20240425 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20240404

K� North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
April 4, 2024
Ms. Brandee Boggs
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Lenoir Industrial
UT Lower Creek, Wetlands, Caldwell County
Dear Ms. Boggs:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to permanently impact 603 ft of an unnamed tributary (UT) to Lower Creek and
0.036 acre of wetland in Caldwell County. Our comments on this application are offered for
your consideration under provisions of the Clean Water Act of 1977 (33 U.S.C. 466 et. seq.) and
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661-667d).
Wild trout reproduction should not be impacted by project activities, and a trout moratorium is
not needed.
The application proposes to construct an industrial site on forested and cleared land, impacting
wetlands and a stream. The stream would be culverted under the site, and adjacent wetlands
filled. Mitigation is proposed at 2:1 for stream impacts.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to the aquatic community:
1. In -channel work should be accomplished as quickly as possible and vigilance used in
sediment and erosion control during site preparation, construction, and clean up. Disturbed
areas should be stabilized at the end of each work day.
2. Any erosion control matting used should be free of nylon or plastic mesh, as this type of
mesh netting frequently entangles wildlife and is slow to degrade, resulting in a hazard that
may last for years.
3. Culvert installation must be done in the dry.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Lenoir Industrial Page 2 April 4, 2024
UT Lower Cr & Wetlands, Caldwell Co
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. Please contact me at
[phone] if you have any questions about these comments.
Sincerely,
.QA4-rA
AndreaLeslie
Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program
ec: Dan McCauley, Hart & Hickman
Tyler Hickman, NC Division of Water Resources