20180067 Ver 1_Final Mitigation Plan Changes_20200924

Strickland, Bev
From: Kichefski, Steven L CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2020 6:46 AM
To: Davis, Erin B
Subject: [External] FW: SAW-2018-00094 Puncheon Fork Final Mitigation Plan Changes
Attachments: MitigationPlan_FINAL_PuncheonFork_PP 29-30.pdf; Planting Plan Addendum -
Puncheon Fork.pdf; Cover Letter -Final Mit Plan Approval 09_04_2020.pdf
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As discussed Tuesday, here is the updated info submitted for the Puncheon Fork final plan. They separated the
wetland/upland veg information and map. Let me know your thoughts and I'll get it out to the IRT to start the dispute
resolution period.
Steve
From: Kasey Carrere <[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, September 4, 2020 4:19 PM
To: Kichefski, Steven L CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Cc: Bradley Breslow <[e-mail]>; Matthew Deangelo <[e-mail]>
Subject: [Non-DoD Source] RE: SAW-2018-00094 Puncheon Fork Final Mitigation Plan Changes
Hi Steve,
Please see attached for the final updated planting list, cover letter and addendum to the planting plan for Puncheon
Fork. This new update includes the following additional changes you have requested:
• RES has adjusted the planting plan to include several wetlands only and upland only planting zones within the
Site and will ensure all upland containerized species such as, Eastern hemlock, be planted in upland areas only.
• The original planting list table now separates upland riparian areas and wetland riparian areas and has been
updated to include a new column identifying unit type of each species. There is now a total of 5.20 acres of
upland riparian planting zones and 1.55 acres of wetland riparian planting zones.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Kasey Carrere
Project Manager
RES I res.us
Mobile: [phone]

From: Kasey Carrere
Sent: Friday, August 7, 2020 6:12 PM
To: Kichefski, Steven L CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Cc: Davis, Erin B <[e-mail]>; Bradley Breslow <[e-mail]>; Andrea Leslie
(Andrea. Leslie@ ncwildlife.org) <[e-mail]>; Matthew Deangelo <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: SAW-2018-00094 Puncheon Fork Final Mitigation Plan Changes
Hi Steve,
RES has considered both your suggestions and Andrea's suggestions and made the appropriate changes to the planting
plan and cover letter (please see attached). In addition to removing the red maple and adding in the April 30t" deadline
we included the following comments and changes:
• Yellow birch and Sweet birch are unavailable commercially and due to the limited amount of species
surrounding the site, RES was not able to fully appease the suggestion of utilizing adjacent communities as a
reference. However, RES included Northern catalpa, buttonbush, American hornbeam, silky dogwood, sugar
maple, and American basswood to the planting list and reduced American sycamore from a 15% composition to
a 10% composition. Additionally, according to Schafale's Natural Community Types, river birch is part of a
Montane Alluvial Forest (Small River) system. Therefore, the composition percentage for river birch was left at
10%.
Working with the existing site conditions, reference communities, regulatory feedback, and our tree vendor
constraints, RES believes the updated diverse list of wetland -tolerant species and additional native mountain
species will thrive in both wetland and upland areas. While we understand the comment to have multiple
planting zones within the Site, we had concerns with targeting 22 individual wetlands, most of which are less
than 0.1 acre, with a unique planting zone. Therefore, RES plans to maintain one planting zone throughout the
site and will ensure all upland containerized species such as, Eastern hemlock, will be planted in upland areas
only.
Thank you and have a great weekend.
Best regards,
Kasey Carrere
Project Manager
RES I res.us
Mobile: [phone]
From: Kichefski, Steven L CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 4, 2020 6:05 AM
To: Kasey Carrere <[e-mail]>
Cc: Davis, Erin B <[e-mail]>; Bradley Breslow <[e-mail]>; Andrea Leslie
(Andrea. Leslie@ ncwildlife.org) <[e-mail]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] RE: SAW-2018-00094 Puncheon Fork Final Mitigation Plan Changes
Kasey,
Thanks for the Puncheon update. As per my discussion with Brad last week, I went thru the comment responses again to
make sure there were no other issues except the red maple and planting deadlines to address. The only item that still
required some attention was USACE comment #7 regarding the target community and planting plan. While we can
accept the shift with the target community to Montane Alluvial Forest (Small Stream Subtype) from the Acidic Cove
Forest to include the wetland areas, we still expect you to distinguish between what will be planted (including the
relative percentage) between the uplands and wetland areas. Also, we have concern over some of the species

