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Home My WebLink About20180393 Ver 1_Species Report_20180319 Protected Species Survey Report Helianthus schweintizii Project Quattro/CLT Land Charlotte, North Carolina CWS Project No. 2017-0565 February 27, 2018 Prepared for: Joe Scarborough Seefried Industrial Properties, Inc. 3333 Riverwood Parkway, Suite 200 Atlanta, Georgia 30339 Prepared by: Daniel Roberts Ryan Gibbons Carolina Wetland Services, Inc. 550 E. Westinghouse Blvd. Charlotte, North Carolina 28273 North Carolina - South Carolina www.CWS-INC.NET CAROLINA WETLAND SERVICES, INC. 550 E. Westinghouse Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28273 704-527-1177 (office) 704-527-1133 (fax) Table of Contents Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………..2 Methods ………………………………………………………………………………………….2 Results …………………………………………………………………………………………..3 Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………….4 Attachments Figure 1: USGS Topographic Map Figure 2: USDA-NRCS Soil Map of Mecklenburg County Figure 3: Habitat Map Table 1: Summary of Plant Species Attachment A: Representative Photographs (1-3) NORTH CAROLINA - SOUTH CAROLINA WWW.CWS-INC.NET Project Quattro/CLT Land February 27, 2018 Protected Species Assessment Report CWS Project No. 2017-0565 Introduction Seefried Industrial Properties, Inc. has contracted Carolina Wetland Services, Inc. (CWS) to provide a protected species survey of Schweinitz’s sunflower ( Helianthus schweinitzii ) for the Project Quattro/CLT Land site. The Project Quattro/CLT Land site is approximately 89 acres in extent and is located north of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport along Tuckaseegee Road to the southeast of the I-485 and I-85 intersection in unincorporated Mecklenburg County (Figure 1). CWS consulted the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Endangered and Threatened Species and Species of Concern by County for North Carolina online database for Mecklenburg County and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP) Data Explorer1 on January 3, 2018 to determine if any potential or recorded occurrences of federally-listed, 2 candidate endangered, or threatened species, or critical habitat were documented within the project limits or vicinity. No protected species were documented within the project area or vicinity, but seven species were identified as potentially occurring. A habitat assessment of the project on January 12, 2018 concluded that potentially suitable habitat for only one species, Schweinitz’s sunflower , was available within the project area . This report details the results of 3 a species survey conducted for Schweinitz’s sunflower by CWS on February 9, 2018. Methods Prior to conducting field work, typical habitat requirements for Schweinitz’s sunflower were discerned from multiple USFWS and NCNHP online resources including, but not limited to, 4 5 specific USFWS species profiles, recovery plans, NCNHP’s Guide to Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Species of North Carolina, and List of the Rare Plant Species of North Carolina. United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) Web Soil Survey of Mecklenburg County and aerial imagery were also 6 reviewed for potential habitat communities of Schweinitz's sunflower within the project vicinity (Figures 2 and 3). Potential on-site habitat for Schweinitz’s sunflower is limited to the human-induced altered lands, actively maintained road side right-of-ways, and herbaceous cover (Figure 3, Photographs 1 and 2, attached). The information provided from USFWS and NCNHP 1 United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Raleigh Field Office. Accessed December 28, 2017. Endangered and Threatened Species and Species of Concern by County for North Carolina. https://www.fws.gov/raleigh/species/cntylist/mecklenburg.html 2 North Carolina Natural Heritage Data Explorer. Accessed January 3, 2018. https://ncnhde.natureserve.org/. 