20221635 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20221207

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North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
December 7, 2022
Ms. Brooke Davis
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Boylston Creek Restoration — FBPLLC Property
Boylston Creek, Henderson County
Dear Ms. Davis,
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to restore 3,658 ft of Boylston Creek in Henderson County. Our comments on this
application are offered for your consideration under provisions of the Clean Water Act of 1977
(33 U.S.C. 466 et. seq.) and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16
U.S.C. 661-667d).
The project should not impact trout reproduction, and project activities do not need to be avoided
during the trout spawning moratorium. However, Appalachian Elktoe (Alasmidonta
raveneliana, US and NC Endangered) is found in the French Broad River downstream of the
project. In order to minimize impacts to this species, excellent erosion and sediment control are
necessary on the project.
The project involves restoration of Boylston Creek with construction of flood benches, instream
structures such as constructed riffles, boulder/log steps, and boulder/log vanes, and toewood, and
a native riparian buffer. Berms will be removed. The planted buffer width will range from 15-35
ft in width. Flows will be diverted around work areas with coffer dams. The planting list
includes River Birch, which is a species typically found in floodplains of large stream systems.
Unless this tree is found on Boylston Creek nearby, we recommend eliminating this species in
favor of others more typical of smaller streams, such as Sweet Birch or Yellow Buckeye. In
addition, we recommend removing Water Oak from the planting list, as it is not native to the
area.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife resources:
1. In -channel work should be accomplished as quickly as possible and vigilance used in
sediment and erosion control during site preparation, construction, and clean up. Disturbed
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Boylston Cr Restoration Page 2 December 7, 2022
Boylston Cr, Henderson Co
areas should be seeded, mulched and/or matted as soon as possible, preferably at the end of
each workday.
2. Any erosion control matting used should be free of nylon or plastic mesh, as this type of
mesh netting frequently entangles wildlife and is slow to degrade, resulting in a hazard that
may last for years.
3. We recommend eliminating River Birch (if not found nearby) and Water Oak from the
planting list in favor of species more typical of the area.
4. We recommend that a woody buffer of at least 30 feet be planted on both sides of the stream
as infrastructure allows in order to ensure project success. A wide forested buffer can ensure
greater bank stability, filter overland pollutants, and provide habitat for birds and other
wildlife.
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. Please contact me at
[phone] if you have any questions about these comments.
Sincerely,
Andrea Leslie
Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program
ec: Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources
David Brown, Jennings Environmental