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US 70 Multimodal Corridor Study <br /> Existing Conditions and Critical Issues <br /> The following section identifies and evaluates the problems that need <br /> addressing to attain the plan's goal. An Existing Conditions Report was <br /> completed in July 2023. The following sections summarize that report; a <br /> copy of the complete report can be found on the project webpage or can <br /> be provided upon request. <br /> 4.1 Natural Environment <br /> An environmental screening was completed for the project study area utilizing existing GIs resources. This <br /> screening analysis indicated areas of possible environmental concern, including streams and wetland areas, <br /> community resources, and locations of hazardous waste sites. These data were obtained from a variety of <br /> sources and mapped throughout the corridor. Detailed information on the various resources reviewed is <br /> included in the Existing Conditions Report. This section focuses on the open space and wildlife resources. <br /> 4.1.1 Protected Areas and Open Space <br /> The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NHP) is responsible for surveying and designating properties <br /> and easements where natural resource conservation is one of the primary management goals, also known as <br /> managed areas. <br /> This dataset also includes several properties and easements that are not primarily managed for conservation, <br /> but that are of conservation interest. This conservation interest ranges from properties and easements which <br /> support rare species and intact, high-quality natural communities to those that are open spaces in places <br /> where open space is scarce. Managed areas along the project corridor, including two dedicated nature <br /> preserves, are shown in Table 2. <br /> 14 Existing Conditions and Critical Issues <br />