20040639 Ver 1_Monitoring Report Review_20090226

NCDENR
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Water Quality
Beverly Eaves Perdue Coleen H. Sullins Dee Freeman
Governor Director Secretary
February 26, 2009
Mr. Rick Benton
Halifax-Northampton Regional Airport Authority
P.O. Box 38
Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870-2809
Re: Halifax-Northampton Regional Airport
Year 3 Mitigation Monitoring Report
Halifax County
DWQ #04-0639
The Division of Water Quality (DWQ) 401 Oversight and Express Review Permitting Unit has reviewed the
Monitoring Report for the above-referenced site. Our comments on the report are as follows:
• The vegetation monitoring for the wetland restoration area appears to meet the success criteria of an
average of 320 stems per acre after three years, likely as a result of the supplemental planting done in
2007. It is our hope that the wetland site continues on this trajectory to success. The final success
criteria for trees is 260 stems per acre in year 5.
The tree density in the buffer restoration area is 135 trees per acre. As noted previously, it has been
established by Rule that the buffer restoration success criteria requires that trees "...be planted at a
density sufficient to provide 320 trees per acre at maturity" (15A NCAC .02B .0260 (9)(d)(ii).
If this buffer restoration site is to serve as compensatory mitigation to offset impacts approved in your
Buffer Authorization, the success criteria must be met. Your options are to replant and continue to
work toward establishing trees at a density of 320 stems per acre in year 5, or to abandon the site and
purchase buffer mitigation credits from either an approved private buffer mitigation bank or the N.C.
Ecosystem Enhancement Program.
Failure to provide adequate compensatory mitigation for authorized buffer impacts would represent a
violation of the Tar-Pamlico Riparian Buffer Rules.
1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650
Location: 2321 Crabtree Blvd., Suite 250, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604-2260 One
Phone: [phone] I FAX: [phone] Customer Service: 1-877-623-6748 NorthCarolina
Internet: http:llh2o.enr.state.nc.uslncwetlands Nafi,141911,ff
An Equal Opportunity 1 Affirmative Action Employer
Mr. Benton
Halifax-Northampton Regional Airport
Year 3 Mitigation Monitoring Report
Page 2 of 2
Within 30 days of your receipt of this letter, please submit a written response describing.the
resolution/confirmation of the planted tree densities, your plan for complying with the success criteria
for the buffer mitigation site, and a schedule for completing the replanting work.
Following planting, please contact Eric Kulz at this Office to arrange a site visit to evaluate the overall
condition of the mitigation site. This evaluation will determine whether the monitoring period will be
extended for this site.
Please feel free to contact Eric Kulz at [phone] 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)
Lauren Witherspoon - DWQ Raleigh Regional Office
Matt Matthews - DWQ Wetlands and Stormwater Branch
Thomas Brown - USACE, Raleigh Regulatory Field Office
Edward J. Smail - LPA Group of the Carolinas, PA, 5000 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh,
NC 27609
1650 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650
Location: 2321 Crabtree Blvd., Suite 250, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604-2260 One
Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone] Customer Service: 1-877-623-6748 NorthCarolina
Internet: http:llh2o.enr.state.nc.uslncwetlands ?atura!!?
An Equal Opportunity 1 Affirmative Action Employer