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Home My WebLink About20001024 Ver 1_Other Agency Comments_200802282o~laz ;! .• ~ IN REPLY REFER TO Regulatory Division DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WILMINGTON DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS Washington Regulatory Field Office P.O. Box 1000 Washington, North Carolina 27889-1000 February 25, 2008 Action ID No. 199910581 /Bear Creek-Mill Branch Mitigation Bank Mr. David Schiller Restoration Systems, LLC 1101 Haynes Street, Suite 107 Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 Dear Mr. Schiller: ~' ~. rr ~ ~P~hi. J+ t :wl!A~{y S~''F. fl a~s7S aP1.C ~,T~~~+~~°~!~ s ~4~?S4C":h3 This correspondence confirms that on February 20, 2008, the Mitigation Bank Review Team (MBRT) convened to discuss issues related to the Bear Creek-Mill Branch Mitigation Bank (Bank) located north of U.S. 70, east of Promise Land Road and south of Washington Road, adjacent. to Bear Creek, west of LaGrange, in Lenoir County, North Carolina. Also participating were Mr. William Wescott of my staff, Ms. Kathy Matthews, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Messrs. John Dorney and Eric Kulz, North Carolina Division of Water Quality, and Mr. Randy Turner, Restoration Systems. Specifically, the following matters were discussed and actions necessary to bring them to closure were addressed: 1. Wetland type /final composition of bank credits. Please reference the attached report prepared by EcoScience describing the condition of the site as it exists at the end of the 5-year monitoring period. Restoration Systems is to submit a proposal to the MBRT in narrative and table format describing the actual wetland types and credits available in the Bank. Additionally, please provide information regarding the status of the Bear Creek-Neuse Ricer Regional Wetland Corridor as indicated on Figure 1 of your monitoring reports. 2. Removal of a portion of the bank property. The North Carolina Depar ment of Transportation proposes to impact a portion of the Bank property in its construction of the U..S. 70 Goldsboro Bypass .project. As .discussed, Restoration Systems will present information to the MBRT relating to the removal of 5.88 acres from the Bank, modifying the credit base accordingly. This must also be reflected in the narrative and table format described in 1. above. It is understood that negotiating the release of this portion of the Bank property from the mechanisms established to preserve this area in perpetuity is a complex matter. I highly recommend that you begin work on this immediately. -2- 3. Protocol for final bank sign-off. Restoration Systems proposes to cease monitoring on the site and will submit the above information to the MBRT as soon as possible. The Corps in turn will facilitate the expeditious review of the information. As discussed; it is recommended that all necessary information be submitted as one package to the MBRT to facilitate the one- time modification of the mitigation banking instrument. Thank you for your time and cooperation. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Wescott at telephone (252) 975-1616, extension 31. Sincerel David M. Lekson, P.W.S. Chief, Washington Regulatory Field Office Enclosure Copies Furnished. (with enclosure): Mr. John Dorney Division of Water Quality North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources 1650 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 Mr. Eric Kulz Mr. John Dorney Division of Water Quality North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources 1650 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 Mrs. Kathy Matthews U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 109 T.W. Alexander Drive Mail Code: E-143-04 Durham, North Carolina 27711 -3- Mr. Howard Hall U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Post Office Box 33726 Raleigh North Carolina 27636-3726 Mr. Ron Sechler National Marine Fisheries Service Pivers Island Beaufort, North Carolina 28516 Ms. Molly Ellwood North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 127 Cardinal Drive Extension Wilmington, North Carolina 28405 Ms. Maria Tripp North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 943 Washington Square Mall Washington, North Carolina 27889 Copy Furnished (without enclosure): Mr. George Howard Restoration Systems, LLC 1101 Haynes Street, Suite 107 Raleigh, North Carolina 27604