20090565 Ver 1_Other Agency Comments_20090727

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WILMINGTON DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS
69 DARLINGTON AVENUE
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA 28403-1343
REPLY TO
ATTENTION OF:
July 24, 2009
Regulatory Division
Action ID. 2009-00832
2-L
- ,'
Lt-1 D?n
JUL `! rr 2 0 C 9
DENR • WATER QUALITY
WETLA?.DS AND STOR4A;WATER RRANCM
Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Development Company
C/o Mr. Taylor Downing
1412 Eatonton Hwy, Suite 700
Madison, Georgia 30650
NCSU Natural Resource Foundation, Inc.
C/o Mr. David Ashcraft
Campus Box 8010
Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
Dear Sirs:
This letter confirms the initial Interagency Review Team's (IRT) evaluation, and comments
received during the May 14, 2009 Public Notice, of your prospectus detailing the establishment
of a stream and wetland mitigation bank, known as Bachelors Delight Stream and Wetland
Mitigation Bank, within a 736-acre tract owned by Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Development
Company and North Carolina State University Natural Resource Foundation, Inc. (NCSU
Foundation), located within Bachelors Delight Swamp watershed, north of Jacksonville, Onslow
County, North Carolina. Please reference my June 17, 2009 onsite meeting with your agents
Messrs. Brent Manning and Christian Preziosi of Land Management Group Inc.; and the
following IRT members: Ms. Kathy Matthews of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
Ms. Tammy Hill of N.C. Division of Water Quality, and Ms. Molly Ellwood of N.C. Wildlife
Resource Commission. Other meeting attendants were Mr. Richard Andrews of Hofmann State
Forest, Mr. Ryan Smith of Florence and Hutcheson Inc., Ms. Stacie Craddock of EPA, and
Messrs. Teresa Russell, Christy Wicker, and Kelly Henderson of our office.
Pursuant to 33 CFR Part 332.8(d)(5) Compensatory Mitigation For Losses of Aquatic
Resources, our office is providing our initial evaluation as to the potential of your proposed bank
for providing appropriate compensatory mitigation for activities authorized by Department of the
Army (DA) permits. Several comments (copies enclosed) were received during the commenting
period of the Public Notice and forwarded by e-mail to Land Management Group for
consideration. Based on our review of the comments, coordination with the IRT, and the onsite
inspection, it is our position that Bachelors Delight Bank is appropriate for providing
compensatory mitigation for DA authorizations.
-2-
Consequently, our office confirms proceeding with the development of a draft mitigation banking
instrument (MBI). Please be aware that a mitigation plan must be approved prior to the release
of any credits, and it is recommended that the plan be submitted prior to the NMI.
With respect to streams, please be reminded that the development of stream credits should
result in what is ecological best for the aquatic resource system. Any new, or restored, channel
designs must take in consideration of what the system can support, and not an attempt to solely
produce additional credits. The IRT's final determination of stream credits will be based on a
number of factors and upon review of the mitigation plan. In addition, stream buffer credits for
NC are currently being reviewed by the IRT, and will be incorporated in the credit calculations
once finalized.
If you have any questions regarding the banking process or moving forward with the
establishment of your proposal, please do not hesitate to contact me at the Wilmington
Regulatory Field Office, telephone [phone].
Sincerely,
Mickey Sugg, Project Manager
Regulatory Division
Copies Furnished(without enclosures):
Mr. Steve Sollod
Transportation Project Coordinator
Division of Coastal Management
1638 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1638
Mr. Ron Sechler
National Marine Fisheries Service
Pivers Island
Beaufort, North Carolina 28516
Ms. Tammy Hill
Division of Water Quality
Department of Environment
and Natural Resources
2321 Crabtree Boulevard
Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535
Ms. Kathy Matthews
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Wetlands Regulatory Section- Region IV
109 T.W. Alexander Drive
Durham, North Carolina 27711
-3-
Mr. Howard Hall
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Fish and Wildlife Enhancement
Post Office Box 33726
Raleigh North Carolina 27636-3726
Ms. Molly Ellwood
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, North Carolina 28405
Mr. John Dorney
Division of Water Quality
N.C. Department of Environment
and Natural Resources
2321 Crabtree Boulevard
Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0535
Mr. Steve Everhart
Division of Coastal Management
N.C. Department of Environment
and Natural Resources
127 Cardinal Drive Extension
Wilmington, North Carolina 28405
Messrs. Christian Preziosi
and Brent Manning
Land Management Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2522
Wilmington, North Carolina 28402
Mr. Glenn Catts
Hofinann Forest Liaison
College of Natural Resources
N.C. State University
2023 Biltmore Hall
Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
,;l