20190875 Ver 2_WRC Comments_20221215

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North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
December 15, 2022
Ms. Brooke Davis
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Haywood Park Estates
Wetlands and UTs to Mill Pond Creek, Henderson County
Dear Ms. Davis:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to permanently fill 0.466 acre of wetland and temporarily impact 0.005 acre of
wetland and 44 ft of an unnamed tributary (UT) to Mill Pond 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).
Wild trout should not be impacted by project activities, and a trout moratorium is not required for
the project. Mitigation is proposed at a 1:1 ratio; as it appears that much of the wetland has
formed in the past several years, and NCWAM scores are low, we have no objection to this
proposal.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to fish and wildlife:
1. Limit impervious surface to less than 10% or use stormwater control measures to mimic the
hydrograph consistent with an impervious coverage of less than 10%.
2. Use non-invasive native species and Low Impact Development (LID) technology in
landscaping. Using native species instead of ornamentals should reduce the need for water,
fertilizers and pesticides. Using LID technology in landscaping will not only help maintain
the predevelopment hydrologic regime, but also enhance the aesthetic and habitat value of
the site.
3. Limit native vegetation clearing as much as possible. Maintain open space areas with native
vegetation and maintain the undeveloped area to the north as a forested green space.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Haywood Park Estates Page 2 December 15, 2022
Wetlands and UT Mill Pond Cr, Henderson Co
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: Tyson Kurtz, ClearWater Environmental
Andrew Moore, NC Division of Water Resources