20191453 Ver 1_PCN Cover Letter_20191021

TGS
ENGINEERS
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October 16, 2019
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Mr. Tom Steffens
Washington Regulatory Field Office
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
2407 West Fifth Street
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Washington, NC 27889
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SUBJECT: Nationwide Permit #3
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Bridge No. 14 on SR 1971 (Durham Creek Road) over Branch of Durham Creek
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in Beaufort County, NC
State Project 17BP.2.R.95 (Formerly STIP No. B-4709)
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Dear Mr. Steffens,
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We are requesting a Nationwide 3 permit for replacement of the existing two -span Bridge No. 14
with a proposed two -span cored slab bridge on SR 1971 (Durham Creek Road) over Branch of
Durham (Class C; NSW) in Beaufort County. Included in this permit application please find a
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pre -construction notification application, NRCS Soil and USGS topographical map with the
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project area called out, a 'No Survey Required form for Historic Architecture', and a 'No
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Archaeological sites are present or Affected' form for Archeology, and letters from U.S. Fish and
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Wildlife Service (USFWS) and N.C. Division of Coastal Management. Also attached are the
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Permit Drawings including a Stormwater Management Plan.
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The project proposes no permanent impacts and 0.02 acres of temporary impacts (hand clearing
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for utilities) to riverine swamp forest wetland. Riparian buffer impacts proposed include 2305
square feet of allowable impacts in Zone 1 and 1305 square feet of allowable impacts in Zone 2.
No stream impacts are proposed. All proposed runoff is discharged as far away from the stream
and at non -erosive velocities.
The USFWS list Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus), Kemp's ridley sea turtle
c (Lepidochelys kempii), red -cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis), West Indian manatee
C (Trichechus manatus), and rough -leaved loosestrife (Lysimachia asperulafolia) as endangered.
w They also list red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) and sensitive joint -vetch (Aeschynomene virginica)
as threatened, and red wolf (Canis rufus) as an experimental population for Beaufort County.
Suitable forage habitat for the red -cockaded woodpecker was found within the project study area.
The suitable forage habitat was field assessed with no potential nesting habitat found within 0.5
mile of the project.
There is suitable habitat for the West Indian manatee in the project area. NCDOT will implement
US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) "Guidelines for Avoiding Impacts to the West Indian
Manatee" during construction.

TGS
ENGINEERS
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M Habitat is also present for rough -leaved loosestrife in the project study area. A survey for rough-
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00 leaved loosestrife was conducted on June 29, 2015. No individuals were located. Therefore, it
00 m was determined that there will be `no effect' on rough -leaved loosestrife.
The USFWS has developed a programmatic biological opinion (PBO) in conjunction with the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the USACE, and NCDOT for the northern long-eared
Q bat (NLEB) in eastern North Carolina. The PBO covers the entire NCDOT program in Divisions
1-8, including all NCDOT projects and activities. The programmatic determination for NLEB for
00 the NCDOT program is "May Affect, Not Likely to Adversely Affect." The PBO provides
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00 incidental take coverage for NLEB and will ensure compliance with Section 7 of the Endangered
� Species Act for five years for all NCDOT project with a federal nexus in Divisions 1-8. As a
result, it was determined that this project 'May Affect but is Not Likely to Adversely Affect' the
NLEB.
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o IBy copy of this letter, we also request 401 review and approval from the NC Division of Water
Resources with one copy of the application package provided to Amy Chapman, Transportation
Permitting Unit Supervisor, and Garcy Ward, NCDOT Project Coordinator.
u i m If you have any questions, comments or need additional information after reviewing this material
m b please contact Ben Henegar at [phone], extension 123. Thank you for your cooperation in
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(U rn Sincerely,
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Ben Henegar, PE
Hydraulic Design Engineer
CC: Amy Chapman, NCDEQ-DWR, Transportation Permitting Unit Supervisor, e-copy
.0 Garcy Ward, NCDEQ-DWR, Environmental Specialist, e-copy
w Michael Aman, PE, NCDOT Division 2 Division Bridge Program Manager
U) Jay B. Johnson, NCDOT Division 2 Environmental Officer