20071556 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20070926

®North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
September 26, 2007
Ms. Loretta Beckwith
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
Mr. Ian McMillan
NCDENR, Division of Water Quality, 401 Unit
1628 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1628
SUBJECT: Blue Sky Mountain Company Nationwide Permit Application
Culverts in tributaries to West Fork Tuckaseegee River, Jackson Co.
DWQ No. 07-1556
Dear Ms. Beckwith and Mr. McMillan:
Fish and Wildlife Associates on behalf of Blue Sky Mountain Company requested a letter of concurrence
from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (Commission) fora 404 Permit from the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. Comments from the Commission are provided under provisions of the Clean
Water Act of 1977 (33 U.S.C. 466 et. seq.) and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat. 401, as
amended; 16 U.S.C. 661-667d).
Culverts were placed in tributaries to the West Fork Pigeon River in order to develop the 344 acre Mount
Wilderness subdivision. In addition, a small pool was excavated in one stream and a portion of another
was excavated.
The project probably did not harm trout spawning because of the streams small sizes. Further, the
streams converge with the river a short distance upstream of the Little Lake Glenville impoundment,
which has considerable sediment accumulations.
The Commission can concur with a permit if the following conditions are incorporated and followed, as
needed, after-the-fact:
1. The Nationwide and Final Regional conditions, with exception of Final Regional Condition 1.2, are
adhered to.
2. Measures that reduce stream scour downstream of the culverts, such as short rock dissipaters, are used.
3. Effective sediment and erosion control measures are used during any additional construction work.
4. The impacts are mitigated in accordance with the Apri12003 Stream Mitigation Guidelines.
Mailing Address: Division of Inland Fisheries 1721 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Blue Sky Mountain Company Page 2 September 26, 2007
Jackson
5. The appropriate stream width and banks on excavated streams are restored to near natural conditions,
matted, seeded (no tall fescue), and planted with native herbaceous vegetation.
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. If there are any questions
regarding these comments, please contact me at [phone] extension 24.
Sincerely,
r~~i?J
Dave McHenry
Mountain Region Coordinator
Habitat Conservation Program
cc: Mr. K. Barnett, NC Division of Water Quality
P. Boaze, Fish and Wildlife Associates