19970616 Ver 1_More Info Received_19980326

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STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPAPUMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
JAMES B. HUNT JR. P.O. BOX 25201, RALEIGH, N.C. 27611-5201 E. NORRIS TOLSON
GOVERNOR SECRETARY
March 19, 1998
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Regulatory Field Office
151 Patton Avenue
Room 143
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
ATTN: Mr. Steve Lund
NCDOT Coordinator
Dear Sir:
MR 2 6 P
Subject: Watauga County, US 421 new location from South Fork New River in Boone to
the Blue Ridge Parkway in Deep Gap. Federal Aid Project No. FR-86-1(6), State
Project No. 8.1750601, TIP No. R-529BA, BB & BD.
This letter is to apprise you of the status of efforts currently underway by the NCDOT to
provide compensatory mitigation for impacts associated with the proposed improvements to the
US 421 corridor from the Blue Ridge Parkway near Deep Gap to South Fork New River near
Boone, North Carolina. Impacts to jurisdictional waters of the United States total 1.32 acres of
jurisdictional wetlands and 5,636 linear feet of streams. As requested by resource agencies, the
NCDOT will mitigate for impacts to streams at a 2:1 ratio.
As you are aware, the NCDOT has purchased the Sparta Bog mitigation site in Alleghany
County, North Carolina. This site is classified as a Southern Appalachian Bog (Northern
Subtype) and is considered a rare community by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program
and the Nature Conservancy. A natural resources evaluation of this property has been prepared
and distributed to all participating agencies. The site contains approximately 26.2 acres of
jurisdictional wetlands and is traversed by an unnamed tributary to the Little River. An
estimated 2,000 linear feet of this tributary is expected to be suitable for stream restoration and/or
enhancement. The NCDOT proposes to use this site to fulfill both wetland and stream mitigation
requirements for this project. Additionally, the department will enter into an agreement with the
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to restore streams in the project area. This
agreement will be similar to the agreement approved for the Interstate 26 project in Madison

County (TIP NO. A-10). The new agreement will arrange for stream mitigation that cannot be
provided at Sparta Bog. Thank you for your continued review of this project.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Mr. Lindsey
Riddick at (919) 73-3 )-7844, extension 31 5.
Sincerely,
H. Franklin Vick, PE, Manager
Planning and Environmental Branch
cc:
Mr. David Franklin, COE, Wilmington
Mr. John Dorney, DWQ
Mr. Whit Webb, P. E., Program Development Branch
Mr. R. L. Hill, P.E., State Highway Engineer - Design
Mr. A. L. Hankins, P. E., Hydraulics Unit
Mr. William J. Rogers, P. E., Structure Design Unit
Mr. Tom Shearin, P. E., State Roadway Design Engineer
Mr. W. D. Smart, P. E., Division 13 Engineer
Mr. Joe Mickey, Eastern Mt. Region Coordinator
Mr. David Cox, NCWRC