3 https://docs.google.com/document/d/12SVuSO_RKYtO6naVlK_5w6ZBOTrkbjVR70DRrk8iDtM/edit 4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2006. Optimal Survey Windows for North Carolina’s Federally Threatened and Endangered Plant Species. http://www.fws.gov/nces/es/plant_survey.html. Accessed December 28, 2017. 5 Buchanan, M.F. and J.T. Finnegan. 2010. Natural Heritage Program List of the Rare Plant Species of North Carolina. NC Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh, NC. Accessed from https://www.fws.gov/raleigh/species/cntylist/nc_counties.html 6 United States Department of Agriculture, 2017. Web Soil Survey of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Accessed 12/28/17. Source: https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm Page 2 of 4 Project Quattro/CLT Land February 27, 2018 Protected Species Assessment Report CWS Project No. 2017-0565 determined that these areas have the proper soils, slopes, and occasional disturbances to potentially support Schweinitz’s sunflower. CWS scientists Daniel Roberts, Project Scientist, and Dan Zurlo, Staff Scientist II, conducted a field investigation to determine the presence/absence of Schweinitz’s sunflower within the project study area on January 2, 2018 (Figure 1). Late August through October is the ideal time of year to conduct a survey for the Schweinitz’s sunflower; however, this study was conducted outside of the recommended survey period due to time constraints. Outside of the appropriate survey period, vegetative parts of Helianthus genera typically remain and can be observed in the field during investigations. To confirm this, CWS visited a nearby reference population of Schweinitz’s sunflower and documented the condition of known individuals of the species, which verified their observable condition during the time of field surveys. To perform the pedestrian survey, CWS used a Samsung Galaxy S2 tablet with ArcGis collector application to navigate within the study area and conducted linear transects to obtain 100 percent coverage of all potentially suitable habitat. During the assessment, biologists made every effort to identify all woody and non-woody plants and ecological conditions that are present within those habitats. Identification references for natural communities include Schafale and Weakley’s Third Approximation for Natural Communities of North Carolina (1990) and 7 Weakley (2015) for plant species. 8 If specimens of the target protected species had been observed, CWS would have used a trimble sub-meter GPS unit to locate each individual or population, photograph the specimen and their habitat/community, and take detailed notes on the associate species and habitat conditions. Results . No individuals of Schweinitz’s sunflower or other individuals of the Helianthus genera were observed within the project area during the field assessment. Dominant vegetation was similar for all three community types identified within the project area. Typical vegetation within the suitable sunflower habitat consisted of bushy bluestem ( Andropogon glomeratus ), little bluestem ( Schizachyrium scoparium ), purpletop vervain ( Verbena bonariensis ), Canada goldenrod ( Solidago altissima ), white heath aster ( Symphyotrichum ericoides ), sawtooth blackberry ( Rubus argutus ), switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ), Japanese honeysuckle ( Lonicera japonica ), eastern red cedar ( Juniperus virginiana ), eastern baccharis ( Baccharis halimifolia ), dog fennel ( Eupatorium capillifolium ), and deer tongue ( Dichanthelium clandestinum ). Common on-site invasive species included purpletop vervain 7 Schafale, M.P., and A.S. Weakley. 