20081296 Ver 1_Public Notice_20080822

Notification of a Public Notice from Wilmington District Regulatory...
Subject: Notification of a Public Notice from Wilmington District Regulatory Division, US Army Corps Of Engineers
From: "Wallace, Nancy SAW" <[e-mail]>
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:06:30 -0400
BCC:
O8 1296
As you requested, you are hereby notified that Wilmington District, United States Army Corps of Engineers has issued a Public
Notice. The text of this document can be found on the Public Notices portion of the Regulatory Division Home Page. Each
Public Notice is available in ADOBE ACROBAT (.pdf) format for viewing, printing or download at
http://www.saw.usace.army.miI/wetlands/notices/current notices.html. As with anything you download from the internet, be
sure to check for viruses prior to opening. The current notice involves:
PUBLIC NOTICE
ISSUE DATE: August 22, 2008
COMMENT DEADLINE: September 22, 2008
CORPS ACTION ID#: SAW-2008-2293
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Wilmington District, Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received a prospectus from Restoration
Systems, LLC proposing the establishment of a stream and wetland compensatory mitigation bank, known as the Ratcliffe Cove
Mitigation Bank. The proposed bank is located 0.5 mile northeast of Waynesville, Haywood County, North Carolina, and would
generate 5,778 stream mitigation units and 1.3 riverine wetland mitigation units.
POC: Lori Beckwith, telephone [phone] extension 226
EXPIRATION DATE: 5:00 p.m., September 22, 2008
1 of 1 8/22/2008 2:16 PM
US Army Corps
Of Engineers
Wilmington District
08 1296
PUBLIC NOTICE
Issue Date: 22 August 2008
Comment Deadline: 22 September 2008
Corps Action ID #: SAW-2008-02293
The Wilmington District, Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received a prospectus describing the
establishment of a stream and wetland compensatory mitigation bank, known as Ratcliffe Cove
Mitigation Bank for Federal and State permits as described below:
Bank Sponsor
Restoration Systems, LLC
This public notice does not imply, on the part of the Corps of Engineers or other agencies, either
favorable or unfavorable opinion of the work to be performed, but is issued to solicit comments
regarding the factors on which final decisions will be based. Specific plans and location
information are described below and shown on the attached plans. This Public Notice and all
attached plans are also available on the Wilmington District Web Site at
www.saw.usace.army.miI/wetlands. The complete prospectus and mitigation plans are also
available at the Asheville Regulatory Field Office.
WATERWAYS AND LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED WORK: The proposed bank site is
located approximately 0.5 mile northeast of Waynesville in central Haywood County and
encompasses approximately 24 acres of land that is currently utilized for livestock grazing.
Coordinates for the site are 35.5061 north and 82.9549 west. The main hydrologic features of
the proposed bank include Ratcliffe Cove Branch, four unnamed tributaries to Ratcliffe Cove
Branch, and associated floodplains. The proposed bank is located in the Broad Basins portion of
the Blue Ridge Ecoregion of North Carolina within Untied States Geological Survey (USGS)
Cataloging Unit 06010106 (North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ) subbasin
number 04-03-05) of the French Broad River Basin.
PROPOSED WORK AND PURPOSE: The bank sponsor proposes to establish, design,
construct, and operate a stream and wetland compensatory mitigation bank in central Haywood
County, North Carolina.
As stated by the sponsor, the primary goals and objectives of this proposed mitigation bank are
to improve water quality, enhance flood attenuation and restore aquatic and riparian habitat.
Specifically, the sponsor proposes to restore 5,660 linear feet of stream channel, enhance 296
linear feet of stream channel, restore 0.9 acre of riverine wetlands, enhance 0.8 acre of riverine
wetlands, plant a native woody riparian buffer, and protect the proposed bank site in perpetuity
with a conservation easement. The sponsor states that the goals and objectives would be
accomplished by: 1) removing non-point sources of pollution associated with agricultural
activities, 2) reducing sedimentation within onsite and downstream receiving waters, 3)
reestablishing stream stability and the capacity to transport watershed flows and sediment loads
by restoring stable dimension, pattern and profile, 4) promoting floodwater attenuation by
reconnecting bankfull flows to abandoned floodplains, restoring entrenched tributaries, restoring
depressional floodplain wetlands, and revegetating floodplains, 5) improving aquatic habitat by
enhancing stream bed variability and the use of in-stream structures, 6) providing wildlife
habitat. The sponsor states that the proposed bank will be protected in perpetuity by a
conservation easement. The applicant states that upon completion the proposed bank would
offer 5,778 Stream Mitigation Units and 1.3 Riverine Wetland Mitigation Units.
The proposed 24-acre bank site is currently utilized as pasture land for livestock grazing. Cattle
have indiscriminate access to onsite streams and wetlands, resulting in degradation of stream
banks through vegetative cropping and hoof shear. Riparian vegetation adjacent to restoration
/enhancement reaches of onsite streams is sparse and disturbed due to livestock grazing, bush
hogging, and regular maintenance activities. The proposed bank site encompasses 5,590 linear
feet of stream channels including Ratcliffe Cove Branch and four (4) unnamed tributaries.
Approximately 1.7 acres of the proposed bank site are underlain by hydric soils. Hydric soils
are located within floodplains adjacent to onsite streams. Extensive floodplain manipulations
associated with stream ditching and straightening, deforestation, floodplain drain tile, and
compaction due to livestock trampling have effectively removed groundwater hydrology from
some of these areas impacted by stream channel entrenchment, ditching, excavation and removal
of vegetation. The enclosed map shows the approximate location of proposed restoration and
enhancement activities.
The proposed primary geographic service area is the French Broad River Basin 8-digit HUC,
06010106.
This mitigation bank may be considered one of a number of practicable alternatives available to
applicants to compensate for unavoidable stream and wetland impacts associated with permits
issued under the authority of Sections 404 and 401 of the Clean Water Act for projects located
within the prescribed geographic service area.
Oversight of this wetland and stream compensatory mitigation bank will be by a group of
Federal and State agency representatives collectively referred to as the Interagency Review Team
(IRT). The IRT shall be chaired by the Wilmington District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and
is comprised of representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, N.C. Division of Water Quality, and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
The actual approval of the use of this mitigation bank for a specific project is the decision
of the Corps of Engineers pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The Corps provides
no guarantee that any particular individual or general permit will be granted authorization to use
this wetland compensatory mitigation bank to compensate for unavoidable wetland impacts
associated with a proposed permit, even though mitigation from this bank may be available.
-2-
AUTHORITY: A Public Notice regarding proposed mitigation banks is required pursuant to the
rules published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for Compensatory Mitigation for
Losses of Aquatic Resources (33 CFR 332.8(d)(4)).
FEDERAL EVALUATION OF PROPOSAL: The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments
from the public; Federal, state, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other
interested parties in order to consider and evaluate this proposed mitigation bank. Any
comments received will be considered by the Corps in evaluating this proposal. Comments are
used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, conservation, economics,
aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish and wildlife values,
flood hazards and flood plain values (in accordance with Executive Order 11988), land use,
navigation, shore erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality,
energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property
ownership, and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people.
Preliminary review indicates that: 1) An environmental impact statement will not be required; 2)
No species of fish, wildlife, or plant (or their critical habitat) listed as endangered or threatened
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (PL 93-205) will be affected; and 3) No cultural or
historic resources considered eligible or potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of
Historic Places will be affected. Additional information may change any of these preliminary
findings.
Written comments pertinent to the proposed work, as outlined above, will be received in this
office, Attention: Lori Beckwith, Asheville Regulatory Field Office, 151 Patton Avenue, Room
208, Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006, until 5:00 p.m., September 22, 2008.
-3-
Directions to the Bank:
Take exit 27 off Interstate 40 j ust north of Clyde
Travel on US 74W/23S/l9S for - 3 miles
Take exit 104 for Lake Junaluska towards Waynesville and travel - 1 mile
Turn left on Francis Farm Road Oust after Junaluska School}
The Bank is on the right after a sharp bend in the road
Point in center Site
Latitude: 35.5061 °N, Longitude: 82.9549 °W

