The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About20160366 Ver 2_Mitigation Remediation Plans_20230821WILDLANDS E N G I N E E R I N G Technical Memorandum TO: Katie Merritt FROM: Jason Lorch DATE: August 4, 2023 SUBJECT: Winter 2023 Supplemental Planting Martin Dairy Buffer Mitigation Site DWR Project No. 2016-0366 INTRODUCTION The Martin Dairy Buffer Mitigation Site ("Site") Monitoring Year 5 (MY5) report was submitted to the North Carolina Division of Water Resources (NCDWR) on December 29, 2022. A closeout site walk was completed on July 18, 2023 with NCDWR and North Carolina Division of Mitigation Services (NCDMS) during which Wildlands Engineering received a request to provide documentation for supplemental planting on a small portion of the Site. SUPPLEMENTAL PLANTING During the closeout site walk, NCDWR indicated that supplemental planting would be needed on approximately 1.25 acres of the Site for closeout approval. A visual depiction of the anticipated November 2023 supplemental planting area, including the division between upland and wetland planting zones, can be seen in Figure 1. It is suspected that tree growth has been impacted by poor soil conditions from a rock harvest completed during construction. Constant deer browsing and wet floodplain conditions have likely played a role as well. Species selected for supplemental planting include some species originally approved by NCDWR in the Martin Dairy Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Development Package, as well as additional species deemed more likely to succeed at the Site. Table 1 below lists species selected along with their planted quantities and composition. Table 2 lists species that will be used for livestaking exclusively in the wetland area depicted in Figure 1. Table 1. Tree Species Selected for Supplemental Planting Wetland Upland or Stems per Planting Species Common Name Type Indicator Wetland Species Composition Status Zone Betula nigra River Birch Gallon FACW Both** 37 20% Acer negundo Box Elder Gallon FAC Upland 19 10% Quercus nigra Water Oak Gallon FAC Both** 19 10% Quercus Swamp Chestnut Gallon FACW Both** 19 10% michauxii Oak Quercus phellos Willow Oak Gallon FAC Upland 19 10% Southern Red Gallon FACU Upland 19 10% Quercus falcato Oak Juniperus Eastern Red Gallon FACU Upland 19 10% virginiana* Cedar Nyssa sylvatica Black Tupelo Gallon FAC Both 10 5% W Martin Dairy Buffer Mitigation Site Page 1 Technical Memorandum Wetland Upland or Stems per Planting Species Common Name Type Indicator Wetland Species Composition Status Zone Possum Haw Gallon OBL Wetland 10 5% Viburnum nudum Viburnum Ulmus americana American Elm Gallon FACW Both 19 10% Totals 190 100% *This species was selected based on deer resistant qualities. **Higher concentrations of these species will be found in the wetland zone, as seen on Figure 1. Table 2. Livestake Species Wetland Stems Common Planting Species Type Indicator per Name Composition Status Species Salixnigra Black Willow Livestake OBL 24 40% Salixsericea Silky Willow Livestake OBL 24 40% cornus Silky Dogwood Livestake FACW 12 20% amomum Totals 60 100% To ensure better tree survival, Wildlands will implement additional management actions throughout the supplemental planting process. Soil amendments will be added to each augured hole for the gallon -sized trees. Prior to replanting this fall, Wildlands will brush -cut blackberry pockets within the replanting polygon. After the trees have had time to establish, a mixture of soil amendments will be applied at the base of each tree in late spring or early summer of 2024. CONCLUSION A 1.25-acre supplemental planting will occur in the winter of 2023. The suspected cause of widespread planted stem fatality is likely due to lower quality soil conditions from rock harvesting during construction, and constant deer browsing activity. It is anticipated that new stems being treated with soil amendments will have a greater chance of survival. Upon approval of this memorandum, NCDWR indicated that the Site will be accepted for closeout. Please contact me if you have any questions at (919) 851-9986 or via email at jlorch@wildlandseng.com. Attachments: Updated Figure 1. Supplemental Planting Map W Martin Dairy Buffer Mitigation Site Page 2 Technical Memorandum Figure 1. Supplemental Planting Map W I L D L A N D S Martin Dairy Buffer Mitigation Site ENGINEERING 0 125 250 Feet DMS Project No. 97087 l i l i l Orange County, NC