| Description: |
Emergencies
due to natural or man-made causes are a constant reality
for the NMDOT. Such emergencies require quick action
by District maintenance and construction crews. They
also
require immediate response to streamline environmental
permits and approvals. The NMDOT Environmental Section,
through its on-call consultant contracts, has had an
effective emergency response team in place for several
years. However,
in extreme cases, consultants cannot replace in-house
expertise. So, beginning last year, we developed an in-house
team
of biologists and archaeologists for those extreme cases.
A recent
example occurred on February 12, 2005, when flooding
along the West Fork of the Gila River caused
extensive
damage to the NM 15 bridge and a portion of the roadway
leading to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Park.
The road was closed and access to the Park was halted.
The
Environmental Section’s in-house team responded
immediately, meeting with District One personnel to
survey the damage
and help develop a plan to perform emergency repairs.
This stretch of the river is designated as critical
habitat
for two federally protected fish species. The environmental
team alerted regulatory agencies of the situation and
began immediate consultation to obtain the necessary
permits.
|
| Result: |
This
complex coordinated effort included the Forest Service,
the Fish & Wildlife Service, the NM Department of Game
and Fish, the NM Environment Department, and the Army Corps
of Engineers. The permits were obtained in record time,
enabling District One to initiate the emergency repairs
within two days of the incident. The road was reopened
to traffic two weeks later. As an environmental bonus,
the Fish & Wildlife Service determined that the critical
fish habitat actually improved after construction
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