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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20060137 Ver 1_General Correspondence_200604260~-~i3`l DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY WILMINGTON DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS P.O. BOX 1890 WILMINGTON. NORTH CAROLINA 28402-1890 REPLY TO ATTENTION OF: April 17, 2006 Regulatory Division Action ID No. 200600466 ~. .. _. -, ~~, T.L. .. ., ,..., Carolina Marina Inc. c/o Mr. Tim Ward 1512 Burnett Road Wilmington, North Carolina 28409 Dear Mr. Ward: Please reference your request for the Department of the Army (DA) authorization to excavate a boat basin and access channel, reconfigure and enlarge an existing dock, relocate and enlarge an existing boat ramp, replace bulkhead, install breakwaters and develop a marina clubhouse with associated parking area at 1512 Burnett Road, adjacent to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, just south of the Carolina Beach Inlet, New Hanover County, North Carolina. After review of your proposal, the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (by letter dated March 29, 2006); the National Marine Fisheries Service (by E-mail dated March 21, 2006); Violet and Tim Ward and adjacent property owners (cover letter dated March 6, 2006, 171etters total); and the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (by letter dated March 14, 2006) have recommended revision of your application and plans (copies of the letters are enclosed). These recommendations are due to anticipated adverse environmental impacts. Please provide a response addressing this concern. Our administrative process provides you the opportunity to propose a resolution and/or rebut any and all objections before a final decision is made. In this regard, I would appreciate being made aware of your intentions in writing. Also, on February 6, 1990, the DA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) establishing procedures to determine the type and level of mitigation necessary to comply with Clean Water Act Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines. This MOA provides for first, avoiding impacts to waters and wetlands through the selection of the least damaging, practical alternative; second, taking appropriate and practical steps to reduce impacts on waters and wetlands; and finally, compensation for remaining unavoidable impacts to the extent appropriate and practical. To enable us to process your application, in compliance with the MOA, we request that you provide the following additional information: a. Permits for work within wetlands or other special aquatic sites are available only if the proposed work is the least environmentally damaging, practicable alternative. Please furnish information regarding any other alternatives, including upland alternatives, to the work for which you have applied and provide justification that your selected plan is the least damaging to water or wetland areas. b. It is necessary for you to have taken all appropriate and practicable steps to minimize wetland losses and adverse impacts to waters of the United States (fishery resources). Please indicate all that you have done, especially regarding development and modification of plans and proposed construction techniques, to minimize adverse impacts. c. The MOA requires that appropriate and practicable mitigation will be required for all unavoidable adverse impacts remaining after all appropriate and practicable minimization has been employed. Please indicate your plan to mitigate for the projected, unavoidable loss of waters or wetlands or provide information as to the absence of any such appropriate and practicable measures. The aforementioned, requested information is essential to the expeditious processing of your application and should be forwarded to us within two (2) weeks of your receipt of this letter. I am responsible for processing your application and available to assist you in coordinating with the review agencies. If you have any questions you may call me at (910) 251-4930. Sin erely, Vv Henry Wicker, Project Manager Wilmington Regulatory Field Office Enclosures Copy furnished (with enclosures): Land Management Group Inc. Post Office Box 2522 Wilmington, North Carolina 28402 Copies Furnished (without enclosures): Mr. Pete Benjamin US Fish and Wildlife Service Ecological Services Post Office Box 33726 Raleigh, North Carolina 27636-3726 Ms. Cyndi Karoly Division of Water Quality North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources 1621 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1621 Mr. Ron Sechler National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA Pivers Island Beaufort, North Carolina 28516 3