Blackstar Prospectus Cover Letter

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Andrea Hughes, Kim Browning,
Todd Tugwell
U.S. �-my Corps of Engineers
3331 Herita�e Trade Drive, Ste IOi
Wake Forest, NC 27�87
Emil,y Greer
U.S. Army Coips of�ngineers
69 Darlington Avenue
Wilmington, NC 28403
Mac Haupt
Virginia Baker
NCD�Q, Division of Water Resources
512 N. Salisbuiy Street, 9°' Floor
Raleigh, NC 27604
Kathy Matthews
Emily Wells
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services
PO Box 3372C
Raleigh, NC 27636-3726
Todd Bowers
USEPA, Region 4
61 Forsyth Str-eet, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Ken Riley
National Marine Fisheries Service
101 Pivers Island Road
Beaufort, NC 28516
April 24, 2017
Gabriella Garrison
NC Wildlife Resoucces Coillinission
PO Box 28347
Hoffinan, NC 28347
Re: RES Cape Fear 04 Umbrella Mitigation Bank, Blackstar Site — Prospectus
Dear Sir/Madam,
On behalf of Resource Environmental Solutions & Environmental Ba�7c & Excha��ge, LLC, I a�n pleased to sub�r�it the
Prospect�ls for the Blackstar Mitigation Site ("Site").
Location
The 19.92-acre proposed mitigation site is located approximately fiv� miles west of Dui�n in Harnett County, North
Carolina (35.2786°N, -78.7002°W). Tlie Site is located in the 14-digit HUC 03030004110020 and will restore and protect
a catchment which evenhially discliarges directly to the Cape Fear River.
Existing Site Conditions
Current land use around the Site is primarily agricultural, undeveloped land, and single-family homes. Land-use
immediately surrounding tl�e project includes pash�re supporting live�stock. The landscape is old tenace above the Cape
Fear River exhibiting linear depressions between higlier sliallow ridges. A ditch flows southwesterly tln�ough tlie Site to the
Cape Fear River (Site is located about 0.60 miles west of the Cape Fear River). The Site has several shallow ditches to
improve sLirface drainage to a ditch along the eastern properry boundary and impacts from livestock have increased erosion
and down cutting along a swale that also increases site drainage. Soil investigations shows that nnich of the low-lying
landscape exhibits hydric charactei-istics and a shallow seasonal high water table. There are two co�n�l�uniry types present
within the project are�: pasture ai�d forest. The re-establishment areas are prinlarily pasture and tl�e eiihanceinent area is
both Palustine forested (PFO1C) and Palustrine scntb-shrub (PSS1C) wetland.
Tl�e pt-oposed re-establislunent area on the eastern ditch of the Site is a concave landscape with shallow ditching to drain
surface water and has sustained surface churning froin livestocic. This limits infiltration and both surface and subsurface
long-ternl storage capacity. Within this proposed re-establishment area the pasture is Bennuda (Cynoc�on) with b�ittercup
(Ra�u����cz�lcrs), and the dit�ched area has conunon rush (Junci�s effusi�s) with no trees present. Other grasses and weeds are
limited. The hydrology at the southern end of the western exhibits disturbance, but seepage is present. Within this proposed
re-establislunent area, the pastiue is Bermuda with buttercup. The low-lying areas and ditches have connnon rush.
The proposed enhancement area is a disturbed forested wetland that appears to clu7-ently meet jtu-isdictional hydrology, but
llas minor drainage modifications and iinpacts of livestock. Vegetation is stressed by these impacts. The sparse canopy
consists of red maple (Acer rub��um), blackgw» (Ny�ssa svlvatica), sweetgum (Liqti�idczmbar st�n•aciflu�a), cottonwood
412 N. 4th St. #300 701 E. Bay St. #306 5020 Montrose Blvd. #650 1200 Camellia Blvd. #220
Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Charleston, SC 27904 Houston, TX 77006 Lafayette, U1 70508
137�/z East Main St. #210 10055 Red Run Blvd.#130 33 Terminal Way #431 302 ]efferson St. #110 1521 W. Main 2ntl Floor
Oak Hill, WV 25901 Owings Mills, MD 21117 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Raleigh, NC 27605 Richmond, VA 23220

(Populus deltoides), American elm (Ulmus americana), and swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii). Herbaceous
vegetation includes common rush, sedges (Carex sp.), and lizard's tail (Saururus cernuus). Some exotics were noted,
including multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) and Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens).
Project Purpose
The purpose of the proposed Site is to generate compensatory mitigation credits for inclusion in the RES Cape Fear 04
Umbrella Mitigation Bank in hydrologic unit 03030004 of the Cape Fear River Basin associated with Department of the
Army permit authorizations pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
The Site will result in significant water quality improvements including:
• Decreased non-point source pollution and sedimentation,
• Filtration of runoff, and
• Improved hydrologic function.
The Site will provide uplift for ecological functions, including:
• Improved aquatic habitat diversity,
• Invasive species treatment, and
• Wildlife corridor enhancement and preservation
The Site will restore, enhance, and protect an important aquatic resource and wildlife corridor while also accommodating
existing agricultural land uses.
Project Description
The North Carolina Division of Mitigation Services (DMS) develops River Basin Restoration Priorities (RBRP) to guide
its restoration activities within each of the state's 54 cataloging units. The Cape Fear is one of four river basins entirely
contained within North Carolina's borders. The 2009 Cape Fear River Basin RBRP identifed several restoration needs for
the entire Cape Fear River Basin, as well as for HUC 03030004. Goals include promoting nutrient and sediment reduction
in agricultural and urban areas by restoring and preserving streams, wetlands, and riparian buffers. The Cape Fear 03030004
HUC has some fast-growing urban areas, namely Fayetteville, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, and Fort Bragg.
The proposed Bank is designed to help meet these goals. The projects will address stressors identified in the watershed
through nutrient removal, sediment removal, runoff filtration, and improved aquatic and terrestrial habitat. These project
goals will be achieved through wetland enhancement and re-establishment.
Thank you for your consideration. Please let us know if you need anything further.
Sincerely yours,
4_�,d-- � ��.r
Cara Conder
North Carolina Project Manager