2015-8-24 Dover Greens Appendix B Planning Board Project File-Lead Agent

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August 24, 2015 David Wylock, Chairman Town of Dover Planning Board Dover Town Hall 126 East Duncan Hill Road Dover Plains, New York 12522 RE: Olivet Management, LLC Redevelopment of the former Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center / Dover Knolls Project Site Dear Chairman Wylock and Members of the Planning Board: At the request of Kathleen Schibanoff, I have reviewed the Biological Assessment Report that our office prepared in 2013 for the Dover Knolls Project to determine if the report is still valid for the site. The Biological Assessment Report was submitted to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (US FWS) for review in May of 2013, and a response letter was received on August 28, 2013 offering comments and recommendations for the Dover Knolls Project, Shortly after receipt of the US FWS letter, ownership of the property changed to Olivet Management LLC, and the permit applications to NYS DEC and ACOS were withdrawn. Since the 2013 letter from US FWS, the northern long-eared bat (Myosis septentrionalis) was added as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act on May 4, 2015. The purpose of this letter is to provide your Board with information and recommendations regarding protection of this species, as well as information on the eastern small -footed bat CMyotis leibir), which is also mentioned in the August 2013 US FWS letter, and is currently listed as a Species of Special Concern in New York State. In July of 2008 a summer mist net woodland bat survey was conducted on the subject property as part of the site analysis for the former Dover Knolls Project. A total of one hundred and twelve (112) bats were captured during the 2008 survey, including two (2) Indiana bats (Myotissoldalis), nine (9) northern long-eared bats, and one (1) eastern small -footed bat. Based on this survey, it is assumed that suitable summer habitat is present on the site for these species, and a variety of conservation measures were proposed in the Biological Assessment Report to avoid or minimize impacts to these bat species. The recommended conservation measures guidance from Appendix D of the US FWS Northern Long-eared Bat Interim Conference and Planning Guidance document, published January 6, 2014, is attached for your reference, and is consistent with the recommendations made in the Biological Assessment Report for the Indiana bat. 205 Amity Load R,elh7 -my. OT0652,11Tel, N3.393.0690 Fax: M3.393.0-196