, through partnerships, collaboration, innovation, as well as NYSDOT’s willingness and support to improve the environmental conditions.

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is firmly committed to a proactive environmental ethic in providing a safe, efficient, balanced and environmentally sound transportation system in the State of New York. In building and maintaining a statewide transportation network, NYSDOT must balance many competing needs while ensuring the people of the state a safe and efficient system. New York State Department of Transportation has taken steps to fully integrate environmental concerns into their normal work, from planning and scoping right through design, construction, operation and maintenance by instituting its environmental stewardship program, the Environmental Initiative. This Initiative includes conducting maintenance, equipment management and construction activities appropriately to prevent and/or minimize adverse impacts upon the environment and to enhance the environment when we can. This paper describes how the operational capabilities of a Department of Transportation can be brought to bear on the environmental stewardship responsibilities shared by all governmental organizations.

Traditionally, state transportation agencies have designed and built environmental enhancements in response to regulatory requirements to mitigate project impacts. More recently, state transportation agencies have embraced an environmental ethic that goes beyond compliance and encourages agencies routinely to incorporate environmental enhancements into projects and activities. Generally, in-house staff or resource/regulatory agencies identify opportunities to address concerns regarding high-profile species (e.g., large mammals, endangered species). Taking stewardship one step further, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has demonstrated innovative responses to problems brought forth by concerned citizens regarding a lesser-studied group of wildlife– amphibians and reptiles (collectively termed “herptiles”). These responses have resulted in valuable partnerships with private citizens, colleges, and resource agencies, thus increasing the agency’s credibility in its commitment to an environmental ethic and its reputation for getting things done. This paper will establish how NYSDOT demonstrated its environmental stewardship on a working level with a quick response to expressed public concerns by highlighting two projects. In each instance, a private citizen alerted NYSDOT about their concern for high mortality rates of salamanders, frogs, and turtles in “hot spots” along the state highways. Common factors in these projects include: NYSDOT paid credence and a speedy response to a private citizen’s concern; maintenance forces applied their practical skills to develop an in-the-field solution to the problem; NYSDOT formed fruitful partnerships with colleges, private citizens, and resource agency experts; and costs were minimized by using surplus material, on-hand equipment, and simple designs. By highlighting two specific examples, we will demonstrate that some problems can be solved quickly by bringing the right group of people together with a variety of skills and knowledge and a determination to get the job done. Methodology, results, and lessons learned will be presented and discussed. The Canandaigua Lake Herptile Crossing was built in 2002 in response to expressed citizen concerns regarding the high rate of turtle mortality. This project included constructing suitable nesting habitat for turtles on private property and constructing a physical barrier to funnel turtles to existing culverts. NYSDOT formed partnerships with Finger Lakes Community College, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and a private landowner. The Labrador Hollow Herptile Crossing was installed in 2003 in response to a 2002 posting on an internet listerv soliciting help in the “simply phenomenal” herp movement. A 12-inch culvert was installed to serve as a “critter crossing” and surplus w-beam guide rail was imbedded into the ground to guide salamanders and frogs to the culvert. NYSDOT formed partnerships with the State University of New York’s College of Environment Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) and private citizens. These projects demonstrate how collaboration, flexibility, and responsiveness result in simple, creative designs with tangible benefits, fostering good will and a sense of stewardship. This paper will also discuss research initiated by NYSDOT to identify and address the impacts of transportation on herptiles populations to guide future decision to address herptile-mortality concerns.

The Canasawacta Creek Watershed Initiative grew out of a desire to address the root causes of flooding, bank erosion, bridge scour and property damage that was a recurrent problem for both the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the inhabitants of the creek valley. Rather than continue with the old paradigm of fixing the problem spots NYSDOT, working through Region 9 office in Binghamton and its Main Office in Albany, requested the help of environmental specialists within the department as well as from other state and county agencies to address the problem more holistically and permanently. The first public meeting was held in the Town of Plymouth, Chenango County, in March of 2006. Over forty people attended; half were townspeople. The rest represented various entities including the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the Chenango County Soil and Water Conservation District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Federal Highway Administration and the Upper Susquehanna Coalition. An interagency technical team was formed and an initial evaluation of a four mile stretch of the creek was performed in early June, 2006. Despite devastating flooding that occurred at the end of June, an action plan was developed and presented at a second public meeting at the end of August, 2006. NYSDOT began work in the stream in September and October of 2006. Additional work is planned for the summer of 2007. Armed with the findings of the interagency technical team, the residents of the watershed have organized themselves into a watershed committee that is working through the town to implement the parts of the plan that address private property. The watershed committee has spearheaded a town newsletter to keep everyone informed, and there is a watershed blog available on the Internet. The watershed committee has received a $179,000 grant from the NYSDEC. The grant requires a 50% match in funds which can be met by agencies such as NYSDOT and NYSDEC working in the watershed, as long as the work is in conformance with the overall watershed plan.

There are several interesting aspects of the watershed approach used in the Canasawacta Creek Project. The watershed approach requires cross-jurisdictional communication and cooperation, although there are unresolved issues such as funding and liability. The social and organizational skills necessary for a successful project are as important as the scientific and engineering expertise. The methodology used to prioritize various sites for remediation is supported by classic risk assessment methodology. Finally, because of the extensive baseline data recorded by NYSDOT during the past several decades, the project offers the opportunity to evaluate the effects of the interventions undertaken in the watershed.