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Home My WebLink About20190661 Ver 1_Sassarixa Swamp II MY2 Adaptive Management Follow Up Report_20230601 June 1, 2023 CREDIT RELEASE REQUEST FORM To: NCDEQ-DWR Nutrient Offset & Buffer Banking Coordinator From: Kaitlyn Hogarth (khogarth@wildlandseng.com, 540-907-9432) Through: Wildlands Holdings III, LLC We formally request the remainder of the credit release for the Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel for completion of Task 5 per the approved credit release schedule, which is included in the Attachments with this request. The following documents have been submitted to DWR for Task 5 and are pending review: Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Monitoring Year 2 Supplemental Report. Credits requested for release are detailed below: Credit Type % Release Credit Amount (include Units) Notes/Comments Buffer Restoration 5% 14,187.600 Square Feet Buffer Preservation NA NA Buffer Enhancement 5% 1,714.381 square feet1 3,116.487 Square feet2 Enhancement and enhancement via cattle exclusion1 Coastal headwater2 Generated Nitrogen Nutrient Offset 5% 1,675.600 pounds Delivered Nitrogen Nutrient Offset (Jordan sites only) NA NA Generated Phosphorus Nutrient Offset NA NA Delivered Phosphorus Nutrient Offset (Jordan sites only) NA NA Signature: Attachments: 1) Approved Project Credit Table (include the most recent Asset Table approved by DWR, whether it is the BPDP table or the As-Built table), 2) Approved Credit Release Schedule Include the approved credit release schedule, whether it is the credit release schedule from the MBI/UMBI or from the BPDP, Project Area N Credit Conversion Ratio (ft2/pound) P Credit Conversion Ratio (ft2/pound) Credit Type Location Subject? (enter NO if ephemeral or ditch 1) Feature Type Mitigation Activity Min-Max Buffer Width (ft) Feature Name Total Area (ft2) Total (Creditable) Area of Buffer Mitigation (ft2) Initial Credit Ratio (x:1) % Full Credit Final Credit Ratio (x:1) Convertible to Riparian Buffer? Riparian Buffer Credits Convertible to Nutrient Offset? Delivered Nutrient Offset: N (lbs) Delivered Nutrient Offset: P (lbs) Buffer Rural No Ephemeral Restoration 0-100 T3 25,770 25,770 1 100%1.00000 Yes 25,770.000 Yes 1,344.713 — Buffer Rural Yes Coastal Headwater Restoration 0-100 T5C 29,697 29,697 1 100% 1.00000 Yes 29,697.000 No — — Buffer Rural Yes Coastal Headwater Restoration 101-200 T5C 98,887 98,887 1 33% 3.03030 Yes 32,632.743 No — — Buffer Rural Yes I / P Restoration 0-100 T1, T1A, T1B, T3, T4, T5, T5A, T5B, T6 257,982 257,982 1 100% 1.00000 Yes 257,982.000 Yes 13,461.846 — Nutrient Offset Rural Yes I / P Restoration 101-200 T1, T1A, T1B, T3, T4, T5, T5A, T5B, T6 506,891 1 33%No —Yes 26,450.250 — Buffer Rural Yes I / P Enhancement via Cattle Exclusion 0-100 T1, T1A, T3, T6 53,353 53,353 2 100% 2.00000 Yes 26,676.500 No — — Buffer Rural Yes I / P Enhancement via Cattle Exclusion 101-200 T1, T1A, T3, T6 46,128 46,128 2 33% 6.06061 Yes 7,611.115 No — — Nutrient Offset Rural No Ditch Restoration 0-200 T3 135,331 135,331 1 100%1.00000 No —Yes 7,061.752 — Totals (ft2):1,154,039 647,148 380,369.358 48,318.561 0.000 Total Buffer (ft2):511,817 511,817 Total Nutrient Offset (ft2):642,222 N/A Square Feet Credits 919,227 513,355.940 99,481 34,287.615 0 0.000 1,018,708 547,643.555 Square Feet Credits Nitrogen:7,061.752 Phosphorus:0.000 Nutrient Offset:135,331 Enhancement: Preservation: Total Riparian Buffer: TOTAL NUTRIENT OFFSET MITIGATION Mitigation Totals #N/A TOTAL AREA OF BUFFER MITIGATION (TABM) Mitigation Totals Restoration: Table 1. Buffer Project Areas and Assets Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Monitoring Year 0 - 2021 Neuse 03020201 - Outside Falls Lake 19.16394 Sassarixa Swamp Credit Release Schedule Task Project Milestone % Credit Available for Sale % Riparian Buffer Credit Release within Coastal Headwaters Areas 1 Instrument and BPDP Approved by DWR, Conservation Easement Recorded, Financial Assurance Posted, and Draft Stream Mitigation Plan Approved by IRT 20 None 2 Mitigation Site Earthwork, Planting and Installation of Monitoring Devices Completed, and all Applicable Permits Obtained 20 None 3 Monitoring Financial Assurance Posted and Approval of As‐Built Report 10 25 4 Monitoring Report #1: Approved by the DWR * & financial assurance renewed 10 10 5 Monitoring Report #2: Approved by the DWR * & financial assurance renewed 10 10 6 Monitoring Report #3: Approved by the DWR * & financial assurance renewed 10 5 7 Item B(1) of Section X in this Instrument has been completed and approved by DWR 5 5 No remaining credits will be released until the conservation easement has been assigned to an approved land trust or stewardship 8 Monitoring Report #4: Approved by the DWR * & financial assurance renewed 5 5 9 Monitoring Report #5: Approved by the