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Home My WebLink About20220436 Ver 1_211025_Species Report, Albemarle Road Assemblage rdft_20220316 Tom Kutz October 25, 2021 Forestar Group, Inc. 481 Munn Road E., Ste. 150 Fort Mill, SC 29715 RE: Threatened and Endangered Species Evaluation Albemarle Road Assemblage Midland, Cabarrus County, NC PIN: 55147962500000, 55241713420000, 55241598530000, 55242891230000, 55240543940000, 55158170600000 (Partial) Mr. Kutz, Wetlands & Waters, Inc. (W&W) has completed an evaluation of the above referenced property SchweinHelianthus schweinitzii), Smooth Coneflower (Echinacea laevigataRhus michauxii), federally listed species known to occur in Cabarrus and/or Mecklenburg Counties, North Carolina. Due to the proximity of the review area to Mecklenburg County, federally listed species known to occur in Mecklenburg County were included in this evaluation. Should future project-related impacts be necessary, this report may be used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (or other Lead Federal Agency) to determine if additional coordination will be necessary to satisfy requirements of the Endangered Species Act. The review area is located north of NC Highway 24/27 and south of Morris Road, approximately 1.3 miles west of Old Camden Road in Midland, Cabarrus County, NC. Figure 1 depicts the review area for the purpose of this report. Methodology Evaluation of the review area included a report of known species and critical habitat occurrences within or in close proximity to the project area from the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NHP) database (Attachment A); field reviews of known extant populations of species that may potentially be present; and on-site field evaluations of potentially suitable habitat for Field surveys were performed September 2, 2021. Photographs documenting reference populations (if applicable) and existing site conditions are included in Attachment B. Plant communities and their typical compositions were document on Habitat Assessment Forms, included in Attachment C. Wetlands & Waters, Inc. WETLAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 1 Species Profiles SchweiniHelianthus schweinitzii) The species is found along roadsides, powerline clearings, old pastures, and woodland openings. storm, or fire) to create open areas for full sunlight, but may also grow in open stands of trees with minimal shade. Soils may be either shallow, sandy with high gravel content, or a clayey hardpan. The sunflower may prefer soils derived from basic material (Krings, Goyette, Suiter, & Samuels, 2021). Smooth Coneflower (Echinacea laevigata) Smooth Coneflower is typically found in open woods, cedar barrens, roadsides, clear cuts, dry limestone bluffs and power line rights-of-way. The species is usually found on magnesium and calcium rich soils associated with amphibolite, dolomite or limestone (in VA), gabbro (in NC and VA), diabase (in NC and SC) and marble (in SC) (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Southeast Region, Raleigh Ecological Services Field Office, 2011). The best Echinacea laevigata populations receive abundant sunlight and little competition from other plant species (Gaddy 1991, as referenced in U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Southeast Region, Raleigh Ecological Services Field Office, 2011). Rhus michauxii) exchange capacities and appears to depend on some form of disturbance to maintain the open quality of its habitat. This disturbance may be in the form of fire, wind throws, or openings created by roads, railroads and utility rights of way (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Southeast Region, Raleigh Ecological Services Field Office, 2021). Findings The review area consists of cleared fields in active pastureland or in crop production; vacant cleared areas formerly in residential use; forested areas; and riparian areas, both forested and emergent. Agricultural uses are primarily in the northwestern portion of the review area, which transition to forested conditions and provide an open canopy and a transitional edge habitat (documented on Form 3). Forested areas contain internal access roads and openings created for hunting use. Openings maintained for hunting are mown. Old fields associated with abandoned residential areas contain early successional growth and are no longer maintained (documented on Form 2). A sanitary sewer right-of-way (ROW) constructed parallel to and east of Caldwell Creek is regularly maintained and currently serviceable. A power ROW is established in the northern portion of the review area, most of which is regularly maintained and currently serviceable; the portion of the power ROW that connects to an abandoned residential structure is no longer maintained and is forested. The review area boundary contains road ROW associated with Lower Rocky River Road, Morris Road, Pioneer Mill Road, and Highway 24/27 on the northwest, north, east, and southern boundary, while a small portion of ROW associated with Howell Center Drive is located in the south-central review area. Road ROWs are maintained proximate to roadways, vary in light conditions, but typically contain edge habitat. Typical species composition of road ROW associated with Pioneer Mills Road and Howell Center Drive are documented on Form 1. Riparian areas include intermittent and perennial stream systems, both headwater and riverine, with adjacent and abutting wetlands in many areas. Two impoundments are established in the northern review area. Cleared portions Wetlands & Waters, Inc. WETLAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 2 of the site are generally underlain by Altavista sandy loam, Cullen clay loam and Sedgefield sandy loam soils. Upland forested areas are generally underlain by Badin, Cecil, Georgeville, Goldston, Kirksey, Tarrus and Vancy soil series, while riparian areas are underlain by Chewacla, Enon, Kirksey, Pacolet, Tarrus, and Wehadkee soils. Clearings not currently in agricultural crop production, edge habitat, ROWs, internal access roads, and areas with partial canopy openings provide potentially suitable habitat for , , although the density of competing vegetation, exotics, and land management practices (such as mowing or herbicide application within ROWs) degrade the suitability of some of these areas. Roughleaf Sunflower (Helianthus decapetalus) was identified outside of mowed portions of the Morrison Road ROW, but no individuals of S were found in the review area. Further, no individuals of Smooth Coneflower or were observed in the review area. Conclusions W&W conducted evaluations of plant communities and potentially suitable habitat for the federally listed within the approximately 637-acre Albemarle Road Assemblage project review area. W&W did not identify previously undiscovered populations of these species within the review area. Coneflo were observed within the review area, it is our opinion that there these speciesthese species as a result of site development. This concludes our assessment of the presence or absence of Federal threatened and endangered species and the presence of suitable habitat for those species. Should you require more information regarding the results of our evaluation, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, Meagan Jolly 704.681.3479 Enclosures: Figure 1. Review Area Attachment A. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Report Attachment B. Field Photographs Attachment C. Habitat Assessment Forms Wetlands & Waters, Inc. WETLAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 3 References Krings, A., Goyette, S., Suiter, D., & Samuels, M. (2021, July). Schweinitz's Sunflower (Helianthus schweinitzii). Retrieved from Rare plants of North Carolina: https://projects.ncsu.edu/cals/plantbiology/ncsc/rare/images/Helianthus_schweinitzii_NHP.pdf U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Southeast Region, Raleigh Ecological Services Field Office. (2011). Smooth Coneflower (Echinacea laevigata) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. Raleigh: Raleigh Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Southeast Region, Raleigh Ecological Services Field Office. (2021). Michaux's Sumac (Rhus michauxii) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. Raleigh: Raleigh Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Wetlands & Waters, Inc. WETLAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 4 Attachment A North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Report Attachment B Field Photographs Attachment C Habitat Assessment Forms 9-2-2021 9-2-2021 9-2-2021