20040639 Ver 1_Mitigation Information_20120110

Strickland, Bev
From: Kulz, Eric
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 2:36 PM
To: Strickland, Bev
Subject: FW: Halifax - Northampton Regional Airport - Buffer Replanting (DWQ# 04 -0639 and SAW
200420672 and 200421162)
Attachments: Div of Water Quality Itr - 6Jan2011.pdf; DENR - Response - trees - 31Jan2011.pdf
Bev:
For inclusion in Laserfiche.
Eric W. Kulz
Environmental Senior Specialist
N.C. Division of Water Quality
Wetlands Program Development Unit
1650 MSC
Raleigh, NC 27699 -1650
Phone: [phone] Please note this is a new phone number
Fax: [phone]
E -mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be
disclosed to third parties
From: Smail, Ed [ mai Ito: ESmail(a)ccroadwise.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 2:07 PM
To: Kulz, Eric; Mcmillan, Ian
Cc: Murphy, Gordon; Brown, Thomas L SAW; Elliott, Jason L
Subject: Halifax - Northampton Regional Airport - Buffer Replanting (DWQ# 04 -0639 and SAW 200420672 and
200421162)
Eric /Ian,
I wanted to give you an update on the status of the replanting of the buffer mitigation site at the Halifax- Northampton
Regional Airport (DWQ# 04 -0639 and SAW 200420672 and 200421162). A copy of the latest DWQ letter (1 -6 -2011) and
associated response (1- 31 -11) is attached for reference. The funding for replanting of the buffer mitigation site is tied to
the State Budget by a grant through the NCDOT Division of Aviation. Due to the projected timing of the grant approval
(early Summer 2012), replanting of the site will likely occur in late 2012, so the planting can occur outside of the growing
season. The associated monitoring periods will be adjusted accordingly based on the timing of the planting. We will
coordinate with DWQ when the planting effort occurs and can set up a site visit if needed.
Please let me know if you have any questions, or need additional information.
Thanks
es
Edward J. Smail
Environmental Scientist
THE LPA GROUP INCORPORATED
A Unit of Michael Baker Corporation
4401 Belle Oaks Drive, Suite 105
North Charleston, SC 29405

843 - 329 -0050
www.lpagroup.com
www.mbakercorp.com

HALIFAX - NORTHAMPTON
REGIONAL AIRPORT A UTHORITY
Post Office Box 38
Halifax, North Carolina 27839
(252) 583 -3492 — Terminal
252) 583 -1131— Administration
January 31, 2011
Mr. Ian McMillan
NCDENR
1650 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699 -1650
Subject: Halifax - Northampton Regional Airport
Dear Mr. McMillan,
We are in receipt of your January 4, 2011 letter regarding tree plantings in the mitigation areas
for the Halifax — Northampton Regional Airport. It is our intent to supplement the mitigation
areas with additional plantings in order to increase the number of trees to an acceptable level. At
the present time we are in the process of advertising a significant construction project at the
airport and intend to include the supplemental plantings as part of the project. Timing of the
project is such that the seedlings will be planted as early as possible in this fall's planting season.
Monitoring will be maintained for the additional two years.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to call.
Sincerely,
Dia H. Denton, Administrator
Halifax- Northampton Regional Airport Authority
Cc: David B. King, Chairman
Halifax- Northampton Regional Airport Authority

-��
NCDENR
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Beverly Eaves Perdue Coleen H. Sullins
Governor Director
January 4, 2010
Mr. Rick Benton
Halifax- Northampton Regional Airport Authority
P.O. Box 38
Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870 -2809
Re: Halifax- Northampton Regional Airport
Year 5 Mitigation Monitoring Report
Halifax County
DWQ #04 -0639
Dee Freeman
Secretary
The Division of Water Quality (DWQ) 401 Oversight and Express Review Permitting Unit has reviewed
the Monitoring Report for the above - referenced site. Our comments on the report are as follows:
• The vegetation monitoring for the wetland restoration area appears to meet the success criteria of
an average of 260 stems per acre after five years.
The tree density in the buffer restoration area is 275 trees per acre. While the report states that
"The vegetative success criteria set forth in the mitigation plan have been met for both sites
(wetland and buffer) for the fifth year (as the plan prescribed).... ", the 401 Water Quality
Certification and Tar - Pamlico Buffer Authorization, issued on June 18, 2004, states that the
required tree density is 320 stems per acre (15A NCAC .02B .0260 (9)(d)(ii). In addition, a letter
dated July 24, 2004 from Terry G. Bumpus (LPA Group of North Carolina) to John Dorney
(DWQ) states that "trees will be monitored to ensure that a minimum of 320 trees per acre will be
alive in the buffer areas at the end of five years ".
If this buffer restoration site is to serve as compensatory mitigation to offset impacts approved in your
Buffer Authorization, the success criteria must be met. Your options are to do supplemental planting to
sufficiently meet the 320 stems per acre requirement and monitoring the site for an additional two (2)
years, or to abandon the site and purchase buffer mitigation credits from either an approved private buffer
mitigation bank or the N.C. Ecosystem Enhancement Program.
Failure to provide adequate compensatory mitigation for authorized buffer impacts would represent a
violation of the Tar - Pamlico Riparian Buffer Rules.
Within 30 days of your receipt of this letter, please submit a written response describing your plan for
complying with the success criteria for the buffer mitigation site, and a schedule for completing the
replanting work.
In addition, the wetland mitigation portion of the project will not be considered by DWQ to be closed out
until a copy of the recorded conservation easement is provided.
Please feel free to contact Eric Kulz at (919) 807 -6301 if you have any questions regarding this project or
our comments.
401 Oversight/Express Review Permitting Unit
1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699 -1650 One
Phone: [phone] \ FAX: [phone] NorthCarolina
Internet: http: / /portal.ncdenr.org /web /wq /ws /
An Equal Opportunity \ Affirmative Action Employer Y%tura i / y

Mr. Benton, Halifax- Northampton Regional Airport
Year 5 Mitigation Monitoring Report
Page 2 of 2
January 4, 2011
Sincepply,
Ian McMillan, Acting Supervisor
401 Oversight and Express Review Program
cc: File Copy (Eric Kulz)
Lauren Witherspoon — DWQ Raleigh Regional Office
Cyndi Karoly DWQ Wetlands and Stormwater Branch
James Lastinger — USACE, Raleigh Regulatory Field Office
Edward J. Smail — LPA Group Incorporated, 700 Huger Street, P.O. Box 5805, Columbia, SC 29250
Filename: 040639Hal ifaxNorthamptonRegionalAirport( Ilalifax )5YearMitigationMonitoringReport