HomeMy WebLinkAbout20080511 Ver 2_Year 1 Monitoring Report_20130221First Annual Monitoring Report
LaGrange Bank Parcel
Greene Environmental Services, LLC
Neuse River Umbrella Mitigation Bank
DWQ #: 08- 0511v2
Year 2012
Submitted to: Katie Merritt
NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality — Wetlands and Storm Water Branch
1650 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699 -1650 Phone: (919) 807 -6371; Fax: (919) 8076494
GE5
Submitted by: Jeff Becker
Hu uc nsw
1004 Glencastle Way
Raleigh, NC 27606
Phone: (919) 215 -3899; Fax: (919) 859 -0911
LaGrange Bank Parcel
First Annual Monitoring Report - Year 2012
Greene Environmental Services, LLC, Snow Hill, NC
To: Katie Merritt, NC DENR, Division of Water Quality
From: Jeff Becker and David Knowles, Greene Environmental Services, LLC
Re: Evans Ballahack Bank Parcel
Date: February 19, 2013
Ms Merritt:
Greene Environmental Services, LLC (GES) of Snow Hill, NC is submitting this First Annual
Monitoring Report for the 2012 growing season for review by NC DENR- Division of Water
Quality staff. The LaGrange Bank Parcel is part of the Greene Environmental Services, LLC,
Neuse River Umbrella Mitigation Bank and is coded: DWQ #: 08- 0511v2. The bank parcel is
located within the Middle Neuse Watershed (HUC: 03020202). The 3.39 -acre parcel includes
acreage for both riparian buffer and nutrient offset credits. Overall site conditions for this first
monitoring year were good and planted seedling density exceeded minimum standards. We
regret that this report is being submitted after the December 2012 deadline.
You may direct questions to:
Jeff Becker
(919) 215 -3899
jrbecker@bellsouth.net
David Knowles
(252) 757 -1978
juncusl@yahoo.com
Thank you,
David Knowles
L
L�
First Annual Monitoring Report
LaGrange Bank Parcel
Greene Environmental Services, LLC
Neuse River Umbrella Mitigation Bank
DWQ #: 08- 0511v2
Year 2012
Submitted to: Katie Merritt
NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality — Wetlands and Storm Water Branch
1650 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699 -1650 Phone: (919) 807 -6371; Fax: (919) 8076494
GES
Submitted by: Jeff Becker wNn iMS Rtl
me.'wi Nc nsw
1004 Glencastle Way
Raleigh, NC 27606
Phone: (919) 215 -3899; Fax: (919) 859 -0911
First Annual Monitoring Report
LaGrange Bank Parcel
Greene Environmental Services, LLC
Neuse River Umbrella Mitigation Bank
DWQ #: 08- 0511v2 Year 2012
Introduction and Background
Greene Environmental Services, LLC (GES) of Snow Hill, North Carolina added the LaGrange
site to the GES Neuse River Basin Umbrella Mitigation Bank The LaGrange site (bank parcel)
is located at the southwest intersection of NC 903 and Old Jason Road (SR 1501), north of
LaGrange, in Lenoir County, North Carolina (Figures 1 and 2) The latitude /longitude
coordinates of the site are approximately 77° 44 315 W and 35° 20 588N The purpose of the
nutrient mitigation bank is to improve water quality within the Neuse River Basin by reducing
nutrient and sediment inputs to the watershed and provide off -site mitigation for development
requiring nutrient offsets
The bank parcel is located within the Middle Neuse Watershed (HUC. 03020202). The site
drains to Meeting House Branch (Stream Index # 27- 72 -3), which drains into Bear Creek
(Stream Index # 27 -72 -(0 1)), a mayor tributary to the Neuse River. According to the NC
Division of Water Quality Basinwide Information Management System, Meeting House Branch
is classified as C, Sw, NSW
The bank parcel is approximately 3 39 acres, including 0.87 acres of riparian buffer and 2 52
acres of nutrient offset buffer restoration (Figures 3 and 4) This bank parcel was established
under the terms and conditions of the GES Neuse River Basin Umbrella Mitigation Bank made
and entered into by Mr Bobby Ham of Greene Environmental Services, LLC, acting as the Bank
Sponsor and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources — Division
of Water Quality which was signed by the Division Director on October 3, 2008
The bank parcel was previous agricultural cropland and was planted with character species
during March of 2010 During the planting process, Eric Kulz and Lia Gilleski of DWQ visited
the site and determined that it was suitable for nutrient offset mitigation.
Monitoring and Results for Year 2012
As specified in the LaGrange Bank Parcel Development Package (BPDP), this report represents
the first year of vegetative monitoring. The BPDP requires the submission of an annual
monitoring report each of five successive years
The LaGrange parcel was initially planted with character trees in 2010 and 2011 at a rate of 413
seedlings per acre (Table 1) A supplemental planting was done in 2012 at a rate of 108 seedlings
per acre Thus prior to the submission of this first annual monitoring report a total of 521
seedlings per acre had been planted on the 3 39 -acre parcel
In each of the two monitoring plots in the LaGrange Parcel, tree stems were recorded by species
in October 2012 according to Carolina Vegetation Survey sampling protocols Plot locations are
mapped in Figure 5 Vegetation plot photo points were located at the northwestern corner of the
plots (Figure 6)
During the October 2012 monitoring effort, a total of 30 trees representing eleven species were
recorded in the two monitoring plots (Table 2) The total average density was 607 trees per acre.