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Source: 1977 North Carolina Atlas and Gazetteer, p,S2. e -
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2128 Rowland Pond Drive THE BANK LOCATION
Willow Spring, NC 27592
[phone] RATCLIFFE COVE MITIGATION BANK
[phone] fax 11 Haywood County, North Carolina
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Legend
Drainage Area = - 3.9 square miles
-?'
Feet Parcels
0 650 1,300 2,600 3,900 5,200 Easement = -24 acres
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T Dwn• By: CLF FIGURE
A zits Rowland Pond or. TOPOGRAPHY AND DRAINAGE AREA
Willow Spring, NC 27592 Date'
(919) 2151693 RATCLIFFE COVE MITIGATION BANK WGL
919
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Dwn. By: CLF FIGURE
Abaft 2126 RoWand Pone Dr.
Ww SpOn Spring, NC 27592 EXISTING CONDITIONS AND SOILS Date:
919
[phone] RATCLIFFE COVE STREAM RESTORATION SITE wGL
4
- [phone] (fax) Haywood County, North Carolina Project:
05-022.45

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"' By' •CLF FIGURE
2126 Rowland Pond Or. PROPOSED CONDITIONS
Willow Spring, NC 27592 Date:
RATCLIFFE COVE MITIGATION BANK ?+
(919) 2151693 WGL V
[phone] (fax) Haywood County, North Carolina Project:
05-022.45