substitutions to ensure that it more appropriately fit the small stream mountain setting (see Andrea's comments). Feel
free to contact me to discuss further.
Regards,
Steve Kichefski
Regulatory Project Manager
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Wilmington District, Asheville Field Office
151 Patton Avenue, Suite 208
Asheville, NC 28801
(828)-271-7980 Ext. 4234
(828)-933-8032 cell
The Wilmington District is committed to providing the highest level of support to the public. To help us ensure we
continue to do so, please complete the Customer Satisfaction Survey located at our website at
Blockedhttp://corpsmapu.usace.army.mil/cm apex/f?p=136:4:0 to complete the survey online.
From: Kasey Carrere <[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, August 3, 2020 3:17 PM
To: Kichefski, Steven L CIV USARMY CESAW (USA) <[e-mail]>
Cc: Davis, Erin B <[e-mail]>; Bradley Breslow <[e-mail]>
Subject: [Non-DoD Source] SAW-2018-00094 Puncheon Fork Final Mitigation Plan Changes
Good Afternoon Steve,
In regards to your request for the Puncheon Fork Final Mitigation Plan, we made the following changes:
• Updated the planting plan to have an April 30t" planting deadline.
• Updated the planting plan and list to exclude red maple.
I have attached a cover letter stating these changes with the updated planting plan. Please let me know if you have any
other questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Kasey Carrere
Project Manager
RES I res.us
Mobile: [phone]

fires
September 4, 2020
Steve Kichefski
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, NC 28801
Erin Davis
NCDEQ, Division of Water Resources
PO Box 29525
Raleigh, NC 27626-0535
Andrea Leslie
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
645 Fish Hatchery Rd. Building B
Marion, NC 28752
Re: Puncheon Fork Final Mitigation Plan (SAW-2018-00094): Final Changes
Dear Mr. Kichefski,
3600 Glenwood Ave., Suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27612
Corporate Headquarters
6575 West Loop South, Suite 300
Bellaire, TX 77401
Main: 713.520.5400
On behalf of Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) & Environmental Banc & Exchange, LLC (a RES affiliate), I
am pleased to submit the updated planting plan associated to the Final Mitigation Plan for the Puncheon Fork Site, an
instrument modification of the RES French Broad 05 Umbrella Mitigation Bank.
The attached planting plan includes minor modifications which were discussed on July 291, 2020 and August 41,
2020 between RES and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and input from the NCDEQ, Division of Water Resources
and NC Wildlife Resources Commission. The minor alterations and updates are detailed below:
The final planting plan now includes the April 30' planting deadline.
Red maple has been removed from the planting plan and planting list.
Yellow birch and Sweet birch are unavailable commercially and due to the limited amount of species
surrounding the site, RES was not able to fully appease the suggestion of utilizing adjacent communities as
a reference. However, RES included Northern catalpa, buttonbush, American hornbeam, silky dogwood,
sugar maple, and American basswood to the planting list and reduced American sycamore from a 15%
composition to a 10% composition. Additionally, according to Schafale's Natural Community Types, river
birch is part of a Montane Alluvial Forest (Small River) system. Therefore, the composition percentage for
river birch was left at 10%.
Working with the existing site conditions, reference communities, regulatory feedback, and our tree vendor
constraints, RES believes the updated diverse list of wetland -tolerant species and additional native mountain
species will thrive in both wetland and upland areas. However, RES has adjusted the planting plan to include
several wetlands only and upland only planting zones within the Site and will ensure all upland containerized
species such as, Eastern hemlock, be planted in upland areas only.
The original planting list table now separates upland riparian areas and wetland riparian areas and has been
updated to include a new column identifying unit type of each species. There is now a total of 5.20 acres of
upland riparian planting zones and 1.55 acres of wetland riparian planting zones.
Thank you for your time in reviewing this project.
Sincerely,
Brad Breslow
Regulatory Manager
res.us

6.2 Sediment Control Measures
A suite of sediment control measures will be utilized for the Project to reduce direct effluent inputs,
pollutant contamination, and sediment loading. The combination of the following sediment control
measures: riparian buffer planting, bank stabilization, slope stabilization, stream restoration, livestock
exclusion, and livestock watering facilities, will ultimately lead to the functional uplift of the site, while
still allowing livestock production to persist through the installation of alternative water sources.
The riparian buffer will be restored along all project reaches. Restored riparian buffers are established
adjacent to and up -gradient from watercourses of water bodies to improve water quality. The main
advantages of the restored riparian buffer will be to provide water quality treatment, erosion control, and
water temperature benefits. Moreover, there will be significant reductions in sedimentation, nutrient input,
and fecal coliform input.
To account for eliminating livestock water access, landowners will install livestock watering facilities as
an alternate water source.
6.3 Vegetation and Planting Plan
Plant Community Restoration
The restoration of the plant communities is an important aspect of the restoration Project. The selection of
plant species is based on what was observed in the forest surrounding the Project and what is typically
native to the area. Specifically, species identified in the Project along with species described in the 2012
Guide to the Natural Communities of North Carolina, Fourth Approximation (Schafale, 2012) for
mountain -type communities were used to determine the most appropriate species for the restoration project.
A Montane Alluvial Forest (Small River Subtype) (Schafale, 2012) will be the target community for the
Project. The target community will be used for the planting areas within the Project, shown in Appendix
D. This community type is very similar to cove forests and shares many of the same species; however, it
incorporates several floodplain and wetland species that are typical of small mountain stream floodplains.
Upland and wetland zones will be targeted with appropriate species as shown in Table 13. Species with
high dispersal rates are not included because of locally occurring, adjacent seed sources and the high
potential for natural regeneration. Tree species typical of the target community were observed in adjacent
and nearby communities and were judged to be appropriate for this site. Additionally, rhododendron is a
significant inclusion in montane alluvial forests and is already present throughout the Project; however, it
will not be planted so that it does not outcompete the other planted trees. With that said, it is possible that
the rhododendron thickets may expand, in which case it will be left alone, as it will provide an appropriate
understory as the Project's forest matures.
The restoration of plant communities along the Project will provide stabilization and diversity. For rapid
stabilization of the stream banks (primarily outside meanders), silky dogwood (Corpus amomum), black
willow (Salix nigra), silky willow (Salix sericea), and elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) were chosen for
live stakes along the restored channel because of their rapid growth patterns and high success rates. Willows
grow at a faster rate than the species planted around them, and they stabilize the stream banks. Willows will
also be quicker to contribute organic matter to the channel. When the other species are bigger, the willows
will slowly stop growing or die out because the other species would outgrow them and create shade that the
willows do not tolerate. The live stake species will be planted along the outside of the meander bends three
feet from the top of bank, creating a three-foot section along the top of bank. The live stakes will be spaced
one per three linear feet with alternate spacing vertically.
Puncheon Fork Mitigation Plan 29 May 2020
French Broad 05 UMBI

