20080511 Ver 1_General Correspondence_20080520

Greene Environmental Services. LLC
90 Ham Produce Rd.
Snow Hill. NC 28580
May 20, 2008
Eric Kulz, Environmental Specialist
401 Oversight and Express Permitting Unit
2321 Crabtree Blvd., Suite 250
Raleigh, NC 27604
RE: Contentnea/Little Contentnea Riparian Buffer Bank
Mr. Kulz:
Greene Environmental Services would like to thank you for your field visit to the Contentnea/Little
Contentnea Riparian Buffer Bank site on May 5, 2008. We appreciate your thorough review of the site
and your willingness to evaluate all components of the proposed Bank.
As discussed during the field visit, we believe that the riparian buffer restoration of Tracts L-3, L-4, and
L-5 is consistent with the goals of the Neuse River Basin - Nutrient Sensitive Waters Management
Strategy and is an integral component of the Contentnea/Little Contentnea Riparian Buffer Bank.
Justification for the use of these areas for nutrient offset credit includes:
1. The wetland swales present in these tracts were historically modified for agricultural purposes to
drain fields, much like an agricultural ditch. Surface water run-off from the adjacent land application
fields flows through these swales to form streams that discharge to Little Contentnea Creek.
2. Restored riparian buffers in these areas are ideally positioned in the landscape to intercept and remove
sediment and nutrients. The capacity for interception and removal of nutrients and sediment by a
buffered shallow swale may far exceed that of a buffered agricultural ditch that has virtually no
floodplain connection and may be allowing groundwater to bypass the riparian area entirely.
For these reasons, we believe that the restored riparian buffer in Tracts L-3, L-4, and L-5 will be very
effective in removing nutrients from waters flowing into the Little Contentnea Creek and should therefore
count as nutrient offset credit.
Thank you for your time and consideration of these issues involving the Contentnea/Little Contentnea
Riparian Buffer Bank. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Pj't' ??
/' * ? ? Jeffrey Becker, Project Manager
Greene Environmental Services, LLC