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United States Department of the Interior r � OFFICE OF'i M SECRETARY Wuhington, DC 24..140 C 904P��RA AUG 17 2014 PEPINRM ER 101646 Mr_ James Rallgren Project Manager Department of Transportation 7624 induct. ^;a,: Par4 Road Baxter, Minnesota 56425 Dear Mr. Hallgren: As requested, the Department of the Interior (Department) has reviewed,the Supplemental Final Environmental impact Statement (SFEIS); with a revised final . Section 4(f) Evaluation dated February 2010, for improvements to TH -371, between Crow Wing County Road '1 9 in Nisswa to Cass County Road 2142 in the City of Pine River, Minnesota. The Department offers the following comments and recommendations for-Your consideration. Section 4(f) Comments" The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDQT) propose improvements to Tnmk Highway 371 (TH -371), Cass and Crow Wing Counties, Minnesota. The Preferred Alternative (Alternative 3MOD) • generally follows the existing alignment with the eyce0on of the Pe.quot Lakes Bypass. The new roadway will be .a combination of urban and rural four-lane divided highway sections. The primary purpose for the project is for safety, traffic operation, and to address design deficiencies that characterize the existing hiohNray corridor. The total length of the project corridor•is approximately 16 miles. An inventory of property types eligible to be considered under Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Adof J965 (481.1.S.C, 1653(1)) was initially completed for the Draft EIS and was based on a review of preliminary construction limns'. A final Section 4(9 Evaluation associated with the original Preferred Alternative, Alternative 2, was completed with the 2005 Final EIS. Since '2005, the Preferred Alternative for the project has changed in the Pequot Lakes area. The new Preferred Alternative ( Altemative 3M ©D) includes an easterly bypass around the city of Pequot Lakes„ resulting in additional Section 4(f) impacts to two resources previously Identified in the 2005 Section 4(f) Evaluation. These directly impacted resources are the Paul Bunyan Regional Trail and the Brainerd and Northern Minnesota Railway Corridor. TH 371 Adequacy Determination Nisswa to Pine River 12 October 2010