20060052 Ver 1_More Info Received_20060124

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NCDENR
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Division of Coastal Management
Michael F. Easley, Governor Charles S. Jones, Director William G. Ross Jr., Secretary
January 20, 2006
Please add the attached to your LAMA Application Review packet for:
Red Apple Group, LLC /The Peninsula at Topsail Island. It was not previously included.
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127 Cardinal Drive Ext., Wilmington, North Carolina 28405-3845
Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone] Internet: www.nccoastalmanagement.net
An Equal Opportunity 1 Affirmative Action Employer - 50% Recycled 110% Post Consumer Paper

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Environmental Consultants
MAILING ADDRESS: SHIPPING ADDRESS: TELEPHONE:
P.O. Box 2522 3805 Wrightsville Ave., #14 office [phone]
Wilmington, N.C. 28402 Wilmington, N.C. 28403 fax [phone]
THE PENINSULA AT TOPSAIL ISLAND _ ' _-~
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION PLAN
Existing Wetlands:
Wetlands occurring on the property have been historically impacted via dredging and disposal activities. In
1970, a US Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE) dredge and fill permit authorized the excavation of two
large canals extending perpendicular from the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) along the northeast
and southwest property lines. Disposal material from the excavation was side-cast into the adjacent area.
This served to alter the elevation of the immediate area as well as hydrologically disconnect interior
wetlands pockets from the fringe coastal marsh. Coastal marsh wetlands (as defined by NC Division of
Coastal Management regulations) continue to occur adjacent to the open water canals. Interior of the
coastal marsh is an area of contiguous uplands extending around the perimeter of the property. Section
404 wetlands occur within the interior portion of the property. These wetlands areas are not inundated by
regular or occasional tides, but have retained the hydrology and vegetation sufficient to be delineated as
Section 404 wetlands..The dominant species occumng in these areas is Phragmifes australis - a species
indicative of site disturbance. Other species occumng in these areas include Spartina patens, Typha
latifolia, Polygonum spp., and Juncus effuses. Wetland areas have been historically impacted by site
activities and characteristic functions of the coastal marsh have been compromised.
Typical functions associated with natural, relatively undisturbed coastal marsh systems include high
primary productivity, detrital export, and feeding and refuge habitat for benthic and aquatic species. Based
upon the level of disturbance that has already occurred on the site, it is apparent that the interior pocket
wetlands do not provide quality habitat for characteristic estuarine fauna. In addition, the lack of a regular
tidal connection, severely limits and/or removes the detrital export function. These wetland areas do still
provide some level of primary productivity and likely serve as nutrient sinks.
Impact Summary:
Approximately 1.55 ac of Section 404 wetlands will be impacted by the proposed activities (i.e; access
road, driveway crossings, and sidewalks). Areas of proposed impact have been historically altered via
dredge and fill activities resulting in sub-functional wetland areas. Refer to the submitted CAMA Major
Permit application and associated drawings for more detailed information related to proposed wetland
disturbances.

Proposed Mitigation:
The applicant proposes to restore coastal wetlands on-site via the removal of upland berms occurring along
the perimeter of the property. Approximately 1.64 ac of coastal high marsh will be restored (corresponding
to a slightly greater than 1:1 compensatory mitigation ratio). As identified above, the upland berms are the
result of historic fill (sidecast) material from the excavation of the adjacent canals. These areas are of
slightly higher topography and restrict tidal inundation. Mitigation efforts will include the excavation and
grading of these areas to elevations consistent with the adjacent coastal high marsh. Based upon
surveyed elevations of existing high marsh, the final grades of the restoration area will range between 2.5-ft
and 3.0-ft NGVD 29. Refer to the site plan provided in the permit application depicting the plan view and
cross-sectional view of the proposed mitigation area.
The restoration is intended to restore high marsh (i.e. coastal wetlands located above normal high water).
As such, the target vegetative community will consist of Spartina pafens, Distichlis spicata, Juncus
roemerianus,S. cynosuroides, Iva frutescens, and Borrichia frutescens. Approximately 1.64 ac of former
coastal marsh areas will be restored via the .re-establishment of tidal hydrology and characteristic high
marsh vegetation. While it is expected that characteristic marsh vegetation will recruit naturally into the
restored area, the applicant is proposing to plant herbaceous seedlings on 2-ft centers. This will
correspond to the planting of approximately 18,000 seedlings. In addition, shrub species (e.g. I. frutescens
and B. frutecens) will be planted on 8-ft centers around the perimeter of~the restoration area.
Site Performance Monitorin
Performance Criteria: Site success criteria are used to evaluate the development of a created or restored
wetland in relation to stated project goals and objectives. Monitoring of biological (i.e. vegetation growth)
and physical parameters (i.e. hydrology) will help demonstrate the relative success of the marsh restoration
site.
Since this compensation project seeks to restore marsh habitat through plantings of nursery stock marsh
seedlings, the primary success criteria will be:
(1) °Demonsfrated survival rate of plantings and naturally colonized individuals to meet or exceed
75%,"and
(2) ~Vegefative density of the restoration marsh fo meet or exceed 75% of the density of the
reference marsh."
The Braun-Blanquet (B-B) Method (Braun-Blanquet 1965) will be used to determine the frequency of
occurrence (i.e. survival), abundance, and density of vegetation within the restored marsh and the
reference site. The USCOE and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) have utilized this method and
- recommend it as a means of documenting marsh mitigation success. The B-B method prescribes scale
values corresponding to variations in percent vegetative cover in a designated quadrat (e.g. one meter-
square). From a survey of randomly selected quadrats, frequency of occurrence, abundance, and density
can be calculated as follows:
(1) Frequency of Occurrence = number of occupied quadrats /total number of quadrats,
(2) Abundance = sum of B-B scale values / number of occupied quadrats, and
(3) Density = sum of B-B scale values I total number of quadrats.
The hydrologic regime of the restoration zones will mimic that of the selected reference marsh. The high
marsh zone will experience soil saturation in the upper 12 inches of substrate and be periodically inundated
during storm tides (mimicking natural high marsh habitat).

Monitoring Plan: Monitoring of the restoration area will be conducted near the end of each growing season
(September or October) to evaluate annual progress of the restoration effort. Natural marsh stands located
adjacent to the proposed mitigation area will also be monitored to provide reference data. Planting
densities will be calculated based on percent cover within one meter-square quadrats according to the B-B
method. Meter-square quadrat sampling will be conducted via stratified random sampling techniques in
both the restored and the reference areas.
Hydrology will be monitored each half-hour through the use of automated peizometers. Three peizometers
will be installed in the restored marsh and two in the reference marsh. Hydrographs depicting the
frequency and duration of inundation and/or soil saturation will be prepared for each planting zonemabitat
type.
Annual monitoring reports will be prepared and submitted for agency review each year for up to 5 years
post restoration. Each report will provide qualitative and quantitative information regarding the
development of the site and will include an evaluation of the restored area relative to the conditions of the
natural reference marsh. If at the end of the 3-year monitoring period annual site success criteria have
been met, then no further monitoring will be conducted. If the site fails to meet the stated performance.
criteria, maintenance contingency measures (e.g. supplemental planting and/or Phragmifes growth control)
will be implemented to rectify site deficiencies. Monitoring would then continue to the point at which
reviewing agencies deem the site successful.