DWR* & financial assurance renewed for coastal headwater buffer areas, and final site visit by DWR has been conducted for nutrient offset areas 10 20 10 Monitoring Report #6: Approved by the DWR* & financial assurance renewed for coastal headwater buffer areas N/A 10 11 Monitoring Report #7: Approved by the DWR* & final site visit by DWR has been conducted for coastal headwater buffer areas N/A 10 Total 100% 100% Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel DWR ID# 2019-0661 Wildlands Holdings III, LLC’s Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Monitoring Year 2 Supplemental Report June 2023 PREPARED BY: Wildlands Engineering, Inc. 312 West Millbrook Road, Suite 225 Raleigh, NC 27609 Phone: 919-851-9986 _____________________________________________________________________________________ Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Page ii Monitoring Year 2 Supplemental Report MONITORING YEAR 2 REPORT Supplemental Report Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Wildlands Holdings III, LLC’s Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................1 2.0 Adaptive Management Activities ...............................................................................................1 2.1 Supplemental Planting .................................................................................................................. 1 2.2 Soil Conditions .............................................................................................................................. 2 2.3 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 2 3.0 References ................................................................................................................................3 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Adaptive Management History Table 2 Planting Density by Area Table 3 Tree Species Selected for Supplemental Planting ATTACHMENTS Figure 1 Adaptive Management Map Adaptive Management Photographs _____________________________________________________________________________________ Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Page 1 Monitoring Year 2 Supplemental Report 1.0 Introduction The Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel (Parcel) Monitoring Year 2 (MY2) Report was submitted to the North Carolina Division of Water Resources (NCDWR) on October 17, 2022. Within the MY2 Report, a supplemental planting for the Parcel was outlined (Wildlands, 2022). Wildlands Engineering received a request from NCDWR on January 18, 2023, to provide additional documentation on the supplemental planting. Wildlands submitted a Technical Memorandum in response, outlining in detail the proposed adaptive management actions. NCDWR issued a partial credit release of 5% on May 1, 2023. The remainder 5% of credits will be released when NCDWR receives confirmation that Wildlands fully implemented the actions documented in the Technical Memorandum. A list of management actions outlined in the MY2 Report, along with their completion date are shown in Table 1. Table 1. Adaptive Management History Activity Completion Date Supplemental Planting February 2023 Ring Sprays with Root Stimulator and Fish Emulsion April 2023 Soil Amendments April 2023 2.0 Adaptive Management Activities 2.1 Supplemental Planting During MY2 tree mortality occurred across portions of the Parcel at a rate that suggested the performance standards may not be met. This mortality was not noted in the MY2 report, as the extent was unknown to Wildlands at the time. This is due to a combination of dense herbaceous vegetation, characteristically low tree height, and comparatively lower rates of mortality within vegetation plots. Following the submittal of the MY2 report herbaceous vegetation began to die-off, allowing for a better assessment of Parcel conditions. Additional site walks were then conducted in which Wildlands noted varying degrees of tree mortality along parts of T1, the ditch above T3, T4, T5A, and T5C due to dry conditions within the Parcel. Bruton Landscaping completed a supplemental planting of 8.51 acres across the Parcel on February 13, 2022. Due to non-uniform tree mortality across the Parcel, a range of planting densities was implemented in the February 2023 supplemental planting. A visual depiction of the planted area can be seen in Figure 1. Table 2. Planting Density by Area Area Acres Planting Density Per Acre UT1 – Right Bank 0.75 200 UT1 – Left Bank 2.16 400 UT3 1.34 250 UT4 0.96 250 UT5A 1.00 100 UT5C 2.30 300 Total 8.51 --- _____________________________________________________________________________________ Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Page 2 Monitoring Year 2 Supplemental Report Species selected for planting were those that were approved by NCDWR in the Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Development