20180786 Ver 1_Notice of Initial Credit Release Review_20210517

Strickland, Bev
From: Browning, Kimberly D CIV USARMY CESAW (USA)
<[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2021 2:32 PM
To: Dow, Jeremiah J; Jason Lorch
Cc: Crocker, Lindsay; Harmon, Beth; Baumgartner, Tim; Gibby, Jean B CIV USARMY CESAW
(USA); Tugwell, Todd J CIV USARMY CESAW (US); Davis, Erin B; Haywood, Casey M CIV
(USA); Wilson, Travis W.; Bowers, Todd; [e-mail]; Munzer, Olivia;
McLendon, C S CIV USARMY CESAW (USA); Smith, Ronnie D CIV USARMY CESAW
(USA)
Subject: [External] Notice of Initial Credit Release/ NCDMS Sandy Branch Mitigation Site /
SAW-2018-01167 / Chatham Co.
Attachments: Sandy Branch_100060_CF 03_STR_RW_Initial Release.pdf; Sandy Branch Figure 10
Markup (GWG Location Requests).pdf
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The 15-Day Record Drawing and MY-0 review for the Sandy Branch Mitigation Site (SAW-2018-01167) ended May 15,
2021. Per Section 332.8(o)(9) of the 2008 Mitigation Rule, this review followed the streamlined review process. There
were no objections to issuing the initial credit release. Please find attached the current signed ledger, and IRT comments
below. Please reply to this email with a response to the questions below, particularly to DWR's first comment given that
gauge location was discussed as a contingency of approval of the draft mitigation plan. (Attached is a gauge location PDF
from DWR sent 11-OCT-2019) The IRT is not requesting a site visit at this time.
USACE Comments, Casey Haywood:
1. Section 4.3: Please annotate in this section the plan to fence in the easement.
2. The AB drone footage was helpful and appreciated.
3. Please mark location of photo points to include crossings and culverts.
USEPA Comments, Todd Bowers:
I have no serious issues or concerns with the site as constructed and approve of/concur with full credit release (30%
released on April 8, 2021) for this milestone. I have few minor comments pertaining to the report that I would like to see
Wildlands correct and carry forward with future reports for this site and others which may benefit from these
comments.
* In Table 1, fencing is missing from the site objectives to meet the goal of permanently protecting the site from
harmful uses.
* Section 2.3: Whenever percentages of a growing season are referenced it is important to clearly state the actual
number of consecutive days required to meet the hydrology standard threshold.
* Section 4.3: Fencing could be addressed again here to align with site boundary marking.
* Table 6b: Total area for the 3 random plots should be 3 areas instead of 2.
* Planting Tables on Page 85 should list the wetland indicator status for each listed species.
* Planting Plan on Page 85: I recommend superimposing the fixed veg plot locations on this map to illustrate that
all planting zones are being monitored adequately. Figure 3 does a decent job at this so perhaps it is redundant.
i

* General: I am very pleased with all the relevant photos in the document illustrating the structures, groundwater
wells, cross sections and vegetation plots. The added bonus of the handheld video presented is great too as I watched it
before reading the report. This allowed me to anticipate some aspects of the site (such as the lack of boulder sills) that
were answered in detail by the as -built report and red -line changes from the final mitigation plan. The only request I
would have with photos would be to cover the culverts in detail.
NCDWR Comments, Erin Davis:
1. Many of the monitoring well and plot stations shifted slightly from the mit plan monitoring figure, which is
expected to a degree. But four of wetland wells appear to have moved from being within a re-establishment area
towards or within a rehabilitation area (GWG 7, 8, 10, 12). Particularly looking at GWG 7 (which was originally proposed
square within a non-hydric re-establishment area) and GWG 8, will stationed well data adequately represent functional
uplift and performance standards for the re-establishment credit areas as described in the approved mit plan?
2. Please confirm there were no changes from the approved mit plan planted species and percentages (an
updated/redline as -built planting table was not included).
Please contact the Mitigation Office if you have any questions.
Regards,
Kim
Kim Browning
Mitigation Project Manager, Regulatory Division I U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
2

OdivilerWILDLANDS
ENGINEERING
0 150 300 Feet
l 1 I i 1
Project Location
_ —Proposed Proposed Conservation Easement (18.10 ac)
Proposed Stream Approach
Restoration
No Credit (Easement Break)
Non -Project
Proposed Wetland Approach
Re -Establishment - Non-Hydric
Re -Establishment - Hydric
Rehabilitation
Cross Section
i Photo Point
Groundwater Well — c3 1 Ota41On
* Crest Gauge v h i
Fixed Vegetation Plot
P1 Random Vegetation Plot
Reach Break
Figure 10 - Monitoring Components Map
Sandy Branch Mitigation Site
Cape Fear River Basin (03030003)
Chatham County, NC