It is anticipated that the vegetation planting/replanting will be conducted between November 15 and March
15, per the October 2016 USACE/NCIRT monitoring guidance. However, if the Project completes
construction after March 15, the site will be planted no later than April 30.
Table 13. Proposed Plant List
Tree Planting Species — Upland Zone (5.20 ac)
Species
Common Name
Wetland
Status*
Spacing
(ft)
Unit Type
% Species
Composition
Within Zone
Quercus alba
White oak
FACU
9X6
Bare Root
15
Quercus rubra
Northern red oak
FACU
9X6
Bare Root
15
Carpinus caroliniana
American hornbeam
FAC
9X6
Bare Root
10
Catalpa speciosa
Northern catalpa
FAC
9X6
Bare Root
10
Liriodendron tulipifera
Yellow poplar
FACU
9X6
Bare Root
10
Quercus montana
Chestnut oak
UPL
9X6
Bare Root
10
Tsuga canadensis
Eastern hemlock
FACU
9X6
Container
10
Acer saccharum
Sugar maple
FACU
9X6
Bare Root
10
Tilia americana
American basswood
FACU
9X6
Bare Root
10
Tree Planting Species
— Wetland Zone (1.55 ac)
Species
Common Name
Wetland
Status*
Spacing
(ft)
Unit Type
% Species
Composition
Within Zone
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Buttonbush
OBL
9X6
Bare Root
15
Platanus occidentalis
American sycamore
FACW
9X6
Bare Root
15
Betula nigra
River birch
FACW
9X6
Bare Root
15
Cornus amomum
Silky dogwood
FACW
9X6
Bare Root
15
Carpinus caroliniana
American hornbeam
FAC
9X6
Bare Root
10
Celtis laevigata
Sugarberry
FACW
9X6
Bare Root
10
Alnus serrulata
Hazel alder
OBL
9X6
Bare Root
10
Catalpa speciosa
I Northern catalpa
FAC
9X6
Bare Root
10
* Based on USDA NRCS Wetland Status for Eastern Mountains and Piedmont
Live Staking and Live Cuttings Bundle Tree Species
Species
Common Name
% of Total Species Composition
Salix nigra
Black willow
30
Salix saricea
Silky willow
30
Cornus amomum
Silky dogwood
25
Sambucus canadensis
Elderberry
15
On -Site Invasive Species Management
Treatment for invasive species will be required within the entire easement area. Invasive species will require
different and multiple treatment methods, depending on plant phenology and the location of the species
being treated; however, the only current known exotic invasive species to occur onsite and adjacent to the
site is multiflora rose. All treatment will be conducted as to maximize its effectiveness and reduce chances
of detriment to surrounding native vegetation. Treatment methods will include mechanical (cutting with
loppers, clippers, or chain saw) and chemical (foliar spray, cut stump, and hack and squirt techniques).
Plants containing mature, viable seeds will be removed from the Project and properly disposed. All
herbicide applicators will be supervised by a certified ground pesticide applicator with a North Carolina
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) license and adhere to all legal and safety
requirements according to herbicide labels, and NC and Federal laws. Management records will be kept on
the plant species treated, type of treatment employed, type of herbicide used, application technique, and
herbicide concentration and quantities used. These records will be included in all reporting documents.
Puncheon Fork Mitigation Plan 30 May 2020
French Broad 05 UMBI

Legend
Proposed Easement - 13.15 ac
Planting Areas
Upland Zone - 5.20 ac.
Wetland Zone - 1.55 ac.
Supplemental - 4.49 ac.
N�4 Date: 9/4/2020 Planting Plan Addendum
a Drawn by: MDD
Puncheon Fork Mitigation Project r
0 100 200 Checked by: BPB
Feet Madison County, North Carolina finch =200feet