20221563 Ver 1_IRT Site Walk Meeting Minutes_20221212

% &V
WILDLANDS
ENGINEERING
MEETING SUMMARY
MEETING: IRT Site Walk
Voodoo Valley Mitigation Site
Neuse River Basin 03020201, Johnston County, NC
DATE: Wednesday, October 26'h, 2022
LOCATION: Wellons Road
Smithfield, NC
Attendees
Erin Davis, NC DWR
Todd Tugwell, USACE
Travis Wilson, NC WRC
Kim Isenhour, USACE
Kathy Mathews, USFWS
Materials
• Wildlands Engineering, Voodoo Valley Mitigation Site — Pre -Prospectus
Meeting Notes
Representatives of Wildlands Engineering, Inc (Wildlands) met with representatives of the North
Carolina Interagency Review Team (IRT) to walk the Voodoo Valley Mitigation Site. The purpose of the
field meeting was to present the site to the group of IRT members and get their input into the
management/mitigation options proposed for the site and determine next steps in the process. During
the tour, the group discussed the stream and wetland approaches proposed by Wildlands and the
manner that they felt would be most appropriate to enhance and restore onsite streams and wetlands.
The following notes provide a summary of these discussions.
The bulleted notes below generally follow the timeline of the site walk. The following concerns were
noted:
• No changes were requested on UT1, UT2, or the upper reach of Voodoo Creek
Wildlands Engineering, Inc. page 1
VOODOO VALLEY MITIGATION SITE
October 26, 2022 IRT Site Walk Meeting Summary

• From a point approximately 300 ft downstream of the confluence with UT2 to the confluence
with Swift Creek, Kathy and Travis both thought there was likely habitat for Neuse River
Waterdog and several federally protected mussel species.
• Their recommendation was to have a certified aquatic biologist conduct a survey to determine
the extents of habitat.
• The IRT would not approve in -channel work where habitat was determined to exist for any
federally protected aquatic species.
• After some discussion amongst the IRT, the concept of developing the site into a species bank
was introduced. Key points of the discussion included:
o USFWS staff is open to the concept of species banking in NC.
o Impacts are occurring throughout the Neuse basin with no current way to mitigate.
o Market development would need a test case to develop crediting methodology both on
the mitigation and impact side.
o Todd recommended also getting approval for stream preservation credits on the
property as a fallback position in case the species market does not develop.
o John mentioned that two landowners control—16,000 ft of both sides of Swift Creek
upstream from the point where Voodoo Creek enters Swift and these landowners have
expressed interest in a conservation easement.
o Wildlands will develop a proposal for development of a species bank on the project
property and submit to Kathy Mathews.
• Wildlands does not plan to pursue the project any further as proposed in the pre -prospectus.
This documents the main discussion points during the site walk. If there are any changes or additions to
these notes please contact [e-mail].
Wildlands Engineering, Inc.
VOODOO VALLEY MITIGATION SITE
page 2
October 26, 2022 IRT Site Walk Meeting Summary