An endangered species common in the region must be assessed before Carbon County can move forward with its plans for the construction of a multi-use training facility in Nesquehoning.

On Thursday, the commissioners voted 2-0 to approve a proposal from Ecological Associates of Oley to provide a timber rattlesnake assessment over the 70-plus acres of land that surround the proposed training facility next to the current county Emergency Management Agency building on the Broad Mountain. Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard was absent.The cost of the assessment, which is required for NPDES permitting due to the natural habitat of the snake in that area, is $1,900.Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that the assessment, which takes a few weeks to complete, should be done by the end of July.Ecological Associates will have to inspect the whole parcel, including the surrounding area of the immediate proposed construction zone to determine if there are timber rattlesnakes there.Nothstein said that he can say with certainty that there are snakes in the area because of pictures from employees over the years who work at the EMA.The inspection will also look for snake dens to see the proximity of the habitat to the proposed training facility.Nothstein said that depending on the findings, the county may have to change the plot layout of the facility, but that will be determined later this year.The proposed $10 million multi-use training facility will include a 29,045.50-square-foot emergency operations and training center building, two parking areas with 69 spaces, a 1,600-square-foot law enforcement training building, 400-square-foot observation tower, 1,820-square-foot firefighter’s training building, 924-square-foot firefighter’s training tower, a storage building, concrete burn pad for class A combustible materials (wood and straw materials) for fire training purposes and four concrete pads for other training or storage.Plans also include widening Emergency Lane, the road leading to the center, from 11 feet to 22 feet to accommodate firetruck and larger emergency vehicle traffic; widening the roadway turning radius to Emergency Lane and relocating the existing access driveway to the water treatment building on the north side of the property.The project has been moving through the proper channels between county agencies, the state and Nesquehoning over the last year, gaining conditional approvals as commissioners work to secure funding for the construction.The county is awaiting word on $5 million in grants for the project.