20100754 Ver 1_Other Agency Correspondence_20100824

REPLY TO
ATTENTION OF
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
US ARMY INSTALLATION MANAGEMENT COMMAND
HEADQUARTERS,UNITED STATES ARMY GARRISON, FT BRAGG
2175 REILLY ROAD, STOP A
FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA 28310-5000
August 18, 2010
Directorate of Public Works
Mr. Ian McMillan North Carolina Division of Water Quality ag@NVJ1A
401/Wetlands Unit 1650 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 AUG 2 4 2010
TEK,1QUAL1V
Dear Mr. McMillan: WE? DS 00 STO??ATER BRACH
The United States Department of the Army proposes to modify,
expand, operate, and maintain a Multi-Purpose Machine Gun (MPMG)
training range at the Fort Bragg Military Reservation. This MPMG
training range would meet the vital live-fire individual marksmanship
instructional necessities of the XVIII Airborne Corps, the US Army
Special Operations Command, and additional active Army, Reserves, and
National Guard units training. Fort Bragg is requesting a North
Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ) 401 Certification
authorization.
The project would reconfigure and expand the existing Range 66A
facility while reducing the firing lanes from 8 to 6. The four center
lanes would be extended to 1,500 meters facilitating use of .50
caliber weapons training and would also include two 800 meter lanes
for small arms weaponry (one to the north and one to the south of the
.50 caliber lanes). The range's primary features would include six
concrete encased firing positions, 108 stationary infantry targets, 24
moving infantry targets, and 12 stationary armor targets. Existing
access roads would be extended east and would follow along the site's
northern and southern portions. Additional facility construction
would include a range operations tower, operations office and storage
building, general instructional building, a latrine, a covered mess
shelter, an ammunition breakdown building, and a covered bleacher
enclosure. The project would affect approximately 70 acres of
previously disturbed lands (existing Range 66A) and 170 acres of
relatively undisturbed forested lands located north and east of the
existing Range 66A. All trees within the project area would be
removed. Upland areas would be graded, as needed, to maintain a level
line of sight firing line and targeting area.
The project would affect a total of 13 wetland areas and three
stream segments as noted in Section "C" Proposed Impacts Inventory of
the attached Pre-Construction Notification Form. Bottomland Hardwood
wetlands totaling 0.3037 acres would be filled, and Bottomland
Hardwood wetlands totaling 4.91 acres would be converted. These high
quality wetlands totaling 5.22 acres would require compensatory
A .w- 9
-2-
mitigation. Temporarily affected Emergent Herbaceous wetland totaling
0.0109 acres would be restored to preconstruction grades and
elevations as well as reseeded with an approved riparian seed mix.
Stream effects would total 141.97 linear feet and a lesser quality of
emergent herbaceous wetlands totaling 0.1438 acres would be filled.
Fort Bragg will be paying for compensatory mitigation through the
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) dated 11 August 2001 between Fort Bragg
and the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (NCEEP). The MOA
comprises the Jumping Run Stream/Wetland Restoration Site; and these
mitigation credits will be debited as the MPMG's mitigation plan.
Both in-kind riparian wetlands and linear stream footage have been
restored at the Jumping Run Site and will be debited through the NCEEP
In-lieu Fee Program. The available wetland and stream mitigation
credits are in the same Upper Cape Fear River Basin and Cataloging
Unit (HUC 03030004) as the Range 66A project's wetland and stream
impacts. Linear stream footage and wetland acre mitigation ratios
were determined by the United States Army Corps of Engineers,
Wilmington District at a 1:1 for conversion areas, 1:1 for bottomland
hardwoods riparian wetland fill areas, as well as, 1:1 for linear
stream impacts. Engineered drawings of the affected wetland and
stream locations are attached.
Threatened and Endangered Species coordination has taken place
with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Raleigh
Office. There would be a loss of 32.83 acres of suitable Red-Cockaded
Woodpecker habitat; however, USFWS determined there would be no
adverse impacts or "takes". There are no Essential Fish Habitats
within the project location as covered under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Stormwater and Erosion Control Permits and Plans have been submitted
by others; however, Best Management Practices would be implemented.
Fort Bragg requests a NCDWQ 401 Certification authorization for
the MPMG training range. Fort Bragg appreciates the NCDWQ's
cooperation and assistance; and if there are any questions, please
contact Dial Cordy and Associates Inc. at [phone], attention H.
Layton Bedsole Jr., R.E.M.
Since 7
Gregory G. Bean
Director of Public Works