Mitigation Project Name Sandy Branch USACE Action ID 2018-01167
DMS ID 100060 DWR Permit 2018-0786
River Basin Cape Fear Date Project Instituted 4/20/2018
Cataloging Unit 03030003 Date Prepared 4/8/2021
County Chatham Stream/Wet. Service Area Cape Fear 03030003
Kimberly Danielle Browning i n Digitally signed by Kimberly Danielle Browning
g Date: 2021.05.17 14:12:39 -04'00'
Signature of Official Approving Credit Release
1 - For NCDMS, no credits are released during the first milestone (Site Establishment).
2 - For NCDMS projects, the initial credit release milestone occurs when the as -built report (baseline monitoring report) has been approved by the NCIRT and posted to
the NCDMS Portal, provided the following criteria are met:
1) Approval of Final Mitigation Plan;
2) Recordation of the preservation mechanism, as well as a title opinion acceptable to the USACE covering the property;
3) Completion of all physical and biological improvements to the mitigation site pursuant to the mitigation plan;
4) Receipt of necessary DA permit authorization or written DA approval for projects where DA permit issuance is not required.
3 - A 10% reserve of credits is to be held back until the bankful event performance standard has been met.
Credit Release Milestone
Warm Stream Credits
Project Credits
Scheduled
Releases %
Estimated
Scheduled
Release #
Proposed
Released #
Not Approved
# Releases
Approved
Credits
Anticipated
Release
Year
Actual
Release
Date
1 - Site Establishment
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2 - Year 0 / As -Built
30.00%
985.800
985.800
0.000
985.800
2021
4/8/2021
3 - Year 1 Monitoring
10.00%
328.600
2022
4 - Year 2 Monitoring
10.00%
328.600
2023
5 - Year 3 Monitoring
10.00%
328.600
2024
6 - Year 4 Monitoring
5.00%
164.300
2025
7 - Year 5 Monitoring
10.00%
328.600
2026
8 - Year 6 Monitoring
5.00%
164.300
2027
9 - Year 7 Monitoring
10.00%
328.600
2028
Stream Bankfull Standard
10.00%
328.600
2025
Totals
985.800
Total Gross Credits
3,286.000
Total Unrealized Credits to Date
0.000
Total Released Credits to Date
985.800
Total Percentage Released
30.00%
Remaining Unreleased Credits
2,300.200
Credit Release Milestone
Riparian Credits
Project Credits
Scheduled
u
Releases /o
Estimated
Scheduled
Release #
Proposed
Released #
Not Approved
# Releases
Approved
Credits
Anticipated
Release
Year
Actual
Release
Date
1 - Site Establishment
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2 - Year 0 / As -Built
30.00%
2.180
2.180
0.000
2.180
2021
4/8/2021
3 - Year 1 Monitoring
10.00%
0.727
2022
4 - Year 2 Monitoring
10.00%
0.727
2023
5 - Year 3 Monitoring
15.00%
1.090
2024
6 - Year 4 Monitoring
5.00%
0.363
2025
7 - Year 5 Monitoring
15.00%
1.090
2026
8 - Year 6 Monitoring
5.00%
0.363
2027
9 - Year 7 Monitoring
10.00%
0.727
2028
Totals
2.180
Total Gross Credits
7.267
Total Unrealized Credits to Date
0.000
Total Released Credits to Date
2.180
Total Percentage Released
30.00%
Remaining Unreleased Credits
5.087
Page 1 of 2

Mitigation Project Name Sandy Branch USACE Action ID 2018-01167
DMS ID 100060 DWR Permit 2018-0786
River Basin Cape Fear Date Project Instituted 4/20/2018
Cataloging Unit 03030003 Date Prepared 4/8/2021
County Chatham Stream/Wet. Service Area Cape Fear 03030003
Notes
Contingencies (if any)
Project Quantities
Mitigation Type
Restoration Type
Physical Quantity
Warm Stream
Restoration
3,286.000
Riparian
Restoration
8.540
Debits
Warm Stream
Restoration
Credits
Riparian
Restoration
Beginning Balance (mitigation credits)
3,286.000
7.267
Released Credits
985.800
2.180
Unrealized Credits
0.000
0.000
Converted Credits
0.000
0.000
Owning Program
Req. Id
TIP #
Project Name
USACE Permit
#
DWR Permit
#
DCM Permit
#
Remaining Balance (Released credits)
985.800
2.180
Remaining Balance (Unreleased credits)
2,300.210
5.087
Total Remaining Balance (Released and Unreleased credits)
3,286.000
7.267
Page 2 of 2