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Home My WebLink About19930786 Ver 2_Mitigation Plans_20070821q3-078G Va '~EtVF? - &1'Al'ca GZUAUTY ~TL1~!C,~ ~"'!d7 Tn!~a~~'>~;'~? SRANCH The Reserve at St. James Plantation Mitigation Plan Brunswick County, North Carolina Prepared by: Land Management Group, Inc. Wilmington, NC Prepared for: The Reserve Development Company, LLC St. James, NC August 2007 t ~ Table of Contents List of Tables, Figures, and Appendices ................................................................................. ii 1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................3 2.0 Site Description .......................................................................................................................3 2.1 Wetlands .............................................................................................................................3 2.2 Soils ....................................................................................................................................3 2.3 Vegetation ...........................................................................................................................4 3.0 Mitigation .................................................................................................................................4 3.1 Wetland Restoration ...........................................................................................................4 3.2 Wetland Preservation .........................................................................................................4 4.0 Monitoring ...............................................................................................................................5 5.0 Implementation Schedule .......................................................................................................5 6.0 Summary ..................................................................................................................................5 List of Tables and Figures Table 1. List of tree and shrub species to be planted within created wetlands .........................6 Figure 1. Vicinity map ..............................................................................................................7 Figure 2. Topographic map ......................................................................................................8 Figure 3. Soils map ...................................................................................................................9 Figure 4. Aerial photograph ....................................................................................................10 Figure 5. Site plan showing proposed wetland impacts and mitigation .................................11 Figure 6. Wetland restoration #1 ............................................................................................12 Figure 7. Wetland restoration #2 ............................................................................................13 Figure 8. Wetland restoration #3 ............................................................................................14 ii 1.0 Introduction In order to mitigate for 1.5 acres of 404 wetland impact associated with the Reserve at St. James Plantation in St. James, North Carolina, the Reserve Development Company, LLC agrees to restore wetlands on site, buy into the Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP), and preserve remaining wetlands on site. This tract is approximately 2372.24 acres in size and is located off of Highway 211 in Brunswick County, NC (Figures 1 and 2). The applicant proposes to restore 1.18 acres of 404 wetlands on site by removing old dirt roads in three separate locations. The elevation of these areas will be restored to wetland grade and a variety of shrubs and trees that are similar to vegetation growing in adjacent wetlands will be planted. This mitigation plan outlines the restoration activities planned for the site. 2.0 Site Description 2.1 Wetlands A site delineation of 404 wetlands was performed by Land Management Group, Inc. and was approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on 06/12/02. The site contains a total of 1,290 acres of 404 wetlands, most of which are Carolina Bays. Most of the wetlands can be classified as non-riparian, however the upper limits of Polly Gully Creek, one unnamed tributary to Polly Gully Creek, and two unnamed tributaries of Beaverdam Creek exist within the property (Figure 2). The applicant has submitted a new wetland survey to the Corps for reauthorization. 