Twenty -seven of the 30 trees within the plots were from seedlings planted by GES, thus average
planted seedling density was 547 per acre Ninety percent of the trees were planted with two tree
species, red maple and red mulberry, established via natural colonization For total trees as well
as planted trees the 320 trees per acre success criterion was exceeded. The species with the
highest stem density in the monitoring plots were bald cypress accounting for approximately one
quarter of the stems present, followed river birch, black gum and sycamore.
Overall Condition, Maintenance and Supplemental Plantings
Vegetation establishment and growth has been good at the LaGrange parcel Growing
conditions, a g, adequate rainfall, length of growing season and fertile soils, have been
advantageous since the initial plantings were undertaken The height of some seedlings,
especially river birch, planted in 2010, now exceeds 3 in with diameters (dbh) of 8 -10 cm Other
species exhibit slower growth but are performing as expected Browsing by deer has been
moderately problematic for seedlings in exposed areas and especially problematic for green ash
seedlings There has been some evidence of depredation by rabbits and possibly beavers and
other rodents Annual, herbaceous weed growth has been excessive; this would expectedly result
in above - ground and below - ground competition with planted seedlings However, the weeds
likely afford the seedlings some greater advantage by protecting them from browsing deer In an
effort to control rabbit and rodent populations, two 15 -foot tall hawk perches were installed on
the site
No remedial or supplemental planting is required for the 2013 growing season The next
monitoring effort will be in October 2013
Table 1 LaGrange Tract Approximate number of seedlings planted 2010, 2011 and 2012 on
3 39 acre tract prior to the first annual monitoring effort Year 2012 Annual Report, Greene
Environmental Services, LLC
Species
Common
Planted Winter
Planted Winter
Totals
Name
2012
2010 and 2011
Betula nigra
River birch
50
400
450
Diospyros
Persimmon
25
0
25
vir araana
Fraxinus
Green ash
0
200
200
pennsylvanica
Driodendron
Yellow poplar
20
0
20
tulipifera
Nyssa sylvatica
Blackgum
30
200
230
Platanus
Sycamore
120
0
120
occidentahs
Quercus alba
White oak
25
0
25
Quercus laevis
Turkey oak
25
0
25
Cherrybark
0
200
200
Quercus pagoda
oak
Quercus
Live oak
45
0
45
virginiana
Taxodium
Bald cypress
25
400
425
distichum
Total Seedlings Planted
365
1400
1765
Average Number Seedlings
108
413
521
Planted per Acre
Table 2 Stem density in 100 in monitoring plots at LaGrange Parcel Year 2012 Annual
Report, Greene Environmental Services, LLC
*Acer rubrum, a native species and Morus alba is a non - native species are volunteer species.
Plot LAG -1
Plot LAG -2
Tract Avera es
Number
Stems
Number
Stems
Number
Stems
Species
Common
Name
Stems
per acre
Stems
per acre
Stems
per acre
*Acer
Red
2
81
0
0
1
40
rubrum
maple
Betula nigra
River
2
81
4
162
3
121
birch
Driodendron
Yellow
0
0
1
40
05
20
tulzpifera
poplar
*Morus alba
Red
0
0
1
40
05
20
m berry
Nyssa
Black
3
121
2
81
25
101
sylvatica
gum
Platanus
Sycamore
y
2
81
3
121
2.5
101
occidentahs
Quercus
White
2
81
0
0
1
40
alba
Oak
Swamp
Quercus
Chestnut
0
0
1
40
0 5
20
machauxia
Oak
Taxodium
Bald
6
243
1
40
3 5
142
distichum
Cypress
Totals for All Species
17
688
13
526
15
607
Totals for Planted
15
608
12
486
13.5
547
Species Only
*Acer rubrum, a native species and Morus alba is a non - native species are volunteer species.
Table 3 Average relative density of species in 100 m2 monitoring plots in LaGrange Parcel.
2012 Annual Report, Greene Environmental Services, LLC
*Acer rubrum, a native species and Morus alba is a non - native species are volunteer species
Common
Percent of
Percent of
Species
Total Stems
Planted Stems
name
by Species
by Species
*Acer rubrum
Red maple
7
0
Betula nigra
River birch
20
22
Driodendron
yellow poplar
3
4
tuli i era
*Morus alba
Red mulberry
3
0
Nyssa sylvatzca
Black gum
17
19
Platanus
Sycamore
17
19
occidentalis
Quercus alba
White Oak
7
7
Quercus
Swamp
michauxii
Chestnut Oak
3
4
Taxodium
Bald Cypress
23
26
distichum
Percent of planted
stems to total
90% of Stems are of Planted Species
stems
*Acer rubrum, a native species and Morus alba is a non - native species are volunteer species
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90 Ham Produce Rd.
Snow Hill. NC 28580
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Greene Environmental Services. LLC
90 Ham Produce Rd.
Snow Hill. NC 28580
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FlNeuse Buffer Area: 37,939.70 sq. ft. (0.87 acres)
F1 Nutrient Offset Area: 109,581.98 sq. ft. (2.52 acres)
(3E Figure 4 — Survey Excerpt
Greene Environmental Services. LLC
90 Ham Produce Rd.
Snow Hill. NC 28580
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Figure 5.
Monitoring Plot Locations
Greene Environmental Services. LLC
90 Ham Produce Rd.
Snow Hill. NC 28580
Monitoring Plot LAG -1
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Greene Environmental Services. LLC
90 Ham Produce Rd.
Snow Hill, NC 28580
Monitoring Plot LAG -2
Figure 6. Monitoring Plot Photographs