19990974 Ver 1_Restoration Plan Review_20071119

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Michael F. Easley, Governor
William G. Ross Jr., Secretary
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Coleen H. Sullins, Director
Division of Water Quality
November 19, 2007
Mr. Marshall B. Roberts, AIA
Director of Facility Services
Buncombe County Schools
175 Bingham Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Re: Revised Vegetation plan
T.C. Roberson Stream Restoration Project
Buncombe County
DWQ #99-0974
Dear. Mr. Roberts:
The Division of Water Quality (DWQ) 401 Oversight and Express Review Permitting Unit has reviewed
the above-referenced document and discussed this issue with your consultant, Barbara Wiggins with
Fish and Wildlife Consultants. Our comments on the plan and discussions are as follows:
• With respect to the revised Vegetation Plan, the plan is acceptable. However, our conditions are
going to be that all work be overseen by a qualified person with knowledge and understanding of
riparian zone design and function (not simply esthetics).
In addition, DWQ also requests that you work with Kevin Barnett of the DWQ Asheville
Regional Office to make sure he is able to be at the site, definitely for a meeting with the
individuals who are going to do the work, whether it be a contractor or county personnel, as well
as to check on the progress of the work. Please coordinate with him to determine what kind of
lead time he will need to be able to be there.
This Office understands your reasons for the proposed revisions to the original planting plan, and
DWQ wishes to work with Buncombe County Schools in maintaining a safe campus
environment. However, we wish to reiterates that this is a mitigation site, and that a 30-foot
wooded riparian zone must be maintained at the site. There is a conservation easement that must
be maintained in perpetuity. Our concern is that after the monitoring period is done, additional
cutting and mowing may occur to maintain a "park-like" appearance to satisfy the concerns of
the school community.
401 Oversight/Express Review Permitting Unit
1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650
2321 Crabtree Boulevard, Suite 250, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604
Phone [phone] / Fax [phone]
Internet: htto://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/ncwetlands
N°re Carolina
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•>`~Ir. Roberts
~ Buncombe County Schools
T.C. Roberson Stream Mitigation
Page 2 of 2
If the school community has significant concerns about the state of the riparian zone, an
alternative form of mitigation may need to be identified and the lower portion of the mitigation
site may need to be dropped.
With regard to the remaining monitoring requirements, please continue the benthic monitoring
for the remainder of the monitoring period. As discussed with Barbara Wiggins, pebble counts
and longitudinal profile monitoring may be skipped for year 4 (pending USACE approval), and a
complete physical monitoring will be completed for year 5. Based on our site visit, no
significant stability issues were noted with the exception of a few small areas of scour/bank
erosion in the upper portion of the project. The biggest concern noted during the site visit was
the maintenance of a 30-foot buffer width.
Please feel free to contact Eric Kulz if you have any questions regarding this project or our comments.
Sincerely,
Cyndi B. Karoly, Program Manager
401 Oversight and Express Review Program
cc: File Copy (Eric Kulz)
Central Files
Kevin Barnett -Asheville Regional Office
David Baker -USACE, Asheville Regulatory Field Office
Barbara S. Wiggins - Fish and Wildlife Associates, Inc, P.O. Box 241,
Whittier, NC 28789
None Carolina
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401 Oversight/Express Review Permitting Unit
1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650
2321 Crabtree Boulevard, Suite 250, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604
Phone [phone] / Fax [phone]
Internet: http://h2o.enr.state nc us/ncwetlands
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Empbyer- 50% Recycled/10% Post Consumer Paper