20051764 Ver 1_EEP Acceptance Letters_20050829

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PROGRghn
August 29, 2005
Mr. Bill Biddlecome
U. S. Army Corps of Engineez~s
Washington Regulatory Field office
Post C)ffice Boaz 1000
Washington, North Carplina 27789-1000
Dear Mr. Biddlecpme:
Subject: EEP Mitigation Acceptance Vetter:
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U-3823, SR 1158 (Airport Boulevard) Widening, Wilson County;
Neuse River Basin (CU 03020203); Northern Inner Coastal Plain
(NICP) Eco-Region
The purpose of this letter is to notify you that the Ecosystem Enhancement
Program (EEP) will provide compensatory riverine wetland and stream mitigation for the
unavpidable impacts associated with the above referenced project. As indicated in the
NCDQT's mitigation request letter, the impacts associated with this project are as
follows;
Riverine Wetland: 0.903 acre
Strearti: 89 feat
Also, this project will impact Buffers located in CU 03020203 of the Neuse River
Basin. The total buffer impacts are 11,533 square feet iri Zone 1 and 7,b41 square feet in
Zone 2. The NCDCfT' estimated buffer impacts ira the 7-year Impact Projection Database
submitted to EEP in 1VIay 2005. The buffer mitigation required for the NCDOT's impact
projections was incorporated into EEP's biennial budget that was approved in June 2005
by the NCDOT. However, EEP intends to continue managing all of the NCDCT's buffer
mitigation requests and approvals through the In-Vieu Fee (IVFj Program's Buffer Fund.
Any buffer irxipact associated with projects located in the Neuse and Tar-I'arnlico River
Basins, and portions pf the Cape Fear and Catawba River Basins are automatic
acceptances by the EEP, per the agreement with the NCDWQ.
The NCDQT will be responsible to ensure that the appropriate compensation for
the buffer mitigation will Be provided in the agreed upon method of fund transfer. Lrpar~
receipt of the NCDWQ's Buffer Certification, the NCDOT will provide the EEP a copy
North C2~rolina Ecosystem enhancement Program,1657 Mail Service Center, kaleigh, NC 27649-1651 / 419.715-0476 / www n ceep.E~et
AIJ~-31-2185 WE6 15:18 TEL: [phone] NAME:DWQ-WETLANC~S P. ~

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of the Certification along with a letter verifying the buffer impactJmi,tigation amounts and
requesting a fund transfer to provide the required compensation. The EEP will transfer
fiends from the MOA Account (Fund 2984) into the lf,l~ Buffer Mitigation Fund (fund
2982},
EEl' wi11 commit to implementing sufficient compensatory stream mitigation to
offset the impacts associated 'with this project by the end of the MOA year in which this
project is penr~itted, in accordance with Section ~ of the Tri-Party MOA, signed on July
22, 2QQ3. Appropriate wetland and stream mitigation assets available include, but are not
limited to, Payne Dale, Moccasin Creek, and the Neu-Can Mitigation Bank.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Ms. Beth
Harman. at 919-715-1929.
Sincerely,
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W~ iam T}. Crilmore, P.E.
EEP Director
cc: Mr. Gregory J. Thorpe, Ph.D., h1CDQT-FDEA
1Vir. John ~-Tennessy, l7ivision of'VV'ater Quality,'W'etlands/401 Unit
File: U-3$23
AUC~-31-2~t«5 WEG 15:19 TEL: [phone] hJAME:DWQ-WETLAFJDS P. 5