20141169 All Versions_Mitigation Information_20140509

PAT L. MCCRORY
GOVERNOR
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STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
May 9, 2014
Memorandum To: Tom Steffens, USACE and David Wainright, NCDWR
From: Chris Underwood
Subject: R -2514 B &C Request for Mitigation Use of CWMB
ANTHONY J. TATA
SECRETARY
STIP Projects R -2514 sections B and C are part of the proposed improvements to a 16 -mile
portion of US 17 in Jones and Onslow Counties, NC. Unavoidable stream and wetland impacts
associated with the project are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below. The North Carolina Ecosystem
Enhancement Program (EEP) has had, and continues to have, trouble procuring both riparian
and non - riparian wetland credits as well as stream credits within HU's 03020204 (Neuse 04) and
03020106 (White Oak 06). In fact they are already in a deficit for non - riparian in the White Oak
06.
Table 1. R -2514 B &C Impact Summary
Section
County
Ecoregion
HUC
Total
Wetland
Impacts
Non- riparian
Impacts
Riparian
Impacts
Stream
Impacts
Southern
Onslow
Outer
03020106
R -2514 B
and
Coastal
(White Oak
(Let 12/15)
Jones
Plain
06)
9.61 ac.
4.61 ac.
5 ac.
1,938 ft.
Southern
03020106
Outer
(White Oak
R -2514 C
Coastal
06) 03020204
(Let 6/15)
Jones
Plain
(Neuse 04)
22.08 ac.
20.88 ac.
1.2 ac.
379 ft.
MAILING ADDRESS:
INC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS UNIT
1598 MAIL SERVICE CENTER
RALEIGH NC 27699 -1598
TELEPHOI 919 -707 -6000
FAX: 919 - 212 -5785
WEBSITEWCOOT.GOV
LOCATION:
CENTURY CENTER, BDILOING B
1020 BIRCH RIDGE DRIVE
RALEIGH NC 27610

Table 2. R -2514 B &C Impacts by HUC
HUC
Non - riparian
Impacts
Riparian Impacts
Stream Impacts
White Oak 06
21.32 ac.
6.17 ac.
1,970 ft.
Neuse 04
4.17 ac.
0.03 ac.
347 ft.
NCDOT proposes to use the Croatan Wetland Mitigation Bank (CWMB) as the source of all
mitigation stream and wetland credits for the impacts of R -2514 B &C. The CWMB is a high
quality, 4000+ acre wetland and stream restoration site located along the western boundary of
the Neuse 04, approximately 3.6 miles northwest of Havelock. The site was successfully closed
out in 2007 and yielded 2,462.27 riparian and 2,118.51 non - riparian wetland credits and
34,689.88 stream credits.
During the planning, construction, and monitoring of the CWMB, its unique geographic position
and hydrologic connectivity to adjacent HUCs have been recognized. The 2002 Final Mitigation
Plan lists R -2514 as one of the potential projects for which credits from the CWMB were
expected to be utilized. In 2009 the Interdisciplinary Review Team (IRT) approved the
addendum to the NCDOT Umbrella Mitigation Banking Instrument (UMBI) incorporating the
CWMB. The UMBI Addendum documents the ground - truthed hydrologic modeling that
confirmed not only flow paths that generated stream credit, but also confirmed the CWMB's
hydraulic connectivity to the Neuse River in the Neuse 04 and the Newport River in the White
Oak 06. The streams and their associated wetlands of the CWMB are valid for use in both of the
H UCs.
The non - riverine wetland resources that may be impacted by R -2514 B &C are expected to be
very similar to the non - riverine wetland credits available at the CWMB. The Level IV ecoregions
are characterized by a similarity of type, quality, and quantity of non - riverine wetland resources
that occur within a geographic area much larger than proposed herein. The function -based and
ecoregion approach to wetland mitigation is consistent with relevant federal and state resource
management agencies' goal of integrated ecosystem management.
Therefore, given the reasons stated above and being good stewards of the public's money,
NCDOT respectfully requests that the wetland and stream credits of the CWMB be used for the
impacts associated with R -2514 B &C.
CC
Travis Wilson, NCWRC
Gary Jordan, USFWS
Linda Fitzpatrick, NCDOT
Leilani Paugh, NCDOT
Brian Yamamoto, NCDOT

Wainwright, David
From: Wilson, Travis W.
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2014 2:10 PM
To: Underwood, Chris; Steffens, Thomas A SAW; Wainwright, David; gary_jordan @fws.gov
Subject: RE: R -2514B & Croatan
This is ultimately a regulatory decision, however EEP having little credit remaining post project is not justification to go
out of basin for impacts. There was some discussion years ago about the watershed /s the Croatan set in, and the
arbitrary nature of the watershed boundaries. Is NCDOT proposing to show Croatan services the White Oak?
I was not overly concerned with Non - riparian impacts due to the proximity of the mitigation site to the impacts,
however I do not have the same view point with riparian wetlands or stream impacts. Those impacts should be replaced
in the basin unless sufficient justification can be shown as to why they cannot.
NOTE: NEW PHONE NUMBER AND MAILING ADDRESS
Travis W. Wilson
Eastern Region Highway Project Coordinator
Habitat Conservation Program
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
1718 Hwy 56 West
Creedmoor, NC 27522
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
From: Underwood, Chris
Sent: Friday, May 02, 2014 2:11 PM
To: Steffens, Thomas A SAW; Wainwright, David; Wilson, Travis W.; ,gam iordan(abfws.gov
Subject: R -2514B & Croatan
Hey,
I know you all were on board for using the CWMB for the non - riparian wetland impacts. Tom asked if we are going to
use Croatan for streams as well. Linda Fitzpatrick has looked into that and found that EEP will have very little stream
credits after this project and that there are seven new projects in the White Oak River basin that has the potential for
more mitigation. Since the CWMB has quite a bit of credits, how do you all feel about using it for all the impacts for R-
2514 B? Let me know your thoughts and have a great weekend!
Chris