Package (Wildlands, 2019). Table 2 below lists species selected along with their planted quantities and composition. Photographs following the supplemental planting are in the attachments. Table 3. Tree Species Selected for Supplemental Planting Species Common Name Type Stems per Species Planting Composition Populus deltoides Eastern Cottonwood Bare Root 172 7% Magnolia virginiana Sweetbay Magnolia Bare Root 147 6% Acer negundo Box Elder Bare Root 245 10% Quercus nigra Water Oak Bare Root 172 7% Quercus michauxii Swamp Chestnut Oak Bare Root 367 15% Platanus occidentalis Sycamore Bare Root 490 20% Quercus phellos Willow Oak Bare Root 367 15% Betula nigra River Birch Bare Root 490 20% Totals 2,450 100% 2.2 Soil Conditions It is suspected that tree mortality was due to high floodplain elevations compared to the stream portion of the project, causing low soil moisture within the Parcel. Additionally, several years of drought that occurred after the original planting might have further exacerbated stem die-off. It is not believed that species selection or poor soil nutrient or pH levels were the cause of tree mortality. To ensure better tree survival with the February 2023 supplemental planting, Wildlands implemented additional management actions throughout the spring. Ring sprays were conducted within supplemental planting areas on April 15th and 16th to reduce herbaceous competition. A root stimulator and fish emulsion were also sprayed at the base of each supplementally planted tree when ring sprays were conducted. The root stimulator and fish emulsion are expected to help retain soil moisture. While soil nutrient levels were not believed to be a factor in stem loss, soil amendments were applied in a localized manner around planted trees in late April in case higher nutrient content aids in tree growth and survival. 2.3 Conclusion An 8.51-acre supplemental planting occurred in February 2023. The suspected cause of widespread planted stem fatality was dry Parcel conditions due to landscape position. Wildlands does not believe species selection or soil conditions related to nutrient content or pH were factors in stem loss. It is anticipated that the new stems that were treated with root stimulator, fish emulsion, and soil amendments will have a greater chance of survival. Throughout the remainder of the Parcel adaptive measures will be developed, or appropriate remedial actions will be implemented if the Parcel or a specific component of the Parcel fails to achieve the success criteria outlined in the Bank Parcel Development Package. Parcel maintenance will be performed to correct any identified problems that have a high likelihood of affecting project success. Going forward, Wildlands will notify DWR of any adaptive management actions needed. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Page 3 Monitoring Year 2 Supplemental Report 3.0 References Wildlands Holdings III, LLC (2022). Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Monitoring Year 2 Report. NCDWR, Raleigh NC. http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/nutrientbufferbanks Wildlands Holdings III, LLC (2019). Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Development. NCDWR, Raleigh NC. http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/nutrientbufferbanks [ [ [ [ [ [[ [ [ [ [ [ [[[[[[[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [[[ [ [ [ [ [[ [ [ [ [ [[[[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [[ [[ [[[ [[ [[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [[[[[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [[[ [ [ [ [[[[ [[[ [ [ [ [ [[[ [ [ [[ [ [[[ [ [ [ [[[[ [[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [[[[ [ [ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ ÛÚ T2 T 5 A T5C T 5 B T1A T1 C T 1 B T4 S a s s a r i x a C r e e k T3 T6 T5 T1 T1DT1 Figure 1. Adaptive Management Map Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel February 2023 Supplemental Planting Neuse River Basin (03020201) 2021 Aerial Photography ¹0 1,000500 Feet Johnston County, NC NCDMS Conservation Easement Bank Conservation Easement Project Stream Project Ephemeral Channel Project Ditch Mitigation Approach Buffer Restoration Coastal Headwaters Cattle Exclusion Nutrient Offset Not for Credit Utility Easement Vegetation Plots Supplemental Planting Surveyed Treeline [Fencing ÛÚ Gates ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHS Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Adaptive Management Photographs Vegetation Plot - Blue Flagging Denotes Supplemental Stems (2/27/2023) Supplementally Planted Stem (3/7/2023) Sassarixa Swamp II Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Adaptive Management Photographs Ring Sprays with Root Stimulator and Fish Emulsion (5/31/2023) Overview Photograph Depicting Ring Sprays (5/31/2023)