2.2 Soils According to the Brunswick County Generalized Soil Survey, uplands within the site are classified as Leon fine sand, Kureb fine sand, and Mandarin fine sand (Figure 3). Wetlands within the site are shown as Murville fine sand. 3 2.3 Vegetation Pond pine (P. serotina), loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus), black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), red bay (Persea borbonia), and titi (Cyrilla racemiflora) are the dominant plant species that exist in the wetlands on this property. Uplands support loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), live oak (Quercus virginiana), longleaf pine (P. palustris), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), and turkey oak (Q. laevis). There are several dirt logging roads located throughout the tract, most are approximately 20' wide (Figure 4). A majority of the uplands within the site have been cleared in anticipation of planned residential development. 3.0 Mitigation 3.1 Wetland Restoration A total of 1.18 acres of uplands will be restored to wetlands by removing old fill material (Figure 5). Material will be removed until the natural soil profile is reached. Any existing culverts will be removed. If needed, a layer of organic material obtained from the wetland areas to be filled will be removed and added on top of the excavated area to provide a suitable substrate for vegetation establishment. Final grade of the wetland restoration areas will be that of the adjacent existing wetlands. Native shrub and tree species (Table 1) will be established in the restoration areas at an eight-foot spacing (a total of approximately 800 plants). In addition to the planted material, it is anticipated that vegetation from surrounding areas will volunteer into the area. In addition to the on-site restoration, the applicant will also buy into the Ecosystem Enhancement Program for the restoration of 0.5 acre of non-riparian wetlands elsewhere within the Lower Cape Fear Watershed. 3.2 Wetland Preservation The applicant has already preserved a large amount of wetlands on site through conservation easements with the North American Land Trust (HALT). Remaining wetlands located within common areas that are not already preserved will be placed in a conservation 4 easement with NALT. Wetlands located within individual lots will be preserved using restrictive covenants. 4.0 Monitoring A general site analysis will occur immediately after mitigation activities have been completed and will consist of taking photographs of the restored wetlands to evaluate initial success. A small narrative will be written that summarizes mitigation activities and will be submitted to the Corps and DWQ office. From then on, monitoring will occur annually for three years, or until deemed successful by the Corps and DWQ. During each monitoring event, the vegetation within the restored areas will be counted and identified. Success criteria will be the survival of at least 70% of planted vegetation. A monitoring report that summarizes these results and includes photographs of the mitigation site will be submitted to the Corps and DWQ. Because of the small size of the wetland restoration areas, hydrological monitoring will not occur. However, the survivorship of wetland plants within the areas will provide a good indication of hydrology. 5.0 Implementation Schedule Wetland mitigation will commence as soon as all necessarypermits have been obtained, with wetland vegetation planting occurring during the first winter season. 6.0 Summary In order to mitigate for 1.5 acres of freshwater wetland impacts associated with the Reserve at St. James Plantation in St. James, NC, the applicant agrees to restore 1.18 acres of wetlands on-site by removing old fill material (dirt roads). These areas will then be planted with native wetland vegetation. In addition, the applicant agrees to buy into the EEP for the restoration of 0.5 acre ofnon- riparian wetlands within the Lower Cape Fear River watershed. Finally, they will preserve all remaining wetlands on site. These actions will compensate for jurisdictional wetland impacts within the tract and fulfill the requirements of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Division of Water Quality. 