1990. Classification of the Natural Communities of North Carolina, Third Approximation. http://ww.namethatplant.net/PDFs/class.pdf. 8 Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm. Page 3 of 4 Project Quattro/CLT Land February 27, 2018 Protected Species Assessment Report CWS Project No. 2017-0565 and Japanese honeysuckle. All plant species observed within suitable sunflower habitat are summarized in Table 1 (attached). Conclusions No individuals of Schweinitz’s sunflower or other Helianthus species were observed during the targeted H. schweinitzii pedestrian survey on February 12, 2018. Although this survey was conducted outside the optimal survey window of late August to October, vegetative parts of Helianthus genera were observed at the nearby reference population visited on the same day; therefore, if the species were present, at least some vegetative portions should have been observed during the survey. As a survey of verifiably identifiable Schweinitz’s sunflower was conducted in suitable habitat resulted in the target species not being found and the NHP database indicates there is no known population of the species within 1.0 mile of the project study area, CWS concludes that the project will have no effect on the Schweinitz’s sunflower. This report represents a thorough biological assessment for the presence of Schweinitz’s sunflower. The biological determination of effect represents the best professional opinion of CWS and is not an official determination of effect. It is the responsibility of the lead federal agency to render an official determination of effect. Should the lead federal agency agree with CWS’s findings of no effect, then no USFWS consultation is required to comply with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. Should the lead federal agency’s determination of effect differ from the findings of CWS, formal or informal consultation with USFWS may be required. Page 4 of 4 FIGURE NO.SCALE: CWS PROJECT NO: COORDINATES: DAT E: DRAW N BY: CHECKED BY: SCALE: CWS PROJECT NO: COORDINATES: USGS Site Lo cation 1of3 I 2,000 0 2,0001,000 Feet CAG 2017-056 5 JDR Le gend Project Limits (89 ac.) QuatroMecklenburg CountyCharlotte, NC Wilkinso n Boule vard 1/10/2 0181 inch = 2,000 feet C:\Users\erinbradsha w\Goo gle Drive\201 7\2017 Cons ulting\2017 Pro jects \2 017-0565 P rojec tQua ttro \PET S\ArcGIS\F ig ure 1_USGS.mxd REFERENCE: USGS 7.5 MINUTE TOPOGRAPHIC QUADRANGLE(S): MOUNTAIN ISLAND LAK E, NC AND CHARLOT TE WEST, NC (20 17). 35.243977, -80.964377 Tu ckasee gee Road FIGURE NO.SCALE: CWS PROJECT NO: COORDINATES: DAT E: DRAW N BY: CHECKED BY: SCALE: CWS PROJECT NO: COORDINATES: S I-85 Hy N I-85 Hy Wilkinson BvN I-485 Inner HyS I-485 Outer HyT uckaseegee R dI-485 RaStarnes RdTodd Rd Exit 10 I-85 RaWesterwood DrSears RdExit 10a I-85 N Ra Exit 10b South Gastonia Ra Exi t 30b North Huntersvi l l e RaJ oyel a nd C r Kerrybrook Cr Exit 9 Wilkinson Bv RaSouth Outer Columbia RaExit 30 I-485 Ra S I-85 Ra Exit 30a South Pineville RaPerimeter West DrWesterwood Village DrPlacid Lake DrExi t 10a I -85 N RaI-485 RaI-485 RaI - 4 8 5 RaExit 9 Wilkinson Bv RaMO EnB CeB2 CeD2 MO WkE WkB PaF EnB CeD2 MeB Ur WkF CeB2 WkB WkE CeB2 CeB2 PaE HeB CeB2 CuB PaE MkB PaE MkB HeB WkF Pa F CeD2 UL PaF EnB CeB2 Pa F WkD WkB Pa F Ur PaE WkF WkD WkE CeD2 EnD W WkE CeD2 WkF WkD PaE PaF PaF MeD EnD WkE CeB2 W MeB WkF WkB MeD WkD CeB2 PaE CeD2 WkD MO WkB PaE EnBPaF WkE PaE EnD PaE CeB2 CuB MeD CeD2 WkD WkD CeD2 CeD2 CeB2CeB2 CeB2 CeD2 CeB2 WkE WkB WkB Pa F EnB PaE CeD2 CuB CeD2 CeD2 PaE WuD CeD2 CeD2 W EnD W W CeB2 CeB2 CeD2 WkB WkD CeB2 CeB2 CeD2 W W CeB2 CeB2 EnB MO CeD2 WkD WkD USDA-NRCS Soil S urveyof Mecklenburg County 2of3 I 1,000 0 1,000500 Feet CAG 2017-056 5 JDR Le gend Project Limits (89 ac.) QuatroMecklenburg CountyCharlotte, NC 1/10/2 0181 inch = 1,000 feet C:\Users\erinb rad sha w\Goo gle Drive\201 7\2 017 Cons ulting\2017 Pro jects \2 017-0565 P rojec tQua ttro \PETS\ArcGIS\Fig ure 2_Curren t Soils.mx d REFERENCE: USDA -NRCS SOIL SURV EY OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY, NC, DATED 20 16. 