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Home My WebLink About20080737 All Versions_Mitigation Information_200712134'?. STNFr S alSTATE OF NORTH CAROLINA C ?T?N?Sgn'u`A)1 3 20?? ? N?1 ? R r`?Mt?aT??rr R???yy DEPARTWNT OF TRANSPORTATION MICHAEL F EASLEY GOVERNOR December 13, 2007 Mr Richard Spencer U S Army Corp of Engineers Post Office Box 1890 Wilmington, North Carolina 28402-1890 Subject Mitigation for Fayetteville Outer Loop TIP Nos U-2519 and X-0002, WBS 34817 12 Dear Mr Spencer LYNDo TIPPETT SECRETARY The NCDOT proposes debiting the Privateer Farms mitigation site (Privateer site) for anticipated mitigation needs associated with the Fayetteville Outer Loop (FOL), Transportation Improvement Program ('IIP) Project Nos U-2519 and X-0002 The following supporting information presents a summary of the FOL project impacts, the Privateer site status and credits, and the functional assessment for the wetland and stream impacts and mitigation Maps, forms, and detailed site information are provided on the NEU website http //www ncdot org/doh/preconstruct/pe/neu/Momtonng/ The Fayetteville Outer Loop is estimated to have the following impacts in cataloguing unit (CU) 03030004 of the Cape Fear River Basin (1) 12,838 feet of stream impacts (2) 49 76 acres of riparian wetland impacts (3) 11 84 acres of non-riparian wetland impacts These numbers include impacts from all sections of the project, including those funded on the TIP and those post-year Currently, there is not a sufficient amount of stream or wetland mitigation credits available in CU 03030004 that have completed construction The Privateer site is located in CU 03030005 of the Cape Fear River Basin, on the boundary of Cumberland and Bladen counties, approximately 6 miles from the southern boundary of CU 03030004 (see attached map) The project restored 402 5 acres of riparian wetlands, enhanced 25 acres of riparian wetlands, and restored 34,005 feet of Harrison Creek, making it one of the largest ecosystem restoration projects in the Southeast The project has completed its third year of monitoring The monitoring reports are provided on the accompanying disc There have been no debits from this site MAILING ADDRESS TELEPHONE 919-733-3141 LOCATION NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FAX 919-733-9794 TRANSPORTATION BUILDING PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS 1 SOUTH WILMINGTON STREET 1548 MAIL SERVICE CENTER WEBSITE WWW DOH DOT STATE NC US RALEIGH NC RALEIGH NC 27699 1548 Mr Richard Spencer December 13, 2007 Page 2 Stream flows from larger storms now spread onto the floodplam, which reduces the energy of the water and results in less erosion of stream banks Structures placed within the streambed control its grade, reduce stress on stream banks, and create a more diverse habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms Riparian wetlands were restored by reconnecting Harrison Creek with its original floodplam For comparison of impact types and quality to mitigation type and quality, functional assessments were completed for a representative sample of the impact sites and the Privateer site during the month of September A total of 31 wetland impact sites on the FOL were evaluated using the NC Wetland Functional Assessment Method (NCWAM) Of the 31 sites, 25 were classified as riverme and 6 as non-rivenne, with 5 different wetland types represented A table of site types, scores, specific site forms, and score sheets are provided on the accompanying disc All but 3 sites received an overall score of high quality However, 11 of the impact sites scored low or medium on the habitat function The reduced score was mainly from low vegetation composition or physical structure scores The low habitat scores reflect site characteristics such as altered vegetation composition, lack of vegetation strata, lack of mature trees, and low species diversity An NCWAM evaluation was completed on each of the three wetland types on the Privateer site The NCWAM forms and score sheets for the Riverme Swamp forest, Bottomland Hardwood forest, and Headwater forest are provided on the accompanying disc All three wetland types received an overall score of high quality The Riverme Swamp and Bottomland Hardwood forests received a low score for the habitat function Like the impact sites, these low habitat scores reflect the lack of mature trees and expected strata However, the habitat scores on the Privateer site are expected to improve over time As shown in the monitoring reports, the appropriate species were planted on the site and are meeting success criteria for survival and composition Since the Privateer site is protected in perpetuity, the vegetation will continue to grow and reach the expected canopy and diversity Two stream impact sites on the FOL were evaluated using the preliminary version of the NC Stream Functional Assessment Method (NCSAM) for Inner Coastal Plain stream type The forms and score sheets for these evaluations are not provided because of the preliminary nature of the NCSAM Two sections of the UT to Carvers Creek, one in the forested section and one in the non-forested section, were evaluated during a field exercise by the NCSAM team The forested section received an overall score of high quality This section of stream is characterized by a stable channel, a mature vegetated buffer, and good in-stream habitats The non-forested section received an overall score of low quality This site is characterized by lack of mature vegetated buffer, little or no in- stream habitat, and a disturbed streamside area Mr Richard Spencer December 13, 2007 Page 3 An NCSAM evaluation was completed on three sections of restored stream, corresponding to the three wetland evaluation locations, on the Privateer site All three stream sections received an overall score of high quality The stream sections adjacent to the Riverme Swamp and Bottomland Hardwood forests received a low quality score for the habitat function These scores are characteristic of a site with low richness and diversity of macro-benthics, lack of mature vegetation in the stream-side area and lack of in-stream habitat types The drought conditions and age of the site contributed to these reduced scores However, these factors are expected to improve over time since the site is protected in perpetuity The NCDOT requests debiting the Privateer site at a ratio of 1 5 1 for stream, riverme, and nonnverme impacts for the FOL This request is based on the following factors ® The Privateer site is constructed and has completed its third year of monitoring ® The quality of the mitigation, as shown in the functional assessments, is as high or higher than the impact sites o The Privateer site is meeting success criteria, is a high quality mitigation site, and is showing trends toward a mature forested wetland and stream system ® There is not a sufficient amount of stream or wetland mitigation credits available in CU 03030004 that have completed construction Thank you for review and consideration of this request This information will also be included in the permit application for the FOL If you have any questions, please call LeiLam Paugh at 919-715-1457 Sincerely, Greg orpe, Ph Branc Ma ager Project Development & Environmental Analysis GJT/be cc Deborah Barbour, NCDOT, Preconstruction Scott McLendon, USACE, Wilmington Brian Wrenn, NCDWQ Kathy Matthews, USEPA Gary Jordan, USFWS Travis Wilson, NCWRC Jim Rerko, Division 6, Environmental Officer Beth Harmon, NCEEP ,