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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20181595 Ver 1_USACE Correspondence_UA_SAW-2017-02440_20180108DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WILMINGTON DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS 69 DARLINGTON AVENUE WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA 28403-1343 January 8, 2018 Regulatory Division Action ID No: SAW-2017-02440 Ms. Patricia Hollifield and Mr. Mark Hollifield 6900 Wild Magnolia Road Wilmington, North Carolina 28411 Dear Mr. and Ms. Hollifield: This notice is in reference to activities conducted on your property located between Wild Magnolia Road and Plantation Road within an area locally known as Greenview Ranches, New Hanover County, North Carolina. Reference is also made to the Preliminary Jurisdictional Determination (PJD) that was conducted for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) for Transportation Improvement Project (TIP) U-4751 (Military Cutoff Extension). As you are aware, this PJD indicates that Waters of the United States subject to our permitting authority under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act exist on your property and other properties in the Greenview Ranches area. As background, in July of 2016, you exchanged correspondence with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington Regulatory Field Office regarding a future access issue on your property related to the aforementioned construction of TIP U-4751. According to our administrative record, Mr. Brad Shaver of my office, alerted you that a Department of Army (DA) permit would be required for any fill discharged into wetlands. He further indicated that, since the area in question was most likely a wetland, a project to the scale described would likely require an Individual DA Permit. Furthermore, impacts to wetlands would likely require compensatory mitigation. No further communication was documented between you and this office regarding proposed activities in wetlands. During site visits conducted at the above property on November 20, 2017 and December 4, 2017, Mr. Brennan Dooley and Mr. Brad Shaver of my staff observed a recently constructed access road originating from the rear of your property and extending south along existing access easements to Plantation Road. The properties crossed for this access include Parcel IDs R02700- 001-034-000, R02700-001-019-000, R02700-001-018-000, R02700-001-013-000, R02700-001- 017-000, R002700-001-014-000, and R02700-001-036-000. According to measurements taken in the field, the road was placed entirely in wetlands and measures approximately 36.5 feet wide and 1,848 feet long, thus impacting approximately 1.5 acres of wetlands. Additionally, the disturbance included approximately 0.41 acre of debris side cast into wetlands as part of the -2- construction process. According to my staff, during the site visit you indicated that you desire to place rock on the road in the future. You were advised to cease and desist from any further unauthorized work within wetlands on this property. The impacted wetlands (approximately 1.91 acres) are part of a large headwater wetland with drainage toward Smith Creek, a Traditional Navigable Water, and are therefore subject to jurisdiction under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 USC § 1344). As no DA permit has been issued for the above activities in waters of the United States, they are considered a violation of Section 301 of the Clean Water Act (33 USC § 1311). Additionally, your activities are considered a knowing and willful violation of 33 USC § 1311, given the July 2016 correspondence between you and this office that occurred prior to the discharge of fill material into wetlands. In accordance with the regulations at 33 CFR 326.3, you are requested to submit the following information no later than 30 days from the date of this letter: A plan and associated timeframe for restoration of the impacted wetlands. This restoration plan would involve removing the side cast debris (0.41 acre) originating from the construction and depositing on high ground, pushing the road fill base back into the parallel ditches used as borrow (1.50 acres) to restore original grade and elevation, and re -seeding the restored area with a wetland seed mix. •: 2. A completed after -the -fact application for the aforementioned work. The application would need to include justification for the wetland impact, steps taken to avoid and minimize the impact, and a mitigation plan to compensate for the unavoidable loss of wetlands. You should be aware that in the event a permit is issued for this road, it would likely require compensatory mitigation from an approved mitigation bank or in lieu -fee program. The wetlands impacted at the site are some of the last mature headwater wetlands remaining in New Hanover County and may require replacement at a 2:1 ratio (impact to mitigation credit). The current fee schedule for the State in lieu fee program is $51,782 per acre credit. Failure to submit the requested information may result in referral to the Environmental Protection Agency or U.S. Attorney, which may result in civil or criminal penalties. Should you have questions, please contact Mr. Brennan Dooley at the Wilmington Regulatory Field Office, telephone (910) 251-4694 or email Brennan. i.dooley(a,usace.army.mil. FOR THE DISTRICT ENGINEER 4 Sco McLendon Chief, Regulatory Division Wilmington District -3- Copies Furnished: Mr. Thomas G. Walker, U.S. Attorney Eastern District of North Carolina 310 New Bern Avenue Suite 800, Terry Sanford Federal Building & US Courthouse Raleigh, North, Carolina 27601-1461 Mr. Chris Parker U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 Atlanta Federal Center Wetlands Enforcement Section 61 Forsyth Street S.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Mr. Chad Coburn NC Division of Water Resources Water Quality Regional Operations Section Wilmington Regional Office 127 Cardinal Drive Extension Wilmington, North Carolina 28405 Mr. Jim Iannucci, PE New Hanover County Engineer 230 Government Center Dr. Suite 110 Wilmington, North Carolina 28403 Mr. Mason Hemdon NCDOT Division 3 Environmental Supervisor 5501 Barbados Blvd. Castle Hayne, North Carolina 28429 Mr. David Syster Southern Environmental Group Inc. 5315 South College Road, Suite E Wilmington, North Carolina 28412 Ms. Monica Etsell 413 John S. Mosby Drive Wilmington, North Carolina 28412 Mr. Donald and Ms. Dorothy Englehart 4115 Edna Buck Drive Castle Hayne, North Carolina 28429 in Ms. Leslie Armstrong 7312 Bright Leaf Road Wilmington, North Carolina 28411-7116 Mr. Tim Bsenbock 102 Canterbury Court Greenville, North Carolina 27858-8168