20201095 Ver 1_Buffer Plan Approval Letter_20220914

Hamilton, Ryan
From:Merritt, Katie
Sent:Wednesday, September 14, 2022 4:08 PM
To:Hamilton, Ryan
Subject:FW: Buffer Plan Approval Letter - Firestone & Double Rock
Attachments:Plan Approval Letters - Catawba.docx.pdf
Follow Up Flag:Follow up
Flag Status:Flagged
Please file attached letter in Double Rock file and Firestone file.

From: Merritt, Katie
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2022 4:07 PM
To: John Hutton ([e-mail]) <[e-mail]>
Cc: Andrea Eckardt <[e-mail]>; Kim Browning <[e-mail]>; Davis, Erin
B <[e-mail]>
Subject: Buffer Plan Approval Letter - Firestone & Double Rock

Hey John,
Please see your copy of the approval letter for the Firestone Buffer Mitigation Plan and Double Rock Buffer
Mitigation Plan. Wildlands may begin implementing the riparian restoration plan according to the approved Plans.

Thank you for your patience,
Katie

Katie Merritt
Nutrient Offset & Buffer Banking Coordinator
401 & Buffer Permitting Unit
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Office: 919-707-3637
Work Cell: 919-500-0683
Website: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/water-quality-permitting/401-buffer-permitting-branch

512 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27620
1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1617

Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the
North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

1

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources
512 North Salisbury Street 1611 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1611
919.707.9000

September 14, 2022

Wildlands Holdings VI, LLC
Attn: John Hutton
(via electronic mail: [e-mail] )

Re: Catawba Mitigation Plan Approvals

Dear Sir,

The Division of Water Resources (DWR) received two (2) draft Mitigation Plans (Plan) from
Wildlands Holdings VI, LLC (Wildlands) for the Firestone mitigation site (Firestone Site) and the
Double Rock mitigation site (Double Rock Site) separately, in 2022. Appendix 10 of the Firestone
Plan and Appendix 10 of the Double Rock Plan were the Riparian Buffer Mitigation Plans (Buffer
Plans) submitted to DWR for review and approval under 15A NCAC 02B .0295 to be used as buffer
mitigation projects under the terms and conditions of the Wildlands Catawba Umbrella Mitigation
Banking Instrument for Riparian Buffer Credits (UMBI). Effective September 12, 2022, the UMBI
was made and entered into by Wildlands acting as the Bank Sponsor, and the DWR. Katie Merritt,
with DWR, reviewed the two Buffer Plans and UMBI documents and provided comments and
recommendations. DWR received revised Buffer Plans and UMBI that addressed all comments and
recommendations. The table below summarizes the timeline of the Buffer Plans and UMBI

Project Site Name DWR Project
ID #
Initial Draft
Received
Revised Draft Received
(Final Draft)
Public Notice
Date
Wildlands Catawba
UMBI
2020-1095v1 January 28, 2022 August 22, 2022 August 22, 2022
Double Rock
Buffer Mitigation
Plan

2020-1095v1 January 28, 2022 August 22, 2022

August 22, 2022
Firestone
Buffer Mitigation
Plan
2020-1096v1 January 28, 2022 August 22, 2022 August 22, 2022

The closing date for the public notice was September 6, 2022. DWR received no comments
regarding the two Plans or UMBI documents. These documents are now approved and can be
found online at the following links:

Wildlands Catawba UMBI:
https://edocs.deq.nc.gov/WaterResources/DocView.aspx?id=2491243&dbid=0&repo=WaterResources

Double Rock Buffer Mitigation Plan:
https://edocs.deq.nc.gov/WaterResources/DocView.aspx?id=2461531&dbid=0&repo=WaterResources

Firestone & Double Rock Sites
Wildlands
September 14, 2022
Page 2 of 2

Firestone Buffer Mitigation Plan:
https://edocs.deq.nc.gov/WaterResources/DocView.aspx?id=2461805&dbid=0&repo=WaterResources

Please feel free to call me at [phone] if you have any questions regarding this
correspondence.

Sincerely,

Katie Merritt
401 & Buffer Permitting Branch

cc: DWR File Copy (Katie Merritt & Erin Davis)
USACE File Copy (Kim Browning via electronic mail)