AppleRidge_UTsDevilsForkWetlands_Henderson_NCWRCComments

® North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Cameron Ingram, Executive Director
April 22, 2024
Ms. Shannon Healy
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Apple Ridge
UTs Devils Fork, Wetlands, Henderson County
Dear Ms. Healy:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to permanently impact 199 ft of unnamed tributaries (UTs) to Devils Fork and 0.123
acre of wetland and temporarily impact 41 ft of UTs to Devils Fork and 0.026 acre of wetland in
Henderson 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 a residential subdivision on forested and cleared land,
impacting wetlands and streams. Streams would be culverted under a road. Wetlands would be
permanently impacted by the road and a stormwater control measure. Mitigation is proposed at
1:1 for wetland impacts.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to the aquatic community:
I. 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. Any seeding in riparian and wetland areas should not include invasive species such as Tall
Fescue; native riparian and wetland seed mixes should be used for permanent seeding.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Apple Ridge Page 2 April 22, 2024
UT Devils Fork & Wetlands, Henderson Co
4. Flag off wetland areas that are outside the impact area so that heavy equipment stays within
the impact area footprint.
5. Culvert material proposed is high density polyethylene (HDPE). We recommend against
using HDPE or reinforced concrete material, as these smooth materials are less likely to hold
stream substrate and provide for movement of aquatic organisms like fish and salamanders.
6. Temporary wetland impacts should be minimized by ensuring that heavy machinery works
from mud mats and storing wetland soils and replacing them once trenching is complete.
7. Riparian vegetation on streams should be protected and riparian buffers expanded to at least
30 ft in width by planting native trees and shrubs.
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this project. Please contact meat
[phone] if you have any questions about these comments.
Sincerely,
Andrea Leslie
Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program
ec: Eric Romaniszyn, C1earWater Environmental
Matthew Hanbury, NC Division of Water Resources