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Home My WebLink About19960975 Ver 3_Other Agency Comments_20120405REPLY TO ATTENTION OF DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WILMINGTON DISTRICT CORPS OF ENGINEERS 69 DARLINGTON AVENUE WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA 28403 1343 April 2012 Regulatory Division Action ID No SAW 2008 00851 Mr Phil Edwards Columbus County Municipal Airport 467 Airport Road Whrteville North Carolina 28472 Dear Mr Edwards °11oD�103 �D APR 5 2012 w.ff 8 ATEk OUj;LITY Este srann, Reference your February 3 2012 application for Department of the Army authorization to construct a parallel taxiway and connection taxiways improve a runway safety area relocate on site mitigation wetlands to an off site location, and install a culverted road crossing at the Columbus County Municipal Airport located at 467 Airport Road in Whiteville Columbus County North Carolina, involving the permanent loss of 16 57 acres wetlands and 30 linear feet of stream and the temporary discharge of dredged and/or fill material into 0 03 acre of wetlands Your proposal was advertised by public notice dated February 8, 2012 Comments from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service dated February 24 2012 indicating no objection to the activity as described are enclosed for your reference Further please reference our letter to you dated February 23 2012 requesting further information regarding avoidance, minimization, and mitigation of impacts to Waters of the U S Upon your request Mr David E Bailey of the U S Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington Regulatory Field Office (Corps) conducted a site visit with you your agent Mr John Massey of Talbert & Bright Inc and Mr Troy Beasley of Withers and Ravenel Inc at the Columbus County Municipal Airport on March 14 2012 to discuss the specific items requested in our letter In order to address the appropriate type and amount of compensatory mitigation for unavoidable impacts to wetlands Mr Bailey and Mr Beasley classified and performed functional assessments of the wetlands proposed for impact using the North Carolina Wetland Assessment Method ( NCWAM) In the case of this project wetlands proposed for impact west of the existing hangar and apron are classified as Headwater Forest and those east of the existing hangar and apron are classified as Bottomland Hardwood Forest" types the appropriate wetland mitigation group for both of these NC WAM types is Riparian Non riverine Each wetland proposed for impact rated `low using the NCWAM functional assessment As such you have requested and the Corps agrees that wetland compensatory mitigation ratio should be set at 1 1 for all impacts 2 We also discussed impacts to the on site mitigation area on the south side of the existing runway Impacts proposed for this area include removing the existing berm and water control structure used to enhance 2 34 acres of wetlands and restore 8 6 acres of wetlands as part of a previous Corps permit mitigation requirement As such the Corps holds that the proposed berm and water control structure removal will result in the loss of 8 6 acres due to drainage, to be mitigated at a 1 1 ratio As directed in 33 CFR 332 the EPA Mitigation Rule, compensatory mitigation must first be satisfied by mitigation bank if available secondly by in lieu fee program, and lastly by on site restoration creation or preservation Given that the wetlands proposed for impact occur within the service area of the Stone Farm Mitigation Bank compensatory wetland mitigation must be satisfied through purchasing wetland credits at this mitigation bank In order to confirm that Stone Farm has the appropriate wetland credit types available please provide an acceptance letter indicating that they have the appropriate amount of Riparian credits available If Stone Farm does not have the appropriate amount of Riparian credits available please provide a letter from the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program indicating that they have the appropriate amount of Riparian credits available in the USGS 8 digit hydrologic unit 03040206 Lastly several wetland areas are proposed to be severed from the larger contiguous wetland unit due to the proposed parallel taxiway Please demonstrate how the hydrologic link will remain between these wetland areas and the larger wetland through the use of culverts equalizer pipes and the like If it is clear that the hydrologic link between the wetlands and the larger contiguous wetland units cannot be maintained please include this wetland acreage as a loss with proposed compensatory mitigation Be sure to send any updated plan sheets including cross sections for review Please provide the requested information in writing within 30 days of the date of this letter If you have any questions please contact me at (910) 251 4469 or David E Bailey2nusace army mil Sincerely, David E Bailey Regulatory Specialist Wilmington Regulatory Field Office Enclosures 3 Copies Furnished (with enclosures) Mr John M Massey Talbert & Bright Inc 4810 Shelley Drive Wilmington North Carolina 28405 Mr Troy Beasley Withers & Ravenel Inc 1410 Commonwealth Drive Unit 101 Wilmington, North Carolina 28403 Ms Jennifer Derby Chief Wetlands Protection Section Water Management Division U S Environmental Protection Agency Region IV 61 Forsyth Street Atlanta Georgia 30303 Mr Jeffrey Garnett Wetlands and Marine Regulatory Section Water Protection Division U S Environmental Protection Agency Region IV 61 Forsyth Street SW Atlanta Georgia 30303 Mr Pete Benjamin U S Fish and Wildlife Service Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Post Office Box 33726 Raleigh, North Carolina 27636 3726 Mr Ian McMillan 401 Oversight/Express Review Permitting Unit Division of Water Quality North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources 2321 Crabtree Boulevard Suite 250 Raleigh North Carolina 27604 United States Department of the Interior FiSH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Raleigh Field Office 0Post Office Box 33726 R a' ,i E C E 9 V E 0leigh North Carolina 27636 3726 FEB 2 7 2012 February 24 2012 REG WILM PLO OFC Dave Timpy U S Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District Wilmington Regulatory Field Office 69 Darlington Avenue Wilmington NC 28403 1343 Re Columbus County Municipal Airport/ SAW 2008 00851/ Columbus County Dear Mr Timpy The U S Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has reviewed the project advertised in the above referenced Public Notice The project as advertised in the Public Notice is expected to have minimal adverse impacts to fish and wildlife resources Therefore we have no objection to the activity as described in the permit application In accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (ESA) and based on the information provided and other available information it appears the action is not likely to adversely affect federally listed species or their critical habitat as defined by the ESA We believe that the requirements of section 7 (a)(2) of the ESA have been satisfied for this project Please remember that obligations under the ESA must be reconsidered if (1) new information identifies impacts of this action that may affect listed species or critical habitat in a manner not previously considered (2) this action is modified in a manner that was not considered in this review or (3) a new species is listed or witical habitat determined that may be affected by the identified action For your convenience a list of all federally protected endangered and threatened species in North Carolina is now available on our website at <http / /www fws gov /raleigh Our web page contains a complete and updated list of federally protected species and a list of federal species of concern known to occur in ea,,h . Gu"t i " u—I �C"4 Gllild The Service appreciates the opportunity to review and provide comments on the proposed action Should you have any questions regarding the project please contact John Ellis at (919) 856 4520 extension 26 Sincerely Pete enjamin Field Supers isor cc NMFS Beaufort NC EPA Atlanta GA WRC Raleigh