20230261 Ver 1_DWR 20230261v1_Project Independence_Cabarrus__NCWRC Comments_20230324

9 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
March 24, 2023
Eric Alsmeyer
Regulatory Division Office
US Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District
3331 Heritage Trade Drive, Suite 105, Wake Forest, NC 27587
Amy Chapman
NCDEQ Division of Water Resources, Transportation Permitting
512 N. Salisbury St., Archdale Building, 12th floor
Raleigh, NC 27604
SUBJECT: Comments on Application for Project Independence, Cabarrus County
DWR 20230261ver. 1
Dear Mr. Alsmeyer and Ms. Chapman,
Staffs with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) received the subject
application and are generally familiar with the wildlife resources in the area. Comments on the
application from the NCWRC are offered in accordance with applicable provisions of the state and
federal Environmental Policy Acts (G.S. 113A-Ithrough 113-10; 1 NCAC 25 and 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c),
respectively), 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).
The project involves impacts to an unnamed tributary to Irish Buffalo Creek for a commercial
development access in Concord. This will impact a mitigation area established for the North Carolina
Department of Transportation's R-2533B project. The impact to the mitigation site will be off set with
additional project mitigation.
The NCWRC does not have any major concerns with the impacts. However, we do note that the planting
specifications in the construction plans include non-native plants that should be avoided in and around the
remaining R-2533B mitigation site.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Project Independence Page 2 March 24, 2023
Cabarrus County
Thank you for the opportunity to review this project. Please contact me at david.mchenrykncwildlife.org
or [phone] if you have any questions about these comments.
Cordially,
Dave McHenry, NCWRC Western DOT Coordinator
cc: Steve Brumagin, US Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District
Andrew Pitner, NCDEQ Division of Water Resources, Mooresville