20201357 Ver 1_NCWRC Env Review_20200901

Strickland, Bev
From: Munzer, Olivia
Sent: Tuesday, September 1, 2020 2:03 PM
To: [e-mail]
Cc: Davis, Erin B; Steve Kichefski; Hamstead, Byron ([e-mail])
Subject: NCWRC Env. Review- Starker Mitigation Project - Catawba
Attachments: NCWRC Comments -Starker Mitigation Site - Catawba.pdf
Ms. Bennett,
Please see the attached preliminary environmental review of the Starker Mitigation project. Please let me know if you
have questions. Thanks,
Olivia
Olivia Munzer
Western Piedmont Habitat Conservation Coordinator
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Rogers Depot
1718 NC Hwy 56 W
Creedmoor, NC 27522
Office: 919-707-0364
Cell: 336-269-0074
[e-mail]
www.ncwildlife.org
a 91 12 =2
Email correspondence to and from this sender is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
1

0 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
01 September 2020
Ms. Erin Bennett
Ecosystem Planning & Restoration
1150 S.E. Maynard Road, Suite 140
Cary, North Carolina 27511
Subject: Request for Project Review and Comments
Starker Stream Mitigation Site
Catawba County, North Carolina.
Dear Ms. Bennett,
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission (NCWRC) received your request to
review and comment on any possible concerns regarding Starker Stream Mitigation Site. Biologists with
NCWRC have reviewed the provided documents. Comments are provided in accordance with provisions
of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661-667e) and North
Carolina General Statutes (G.S. 113 -13 1 et seq.).
The Starker Stream Mitigation Site is located north of Interstate 40 (1-40) and south of Rock Barn Road,
and south of 1-40 and east of Banner Road NE near Claremont, Catawba County, North Carolina. The
site occurs within an existing agricultural and wooded areas.
We have no known records for rare, threatened, or endangered species at the site. Ecosystem Planning &
Restoration (EPR) surveyed the site for federal and state endangered Schweinitz's sunflower (Helianthus
schweinitzii) in mid -July and found no individuals. The optimal survey period for Schweinitz's sunflower
is late August through October. EPR states potential suitable habitat occurs for the federal and state
threatened dwarf -flowered heartleaf (Hexastylis naniflora) and surveys will be conducted in spring 2021.
We offer the following preliminary recommendations to minimize impacts to aquatic and terrestrial
wildlife resources:
1. We recommend surveys for Schweinitz's sunflower are conducted during the optimal survey
window of mid -August through October. We suggest EPR contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) at [phone].
2. We recommend that riparian buffers are as wide as possible, given site constraints and landowner
needs. NCWRC generally recommends a woody buffer of 100 feet on perennial streams to
maximize the benefits of buffers, including bank stability, stream shading, treatment of overland
runoff, and wildlife habitat.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Page 2
01 September 2020
Starker Stream Mitigation Site
Catawba County
3. Due to the decline in bat populations, we recommend leaving snags and mature trees, or if
necessary, remove tees outside the maternity roosting season for bats (May 15 — August 15).
4. We recommend the planting list is diverse and consists of species typically found in that natural
vegetation community, as described by M.P. Schafale in The Guide to The Natural Communities
of North Carolina, Fourth Approximation (https://www.ncnhp.org/references/nhp-
publications/fourth-approximation-descriptions).
5. We recommend reducing the number of right-of-way easements that fragment the mitigation
project. If feasible, we suggest extending the mitigation project along Mull Creek to further
increase hydrologic function, restore ecological function in the watershed, and provide a corridor
for wildlife.
6. Ensure the culverts provide aquatic life passage during low flows.
7. Stringent sediment and erosion control measures should be implemented. The use of
biodegradable and wildlife -friendly sediment and erosion control devices is strongly
recommended. Silt fencing, fiber rolls and/or other products should have loose -weave netting
that is made of natural fiber materials with movable joints between the vertical and horizontal
twines. Silt fencing that has been reinforced with plastic or metal mesh should be avoided as it
impedes the movement of terrestrial wildlife species. Excessive silt and sediment loads can have
detrimental effects on aquatic resources including destruction of spawning habitat, suffocation of
eggs, and clogging of gills.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments. We will provide additional comments during the
site visit. If I can be of assistance, please call [phone] or email olivia.munzer(&ncwildlife.org.
Sincerely,
Ckt�
Olivia Munzer
Western Piedmont Habitat Conservation Coordinator
Habitat Conservation Program
Ec: Steve Kichefski, US Army Corps of Engineers
Erin Davis, NC Division of Water Resources
Byron Hamstead, USFWS