20190044 Ver 2_DWR comment response Letter_20200713

ID#* 20190044 Version* 2
Select Reviewer:*
Katie Merritt
Initial Review Completed Date 07/15/2020
Mitigation Project Submittal - 7/13/2020
Is this a Prospectus, Technical Proposal or a New Site?* r Yes r No
Type of Mitigation Project:*
r Stream r Wetlands W Buffer V Nutrient Offset
(Select all that apply)
Project Contact Information
Contact Name:*
Jason Lorch
Project Information
...................................................................................
ID#:* 20190044
Existing IDV
Project Type:
Project Name:
Email Address:*
[e-mail]
Version:
*2
Existing Version
r DMS r Mitigation Bank
Thoroughfare Swamp Mitigation Bank Parcel
County: Wayne
Document Information
Mitigation Document Type:*
Mitigation Monitoring Report
File Upload: Thoroughfare Swamp Nitigation Bank Parcel DWR
354.22KB
comment response Letter.pdf
Rease upload only one RDFof the corrplete file that needs to be subrritted...
Signature
Print Name:* Jason Lorch
Signature:*

Wildlands Engineering, Inc.  phone [phone]  fax [phone]  1430 S. Mint Street, # 104  Charlotte, NC 28203

July 13, 2020

Katie Merritt
Nutrient Offset & Buffer Banking Coordinator
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
512 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27620

RE: DWR Draft Baseline Monitoring Report Comments
Thoroughfare Swamp Mitigation Bank Parcel (DWR # 2019-0044v2)
Wayne County, NC

Dear Ms. Merritt:

Wildlands Engineering, Inc. (Wildlands) has reviewed the Division of Water Resources (DWR) comments
dated July 7, 2020 for the Baseline Monitoring Report for the Thoroughfare Swamp Mitigation Bank
Parcel. We have enclosed an updated Table 1 that more closely resembles the table approved in the BPDP.

Responses to your comments are included below. For your convenience, your comments have been
reproduced and are followed by our responses in bold type.

1. Section 3.0 lacks sufficient detail. Wildlands needs to address how they complied with
Section 4.0-4.4 in the BPDP. (culvert removal, bank stabilization efforts, seeding,
herbicide treatment, etc)
Section 3.0 paragraphs 1 and 2 have been updated to reflect parcel preparation and
all restoration activities, exact wordage is seen below.
“Existing undesirable vegetation found along Thoroughfare Swamp (downstream
right) was first removed mechanically with a mulching equipment, herbicides were
then selectively applied in high density areas before replanting.”
“The existing culvert at the transition from Feature A1 to Thoroughfare Swamp
(A2) was removed and the stream bank stabilized was seeded with millet before
planting. A new culvert was placed downstream to allow passage within an
easement break.”
2. Thank you for adding 7 more plots than what was approved in the BPDP. 17 plots is
more representative of 2% of the planted area than 10.
Thank you.

Wildlands Engineering, Inc.  phone [phone]  fax [phone]  1430 S. Mint Street, # 104  Charlotte, NC 28203
3. There is nothing in the report that addresses what Wildlands did to comply with Section
5.3 of the BPDP. This involves the easement boundaries. Please provide.
Section 3 paragraph 3 now details easement boundary signage installation and
maintenance as worded below.
“The easement was marked using conservation easement placards mounted on 6 ft
U-Posts and trees following the entirety of the boundary. These signs will be
maintained and replaced if necessary, throughout the monitoring years. After close
out of the project UP 2 Save will take over the easement and its boundaries
maintenance.”
4. The Conservation Easement boundary shown on the survey looks like the access crossing
along the upper reach of A2 is within the easement boundary on one side of the stream
but not on the other side. Is this an error? The figures do not show this
connection. Please explain.
The line below is an easement tie, not an easement boundary line. It was labeled
correctly in the recorded conservation easement plat but left off the As-Built survey.

Wildlands Engineering, Inc.  phone [phone]  fax [phone]  1430 S. Mint Street, # 104  Charlotte, NC 28203

5. Table 1 needs to be replaced by a Table that more closely resembles the one approved in
the BPDP. The table in the AsBuilt report is too similar to the one approved in the
November 2019 memo from DWR and cannot be applied to this project since it was
submitted prior to the memo. The table in the BPDP also doesn't show the widths of the
buffer broken down like shown in the AsBuilt report. However, i'm okay with this extra
information since it matches what is provided in the Asbuilt survey. Make sure the
revised table can address the buffer widths as they are shown on the survey
(example: where shown as 50-100' on survey, do not show as 0-100' on table.
Table 1 has been reformatted into Table 1a and 1b as we have submitted in the past
(see attached).

Sincerely,

Andrea S. Eckardt
Ecological Assessment Team Leader
[e-mail]

Riparian Width Credit Type Mitigation Type Credit Ratio % of Full Credit Mitigation Area
from Survey (ac)
Mitigation Area from
Survey (sq ft)
Mitigation Credits
(sq ft)
Top of Bank – 50’Restoration 1:1 100%5.720 249,147 249,147
51' - 100'Restoration 1:1 100%6.199 270,038 270,038
Top of Bank – 50’Restoration (Ephemeral)1:1 100%0.554 24,131 24,131
51' - 100'Restoration (Ephemeral)1:1 100%0.573 24,950 24,950
Top of Bank – 100’Preservation 10:1 100%0.135 5,876 588
101' - 200' Preservation 10:1 33%0.116 5,046 167
568,266
755
569,021
Riparian Width Credit Type Mitigation Type Credit Ratio Mitigation Area
from Survey (ac)
Mitigation Area
from Survey (sq ft)
Generated Credits (sq ft
per lb)
Generated Credits
(lb)
Restoration 6.649 289,612 15,112.34
Restoration (Ephemeral)1.076 46,889 2,446.73
17,559.07
101' - 200'
Total Nitrogen Credits
Monitoring Year 0 - 2020
Nitrogen 1:1 19.16394
Table 1b. Project Components and Nutrient Offset Mitigation Credits
Thoroughfare Swamp Mitigation Bank Parcel
Table 1a. Project Components and Riparian Buffer Mitigation Credits
Thoroughfare Swamp Mitigation Bank Parcel
Monitoring Year 0 - 2020
Riparian Buffer
Total Riparian Buffer Credits
Total Riparian Buffer Preservation Credits
Total Riparian Buffer Restoration Credits