20160005 Ver 1_WRC Comments_20160129

El North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 9
Gordon Myers, Executive Director
January 29, 2016
Mr. William Elliott
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-5006
SUBJECT: Wilson Stream Restoration Project
Little Pole Creek, Buncombe County
Dear Mr. Elliott:
Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reviewed an
application to restore 2000 ft of Little Pole Creek in Buncombe 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).
This project will not impact trout resources and activities do not need to be avoided during the
trout moratorium.
The project will address channel instability and improve habitat on a reach of Little Pole Creek
that is severely impacted by livestock access and removal of riparian vegetation. The project
will involve the installation of in -stream structures, bank grading, and riparian planting. We are
supportive of this project, as it is intended to address an eroding section of channel and should
improve aquatic habitat.
We offer the following recommendations to minimize impacts to the aquatic community:
1. Any erosion control matting used be free of nylon mesh; nylon mesh netting frequently
entangles wildlife and is slow to degrade resulting in a hazard that may last for years.
2. Particular care should be used to ensure appropriate sediment and erosion control during site
preparation, construction, and clean up.
Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

Wilson Stream Restoration Project Page 2 January 29, 2016
Buncombe County
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,
Andrea Leslie
Mountain Region Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Program
cc: Jake McClean, Wildlands Engineering
Zan Price, NC Division of Water Resources