19910698 All Versions_Complete File_19911008

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ENT of United States Department of the Interior
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Raleigh Field Office cif
Post Office Box 33726
3 Raleigh, North Carolina 27636-3726
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September 30, 1991
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Colonel Walter S. Tulloch 19
District Engineer 9
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Post Office Box 1890
Wilmington, NC 28402-1890 `?hry+p9
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Dear Colonel Tulloch:
This letter is in response to Dr. G. WayneeWWright's September 20, 1991
letter concerning the application of Bob and Sue Jantzen and John and Anne
Gavigan (Public Notice CESAW-C090-N-069-0411; Action ID. 199000411) for
authorization to place fill material in wetlands adjacent to Rice Creek and
Bay River to construct an access road at Pasture Point Plantation
Subdivision, Pamlico County, North Carolina. The Corps' September 20, 1991
letter included two letters from the applicants' consultant, Mr. Nelson
Paul, dated May 13 and August 1, 1991. The letters 'provide plans to
mitigate for the proposed project's impacts to 0.45 acres of wetlands. This
report is submitted in accordance with the provisions of the Fish and
Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661-667e) and supplements our previous
reports.
Upon review of the mitigation plan presented in the August 1 letter, Service
biologist Patty Valentine provided informal comments to Mr. Paul by
telephone on August 19, 1991. As she discussed with Mr. Paul, we have two
basic concerns with the mitigation plan. The first involves the vegetative
species proposed for planting. It was not clear to the Service until
reading the August 1 letter that each of the three mitigation sites are
presently vegetated with the same vegetation as that proposed for planting.
Our second concern is with the proposed density of trees to be planted--
approximately 912 trees per acre, with a goal of 50 percent survival. We
believe that with some degree of natural revegetation from surrounding
areas, this high density of planting will not be necessary.
To address the above two concerns simultaneously, we suggested that the
applicants may wish to consider the use of a greater spacing of trees, on
15-foot centers, and the planting of hardwood species that are native to the
area, such as swamp chestnut oak (Ouercus michauxii), willow oak (Ouercus
Phellos), water oak (Quercus ni ra), laurel oak ( uercus laurifolia), and
perhaps overcup oak (Ouercus lvrata) or green ash (Fraxinus pennsvlvanica).
The Service suggested the planting of hardwoods because the project site had
been impacted due to its having been clear-cut of large trees. Also,
according to the Pamlico County Soil Survey (Goodwin 1987) these species
grow in the non-hydric Fork and hydric Yonges soil types of the project
area. The first three species listed commonly occur on Yonges soil in
Pamlico County, and laurel oak is found on Fork soils. A 15-foot spacing
would provide room for the natural revegetation of some of the species that
are currently proposed for planting, such as red maple (Acer rubrum) and
sweet gum (Licuidambar stvraciflua), which occur in the adjacent areas. We
realize that hardwood species may be more expensive than other species
proposed, but planting trees on 15-foot centers would require the planting
of many fewer trees than proposed, thus offsetting some of the costs.
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During our conversation with Mr. Paul, we also stated that with the
Service's suggested planting scheme, a relatively high survival rate would
be particularly important; thus, we recommended consideration of a 75-80
percent survival rate. The last point discussed was the time of year for
planting. According to the August 1 mitigation plan, potted plants would be
planted during the late fall, in October through November. We discussed
that, according to recent research conducted in this area, "Creation and
Restoration of Forested Wetland Vegetation in the Southeastern United
States" by A. Clewell and R. Lea, in Wetland Creation and Restoration: The
Status of the Science, the preferred time to plant in the Southeast is
January to March. The article does, however, also state that containerized
seedlings may be planted further into the growing season than may bare root
seedlings (copy enclosed).
The remainder of the mitigation plan proposed in the August 1, 1991 letter
is acceptable to the Service.
The Service appreciates this opportunity to provide input, and we hope these
comments are helpful in refining the mitigation plan. Please keep this
office informed of any action taken in the matter.
Sincerely,
1errely,
`'?--Y ?A
L.K. Mike Gantt
Field Supervisor
\ DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
V ILMINGTON DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS
P.O. BOX 1890
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA 28402-1890
September 20, 1991
IN HEPLY HEFEH IU
Regulatory Branch
Action ID. 199000411
Mr. John Dorney
Water Quality Section
Division of Environmental Management
North Carolina Department of Environ
Health and Natural Resources
Post Office Box 27687
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611-7687
Dear Mr. Dorney:
S: September 30, 1991

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17
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Reference our August 30, 1990 public notice whereby we announced the
application of Bob and Sue Jantzen and John and Anne Gavigan, for Department
of the Army (DA) authorization to place fill material in 0.3 acre of
wetlands adjacent to Rice Creek and Bay River to construct an access road
within Pasture Point Plantation Subdivision, near Florence, Pamlico County,
North Carolina. Processing of the application was suspended on December 3,
1990, at the request of their consultant.
Presently, we have received revised plans which realign the proposed
access road on an existing, previously disturbed, four-wheel drive path. The
realignment inspected during a January 1991 onsite meeting would increase
the amount of wetlands impacted to 0.45 acre and increase the amount of
cubic yards of fill material to approximately 1,450 cubic yards. In
addition, provisions would have to be made to allow access to adjoining Lot
No. 4 through upland portions of Lot No. 3, eliminating the necessity for
any future wetland impacts on Lot No. 4.
The applicants have submitted a mitigation proposal to convert 1.05
acres of upland areas to wetlands within Pasture Point Plantation
Subdivision by excavation, grading, and planting of indigenous hydrophytic
vegetation (see enclosed "Plan to Mitigate for Wetland Losses Associated
with Access Road Construction," dated August 1, 1991). Three mitigation
sites are located on adjoining lots within the subdivision (Mitigation Plan
enclosed).
Please review the enclosed information and provide comments by
September 30, 1991. If you have questions regarding this matter, please
contact Mr. Norm Sanders at our Washington Regulatory Field Office,
telephone [phone].
Sincerely,
Enclosures
G. n4Wr ht
Chie , Regulatory Branch