20041713 Ver 1_Other Agency Comments_20050708 (2)

State of North Carolina
Department of F-'rivironrnent
and Natural Resources
Division of Lnvironmental Health
Michael F. Easley, Governor
William G. Ross, Jr., Societary
Terry L. Pierce, Director
MEMORANDUM July 8, 2005
TO: Stephen Rynas, AICP
FROM: Lees Sabo for Patti Fowler At'm
Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality Section
SUBJECT: Proposed Wetland Fill at Dolphin Ridge and Royal Oaks, Emerald
Isle
Any alteration of the remaining wetlands in the subject neighborhoods would
pose additional burden on the natural maritime forest and fresh marsh that
currently treat the stormwater runoff from adjacent properties, and decrease their
ability to protect the open shellfishing status of the Bogue Sound ORW in the
vicinity of the project. These neighborhoods also have the potential to harbor
and retain standing stormwater requiring pumping to the recreational waters of
the Atlantic Ocean, creating a threat to the health of the swimming public and
postings of swimming advisories. Additional wetland filling will exacerbate this
problem.
The proposed ratio of 1:1 is shy of the USACE recommendation for wetland
impacts to wetlands mitigation ratio of 3:1. The standing permits for these
developments contain restrictive covenants against any additional wetland fill. It
is requested that these measures be retained, and that no additional wetland
alterations take place.