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provide detailed information regarding the Project Activity and Reporting History, Project Contacts, and
Project Baseline Information and Attributes.
While the Site consisted of agricultural fields, there are some forested areas on the opposite side of
Lowell Road (Figure 3). This area is dominated by sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) but contains some
loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), black willow (Salix nigra), red maple (Acer rubrum), and sycamore (Platanus
occidentalis). This forested area is generally characterized as a Piedmont Bottomland Forest according to
the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NHP) classification system (Schafale, 2012). Table 5
includes a list of the species found in this ecosystem type and that have the potential for occurrence in
the forested area adjacent to the project.
2.3 Parcel Objectives
The main objective of the Site was to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous to Neuse River receiving waters
through converting the land use from active row crop agriculture to a riparian forest. The riparian
corridors will absorb nutrients, thereby preventing them from flowing into North Fork Little River and
farther downstream into the Neuse River.
3.0 Restoration Activities
Developing the Site for mitigation required altering current land use practices. The majority of the Site
had been maintained as a row crop agricultural field. Both the Neuse buffer and the nutrient offset
restoration areas were replanted with appropriate native tree species within the project corridors. The
trees were planted by hand and did not require any ripping of the soil. Planting was completed in
January 2017. A few small areas totaling 2.20 acres were missed during the original planting in January
2017. These areas were along stream and ditch banks and had existing shrubby vegetation on them, but
very few trees. The shrubby vegetation was mowed and planted with trees in March 2017.
The revegetation plan for the Site included planting of bare root trees and controlling invasive species
growth. Bare root trees selected for the Site were native bottomland hardwood species typical for
Piedmont communities as defined by Schafale (2012). Adjacent forested areas were also used as a
reference for the Site. Trees were planted at a density of 605.5 trees per acre on the Site. Table 6 lists
the tree species that were planted on the Site. Wildlands restored the Neuse River buffers and riparian
areas by planting trees from 0-200' from top of bank along all of the project streams and ditches.
4.0 Mitigation Potential
33.43 acres of land were protected with a conservation easement. Out of the 33.43 acres, 13.90 acres
were restored for Neuse River buffer credit, and 18.31 acres (41,619 lbs. -N and 2,680.58 lbs. -P) were
restored for nutrient offset credit. One point two two (1.22) acres will not generate mitigation credit
(0.43 acre of stream, 0.38 acre of ditch, 0.21 acre does not qualify for mitigation credit due to distance
from project features, 0.20 acre does not qualify for mitigation credit due to lack of diffuse flow entering
the feature). In general, riparian buffer restoration area widths on streams extend out to 100 feet from
top of bank for Neuse River buffer credits and out to 200 feet for nutrient offset credits. Riparian
restoration widths on ditches extend out to 50 feet from top of bank for Neuse River buffer credits and
out to 200 feet for nutrient offset credits. Maps detailing the credit generation are provided in Figure 3.
5.0 Monitoring Protocol & Success Criteria
Twenty-seven 10 -meter by 10 -meter vegetation monitoring plots were installed within the buffer
restoration area to measure the survival of the planted trees (Figure 4). The number of plots required
was determined in accordance with the Carolina Vegetative Sampling Protocol (CVS) Levels 1 & 2.
W North Fork Little River Nutrient Offset and Buffer Mitigation Bank Parcel Page 3
As -Built & Baseline Monitoring Report—April 2017