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The Road to Better Transportation Projects Ohio US-24: Community Involvement Reduces Destruction Proposed route of US-24. US-24 has been a controversial highway. Many residents are not convinced that it is needed and fear that its construction will lead to significant environmental degradation. In fact, it was included as a worst highway project in a 2001 report by the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter. Despite disappointment in the decision to build US-24, residents have appreciated the opportunity to give input on how it will be laid out in their community. It has been difficult for community members to accept a major highway whose need they do not recognize. However, they do recognize the importance of having a seat at the table to reduce the highway’s negative impacts. Early coordination in the NEPA process between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Ohio Department of Transportat ion (ODOT) helped ensure that the reconstruction of US-24 in Ohio got off on the right foot. Partnerships between these agencies led to the identification of significant resources in the proposed project area and selection of a preferred alternative route. Among the significant natural assets jeopardized were the Maumee State Forest, Maumee State Scenic and Recreational River, a number of city and metro parks, several historic properties, and the Oak Openings region, a unique prairie/savannah complex that occurs nowhere else in the state and supports a variety of rare plant and animal species. Working within the framework of NEPA led to creative design and coordination with the public and resource agencies to reduce harm to these special areas. In addition, ODOT rerouted the project twice to avoid impacts to bald eagles when nests were found within a halfmile of the proposed route. This degree of environmental protection would not have taken place without NEPA. Mike Ligibel of ODOT confirms this: "The reason we’re doing all this special environmental planning is because of NEPA. Without a law we had to follow we might just sit down, draw a straight line, and build it." Megan Seymour, a wildlife biologist at the USFWS adds, "Because of NEPA, ODOT takes effects on streams and wetlands into account and considers them significant resources." Regarding wetland and forest areas in the Ohio US-24 project she stated, "There is no guarantee that impacts in these places would have been avoided without NEPA." Photo courtesy ODOT; used with permission. Up to Top | Printer-friendly version of this page