5 Table 1. Tree and shrub species to be planted within the wetland restoration area at the Reserve at St. James Plantation. Vegetation is typical of existing on-site wetlands. Species to be planted are based on nursery availability. Common Name Scientific Name Pond Pine Pinus serotina Loblolly Bay Gordonia lasianthus Red Bay Persea borbonia Sweet Pepperbush Clethra alnifolia Gallberry Ilex glabra Wax myrtle Myrica cerifera 6 € '~~~''~ ~ 5 1Ctnea, '. ~ r',:~ IhN :~ . lF-- c, Bnhn~., . n.-x OIL :1. rt - _ - \ ti,~n(µna SpjMq lalho+r ~ d`~.. '• ~- a f, - ~. }+Jj ~ ,1 y1 _ 'Til ~"`h r~;l .a~ ~ ~ ~` ~;_ *~-I ~f Mti rr aq~' c x't gd 3F ~~k , `Stnd~vvPfi~vt `' ~~' '1 ~ - SITE ~ ' ~ -~iI~;~ ~ . ~ -`~1 ~' + a 1 ~. !'. k . rrJ - "+_ .v b ~ > "c ,, ~, p~la c rytic ~)•+It`I~ ~u55~ ~ ~__ -~~ '; as ''~f~~{ r - 1 CJFc>rt i {R-! 4 Y 0runpyit[h ~ ~ t ~ Ly~_ N,NIn -i 1 T'q~T]} tldK~ry Ey,lk ~•.1 e5!!t1 ~ 1}, ~1 .., 11 I:~'~4. t \~ ~A t :~ . I. }1, ~.,1, t~ '~~ . .'a ~~ N t y i f...r I ...~A = 4. t1`k~'Y b~ t ~~ °w w~ ~ } ~ f ~ ~ Z0~ *Boundanes are approxirraare aria are - ~s~rE ,~r ~ --'~" .,~~1~;~~~:-~ I not meant to be absolute „ SCALE 1 = 1 Mile Map Source: North Carolina Atlas ~ Gazetteer. Pg 87.2003 The Reserve at St. James LMG Figure 1 Brunswick County, NC LAND MANAGEMENT GROUP larc Vicinity Map Environmental Consultonts 02-06-223 August 2007 ( r r ..... ! ~ - ~ I~ i ~ - - _ =~ ~G { `"~~ w N ~ - = ~ 1~ ~t > f i '. r 94 ` kl ~' r { ~ .. ~ _ - _ 1 r _ i ' ., ~ ~ .a ~..:. SITE ~ ~~.~- e ..y _.r ' ~ __ _ _ _ _ ~--_ k < ~' ~ t - - -.~ ."g ~ ~ ~ ( LONG d ~ A C M r-~` ~- -~'~__ ~ /'r 1 - . 1 ~ "-~" - 1~ I i 1~ I I I I '. ~I Bf'ACN - _ --_._~_.~_I. _. _ _ '_ I _ ~ ~ I a A Y ~ - _. ' -. I ~.. _ _ _ ~.,L _ _ ~ _ ~ -. _ ~ ~ I ~ '- 1 d I i Ir ~ I i i _ y , ~. ~ ~r'2 S .. L~~'~• i 1 ~,~ _ l,~s1 p, i .r ~. 1 i 1 N l.~.rr. t.(i, ~ . '`Boundaries are approximate and are ~~ siTE not meant to be absolute SCALE 1" - 5000' Map Source: Lockwoods Folly & Southport Quadrangles 7.5 minute (topographic) 1990. The Reserve at St. James LMG Figure 2 Brunswick County, NC LANDMANAGP.MENTGROUPrnc USGS Topgraphic Map 02-06-223 ~ Environmentnl Consuftnnts August 2007 Lo Mu M Fo To Mu To , Ra o Pn Fo B NO Wo Mu Fo o CT Lo Kr6 _, Ly Mk Ra Lo FoTo Pn _ _ ; o ~ ~~~' L Mk Fo Ra Lo B ,,, ~Lo ;% a Mu Mu 0 ~o Mu ti. _ \ _ ' a Mu i Lo ~ _ Mu ~ ~ _ - = . Mu t Mu ~~~s C/ ~ Mu ' 46 eiV Mu Ma ''Ma Mu Mu LO Mu _ KrB K B Mu _ r u Mu _ Ma __ Mk a -~ Mu CT ~ Mk Lo Kr6 Kr6 , -. Lo W~ -~ Kr6 a < , . rB ~,', Ma ' KrB ~_ Ma Ma y a Kr6' LoMa ~ ~~ ; ~ ~, Mu r M - - O ; Bea .~ek - - _ ~ Mk Tm k rB Mu - LO Mu Lo Tm ' __ Tm Tm Tm _' _ T Tm Mu Tm Mu Lo ' ~ d ~d r~- , ... .,:. ~}' ,*~ BoUndaIICJ dIC c1~11.11UJ(IIIICdIC addu ade SITE ~e~' ~~^~ ~- ....`7'r~~~'B,~`°~ 3••`" " not meant to be absolute SCALE 1" = 2500' Map Source: NRCS Soil Survey. The Reserve at St. James LMG Figure 3 Brunswick County, NC LA.`dDMANAGE.4IENTGROUP~nc Soils Map 02-06-223 ~ Environmental Consudtants August 2007 Map Source: 1998 NAPP aerial photography The Reserve at St. James LMG Figure 4 Brunswick County, NC LAND MANAGEMENTGR6UPio-,: Aerial Photograph 02-t)6-223 Environments! Consultonts Auaust 2007 *Boundaries are approximate and are ~~gfT~ not meant to be absolute SCALE 1" = 2500' t~ `\ \~ \ \~ \\ \'\\ \ \\ \\ \` \~~ \\`\. ~~ ~\ \ ~ ~ \ \\ \~` \ ... L O \` \ \ \ \ \ ~1 '\ \ \ ~\. ~\. .N ~ ` ~~ ~ \ \ ti \~~ \\ \ \'` \ \\ Q~ •~ Q ~\ ~, \ \ J - ~~ ` \ \ ~~. ~~~ . \ \~~ ~ ~ ~~//~~ ~, \ ~~ M ~ ~~ ~`~~ ~`~ . ~ \ \ \\ `'~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ` ,\ ~^ ~ \, ~ \ ~ \ n ~ \~~ \. l 1 ~~ ~ --\.., ~ - ..~. ` y,,.-. \ ~ ~ ,. .. ~ ~ \ ', ; . \ _~ \. ~ :.._ ~ ~ ~\ ~~ \ ~ ` , J z 0 w O a a 3 w 5 w O r a z J w a 5 ~ m ~ ~E °~~~ r~ S c~ ~~ #d ~~~ ~~ i <) Q N 0 ~~ ~, ; ~~ J Q V c O ~r, ;_. c, c G 0 G N N CC C ~ ~ 6 ~. a v v t N 0 d' n" O ~ ~' d ~= ~ ~ ~~_~ I 0.. \ ^..p ... I `~. •. -. i, `. y+! ~,. Y„ . ~,', ,.: PRELIMINARY- FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY '~D .. •" Figure 7. Proposed Wetland Restoration Auyust 2007 ®' 4.04 'J4~etlands I ~`~=~I .w_ .. Nader~tanziale ~~ 50 1 OU 200 P~°d, ~~ o.~;~p~,~,„ ~,1vFlmvt&CR~ Proposed V,'etland Restoration SCALE t"= 10U' "m~°'~"~`""~!~69.~~ ~~ PRELIMINARY- FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY D ,, _, -_1 ~. _ _ i ~% __ ~ ~ ., / ~~ / ~ ~ / ,t, ~, ~. ..~ ,~ ~. Figure 8. Proposed Wetland Restoration P•.UQUSt 2007 - ~ .. .-~ ® 404 'v'Veil01'tds ~-` ~ _ - `'~edenStarziote 0 5G 10C 200 ao~„~.,, ~,Tqc~&Qt~p w~m~ep. ~.nrt.awe Proposed Wetlol~d Restoration SC?.LE 7 "= 100' ~~~~^~z~a~sb;.~~„