35.243977, -80.964377 Hydric Coverage (%)CeB2 Cecil sandy clay loam, 2 to 8 percent slopes, moderately eroded No 29.2CeD2Cecil sandy clay loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes, moderately eroded No 9.6EnBEnon sandy loam, 2 to 8 percent slopes No 11.5EnDEnon sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes No 7.1WkBWilkes loam, 4 to 8 percent slopes No 10.7WkDWilkes loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes No 13.5WkEWilkes loam, 15 to 25 percent slopes No 9.1WkFWilkes loam, 25 to 45 percent slopes No 9.2100% Soil Unit Name and Description Total Coverage: FIGURE NO.SCALE: CWS PROJECT NO: COORDINATES: DATE: DRAWN BY: CHECKED BY: SCALE: CWS PROJECT NO: COORDINATES: N I-85 Hy S I-85 Hy Todd Rd Tuckaseegee RdN I-485 Inner HyWilkinson Bv Exit 10a I-85 N Ra Exit 10 I-85 RaS I-485 Outer HyExit 30b North Huntersville RaExit 10b South Gastonia RaClark Place Dr Habitat Map 3of3 I 500 0 500250 Feet CAG 2017-0565 JDR Legend Proje ct L imits (8 9 ac.) Potential H. schweinitzii Habitat Roads QuattroMecklenburg CountyCharlotte, NC Road Right-of-Wa y Human Induced Altered L ands 2/22/20181 in ch = 500 feet G:\My Drive\2017\2017 Consulting\2017 Projects\2017-0565 ProjectQuattro\PETS\ArcGIS\Figure 3_HabitatlMap.mxd REFERENCE: BACKGROUND AERIAL IMAGERY PROVIDED BY ESRI, ACCESSED 2017. BACKGROUND GIS LAYER(S) PROVIDED BY MECKLENBURG COUNTY GIS DEPARTMENT, DATED 2017. 35.24 3977, -80.964377 Herb ace ous Cover Project Quattro/CLT Land February 22, 2018 Protected Species Assessment Report: Table 1 CWS Project No. 2017-0565 Table 1: Summary of plant species occurring in potentially suitable H. schweinitzii habitat. Plant Name Habitat Type Scientific Name Common Name Herbaceous Cover Human-induced Altered Land Road Side Right-of-Way Acer rubrum Red Maple X X Acer saccharinum Silver Maple X Agrostis gigantea Red Top X Allium vineale Wild Onion X X Ambrosia artemisiifolia Common Ragweed X X Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem X Andropogon glomeratus Bushy Bluestem X X Baccharis halimifolia Eastern Baccharis X X X Bidens bipinnata Spanish Needles X X Brassica rapa Field Mustard X X Cortaderia selloana Pampas Grass X X Cyperus esculentus Yellow Nutsedge X Daucus carota Queen Anne's Lace X Dichanthelium clandestinum Deer tongue X X Eupatorium capillifolium Dog Fennel X X Ilex sinense Chinese Holly X Juncus effusus Soft Rush X Juniperus virginiana Eastern Red Cedar X X X Lagerstroemia indica Crapemyrtle X X Lespedeza cuneata Sericea lespedeza X X Liquidambar styraciflua Sweetgum X X Lonicera japonica Japanese Honeysuckle X X X Ludwigia alterniflora Seedbox X X Malus angustifolia Southern Crabapple X X Microstegium vimineum Nepalese Browntop X X Oenothera biennis Evening Primrose X Panicum dichotomiflorum Fall Panic Grass X X Panicum virgatum Switchgrass X X Phragmites australis Common Reed X Phytolacca americana Pokeweed X Pinus strobus White Pine X Pinus taeda Loblolly Pine X X Pinus virginiana Virginia Pine X Plantago lanceolata Narrowleaf Plantain X X Poa annua Annual Meadow Grass X X Pyrus calleryana Bradford Pear X X Rhus typhina Staghorn Sumac X X X Rosa multiflora Multiflora Rose X X Rubus argutus Blackberry X X Schedonorus arundinaceus Tall Fescue X X Schizachyrium scoparium Little Bluestem X X X Scirpus cyperinus Woolgrass X Setaria lutescens Yellow Foxtail X X Solidago altissima Canada Goldenrod X X X Sorghum halepense Johnson Grass X Symphyotricum ericoides White Heath Aster X X X Taraxacum officinale Common Dandelion X X Verbascum thapsus Common mullein X X Verbena bonariensis Purpletop Vervain X X Xanthium strumarium Common Cockleburr X X X: denotes presence Quattro Site February 22, 2018 Attachment A: Photopage CWS Project No. 2017-0565 Photograph 1. View of herbaceous cover, which is potentially suitable Schweinitz's sunflower habitat. Photograph 2. View of human-induced altered land, which is potentially suitable Schweinitz's sunflower habitat. Photopage 1 of 2 Quattro Site February 22, 2018 Attachment A: Photopage CWS Project No. 2017-0565 Photograph 3. View of road right-of-way, which is potentially suitable Schweinitz's sunflower habitat. Photopage 2 of 2