NMFS Moratorium Relief Authorization

From:
Twyla Cheatwood - NOAA Federal
To:
Doliber, Brian C
Cc:
fritz.rohde
Subject:
[External] Re: NC DOT Ferry Division Moratorium Relief Request- Pile Repair & Maintenance Spring -Summer
2023
Date:
Thursday, April 6, 2023 10:03:50 AM
Attachments:
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Good Morning Brian,
The NMFS has reviewed your request for in -water work moratorium relief to perform pile
repair and maintenance at the Hatteras, Southdock (north end of Ocracoke), and Ocracoke
Silver Lake (south end of Ocracoke) Ferry Terminals. The NMFS believes the work described
will have minimal impacts to EFH and NOAA trust resources present within the project area
and is amenable to the project as described. We appreciate the clarification that dredging will
not occur until the fall. Further coordination may be necessary should the project
description change.
Thank you for your coordination,
Twyla
On Thu, Apr 6, 2023 at 9:43 AM Doliber, Brian C <bcdolibernncdot.gov> wrote:
Good morning Twyla and Fritz,
We ended up having engine issues with our SkyCo crane barge that altered our schedule but
it has been completely overhauled and is being re -installed over the next couple of weeks.
We should have our final schedule for this spring and summer set. We are requesting
moratorium relief for the in -water pile work outlined below. No dredging is scheduled until
Fall of 2023.
May 1-May 31: Hatteras piling repair & replace (location map attached) --- 59063 NC
Hwy 12, Hatteras NC 27943
o A vibratory hammer will be utilized to remove and install all piles. However, if
a pile is broken off beneath the surface, a clamshell bucket will be used to break
it loose and pull it. This is the methodology that the Ferry Division has followed
during all previous dolphin maintenance projects.
June 1-June 12: Ocracoke H-pile installation to support ramp & gantry (location map
attached)--- 60 Pilot Town Circle, Ocracoke NC 27960
o The ramp and gantry system at the Ocracoke Silver Lake terminal is beginning
to lean forward (waterward). In order to stabilize the ramp & gantry and prevent
potential safety issues or damage an H pile would be installed on each side of
both ramps, approximately 10' landward from the gantry/counterweights. The
H-piles would be driven with a vibratory hammer and a cross beam would be

welded from the H-piles to the gantry.
June 13-June 18: Fort Fisher navigation aid replacement (location map attached)--
-2422 s. Fort Fisher Blvd, Kure Beach NC
o During a recent dredging event the HDPE pipe that transports dredging material
to the spoil site became entangled with the piles during an ebb tide and snapped
them off at the top. The navigation aids are located just outside of the ferry
basin and exist to allow for safe navigation in and out of the basin. Temporary
floating marine plastic balls have been installed until the piles can be replaced.
All four existing piles are wood and will be replaced with wooden piles of the
same width and length. The location of the piles will not change. A vibratory
hammer, along with a clamshell bucket, will be utilized to remove and install all
piles.
June 19-June 27: Southport dock piling modifications (location map attached) --- 1650
Ferry Road, Southport NC 28461
o The dock for the ferry tie-up slips was replaced in 2021 and was positioned
slightly too far to the east. As a result, the furthest landward pile clusters do not
adequately prevent the ferries from coming into contact with the dock. Ferry
workers are able to tie off the boats in a way that prevents damage to the dock
once they are in the slips but adjusting/modifying the pile clusters is the only
way to truly resolve the issue. The current situation poses a risk for property
damage and is also a safety concern with employees working the docks.
For the northern tie-up slip we are proposing installation of 4 additional piles
on the interior sides of the two landward pile clusters. The oak fenders would
be removed from the clusters, 4 new piles would be driven, and then the
cables and fenders would be reinstalled.
For the southern tie-up slip only the southern, landward cluster would need
modified. To help keep the gangway in the proper location the northern
cluster would remain as is. All piles from the southern cluster would be
removed and then reinstalled four feet to the north so the spacing between the
two clusters would be the proper width to stop the ferries from hitting the
dock.
A vibratory hammer, along with a clamshell bucket, will be utilized to remove and
install all piles.
June 28-August 19: Southdock piling repair & replace (location map attached) --- 1380
Irvin Garrish Highway, Ocracoke NC
o A vibratory hammer will be utilized to remove and install all piles. However, if
a pile is broken off beneath the surface, a clamshell bucket will be used to break
it loose and pull it. This is the methodology that the Ferry Division has followed
during all previous dolphin maintenance projects.
If you need any additional information or have any questions let me know.
Thank you,

From: Doliber, Brian C
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2023 3:45 PM
To: Twyla Cheatwood - NOAA Federal <twyla.cheatwood&noaa.gov>; Fritz Rohde -
NOAA Federal <fritz.rohde(gnoaa.gov>
Subject: NC DOT Ferry Division Moratorium Relief Request- Pile Repair & Maintenance
Spring -Summer 2023
Good afternoon Twyla and Fritz,
The NC DOT Ferry Division is requesting moratorium relief to perform pile repair and
maintenance at the Hatteras, Southdock (north end of Ocracoke), and Ocracoke Silver Lake
(south end of Ocracoke) Ferry Terminals from April 1-August 31 2023. We had planned on
dredging the Southdock basin this spring but postponed it to Fall 23 to stay outside of the
moratorium and because some of our pile clusters are in such poor shape that ferries have
incurred damage significant enough to take them out of service. I provided a brief
description of the work to take place at each location and attached location maps for each
terminal. The work will not take the entirety of the requested relief but because other types
of critical issues pop up frequently I wanted the window to be lengthy enough to account for
those unforeseen circumstances. All pile work would take place within the ferry basins and
all of the work at Hatteras and Southdock would take place within the footprint of existing
piles.
Hatteras- 50 working days: Perform repair and maintenance on existing pile clusters. Some
clusters would be completely removed and replaced in kind and other would only have the
damaged piles removed and replaced in kind.
Ocracoke- 15 working days: The 2 ramp and gantries at Ocracoke are starting to tilt forward
and need to be stabilized. The piles (2 at each ramp) would be installed behind the gantry in
the water and a steel beam would be welded to the gantry and pile to stabilize it.
Southdock- 45 working days: Perform repair and maintenance on existing pile clusters.
Some clusters would be completely removed and replaced in kind and other would only
have the damaged piles removed and replaced in kind.
A vibratory hammer, along with a clamshell bucket, will be utilized to remove and install
the piles.

If you need any additional information to make your determination just let me know and I
will be happy to provide it.
Thank you,
Brian Doliber
Environmental Program Supervisor/Facility Maintenance Coordinator
Ferry Division
252 232 8025 mobile
252 621 6251 office
bcdoliber&ncdot.gov
159 Lucinda Lane
Powells Point, NC 27966
k.5�1
Email correspondence to and from this sender is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.
Twyla H Cheatwood
Fishery Biologist
Southeast Region, Habitat Conservation Division
NOAA Fisheries
Beaufort, NC 28516
Office: [phone]
[e-mail]

19
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