Public Notice ISSUED: August 21, 2017 EXPIRES: September 21, 2017

Transcription

1 SPONSOR: Mark Summers North Shore Federal Credit Union Public Notice ISSUED: August 21, 2017 EXPIRES: September 21, 2017 REFER TO: ARC SECTION:404 - Clean Water Act 1. WETLAND COMPENSATORY MITIGATION BANK PROPOSAL 2. SPECIFIC INFORMATION SPONSOR S ADDRESS: SPONSOR S AGENT Mark Summers North Shore Federal Credit Union 85 Outer Drive Silver Bay, Minnesota Timothy Lederle Hayes Surveying and Mapping Grand Marais, Minnesota PROJECT LOCATION: The project site is located in Section 25, Township 61 North, Range 4 West, Cook County, Minnesota. Latitude , Longitude BANK SERVICE AREA: The proposed bank service area is the Lake Superior Basin in Minnesota (Bank Service Area 1). DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: The bank sponsor is proposing to develop the Wetland Preservation Bank. The proposed bank site would be comprised of 84% wetlands and 16% uplands within approximately acres that would be located adjacent to the Poplar River. The site would have acres of wetlands comprised of the following vegetative types: 0.85 acre of wet meadow, 0.29 acre of deep marsh, 2.82 acres of alder thicket, 1.60 acres of coniferous swamp, 1.24 acres of open bog, and acres of coniferous bog. The site would also have approximately acres of upland forest comprised of a mixture of tamarack and black spruce vegetative types. These uplands would be considered upland buffer areas. The site would also include an unnamed tributary that flows into the Poplar River. The wetland canopies within the bank site are composed of vegetation that includes black spruce, tamarack, and northern white cedar. The wetland understories within the bank site are composed of vegetation that includes sphagnum moss, labrador tea, bog rosemary, lake sedge, and tag alder. In addition, the wetland located on the northeast side of the site is comprised of northern white cedar with significant regeneration growth. The average Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) rating for the 6 wetland types on site was good with individual plants ranging from fair to exceptional. Most surface or subsurface water flows through these wetlands to the Poplar River. The upland areas are widely separated throughout the bank site. There are 4 large upland areas extending offsite along the north and east boundary, and 4 upland islands within the center of the bank site located in an east-west direction. The 8 upland areas are dominated by vegetative types that include: black spruce, tamarack, balsam fir, and paper birch with an understory of choke cherry,

2 Regulatory Branch (File No ARC) hazelnut, moose maple, big leaf aster, and honeysuckle. The uplands extending offsite provide a buffer to adjacent landowner logging or development activities. The upland islands contribute to the biological diversity of the site and are susceptible to future development due to their buildable size and accessibility. Current land use, including adjacent properties The bank site is located off of Honeymoon Trail (Forest Service Road #164) and adjacent to the Poplar River Forest Service Campground. The site is bounded by the Poplar River to the south and west, private property to the north and west, and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) property to the north and east. An existing acre Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Aquatic Management Area (AMA) is within the south and center of the property. The AMA boundary contains the Poplar River, an unnamed tributary to the Poplar River, two beaver dams, and subsequent pond. The AMA is currently under a DNR conservation easement due to its significant contribution to the Poplar River and subsequently has no demonstrable threat. The acres of AMA wetland would not be included as proposed credit within the preservation bank site. Modifications proposed to restore, establish, enhance and/or preserve wetlands on the bank site - The sponsor proposes to preserve acres of wetlands at 12.5% credit and acres of adjacent upland buffer at 25% credit. As proposed by the sponsor, the project would result in approximately 9.37 projected credits. Long-term management of the site: The established bank site would be managed by the sponsor or their successors in property ownership. A detailed adaptive management plan has not been developed. The sponsor has proposed to place a perpetual conservation easement over the site, which would be held in perpetuity by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). Credit sales would be tracked by sponsor and reported to the state as required by state law. The reported credit releases and sales would be tracked on both Corps and state databases. By state law, long-term management of the property would be the responsibility of the landowner and the sponsor until all released credits have been debited. After all credits are debited, long-term management obligations would fall to the landowner under state law. Additional protections and management limitations would be spelled out in both a conservation easement and in an approved bank plan. SURROUNDING LAND USE: Land uses on properties immediately adjacent to the proposed bank site include private property to the south and west and USFS land to the north and east, which includes the Poplar River Forest Service Campground. The AMA runs through the center of the property and was developed for fish habitat, tree planting, erosion control, and installation of in stream habitat structures. The DNR currently holds the conservation easement on AMA, subsequently removing any future demonstrable threat. The USFS land is currently used for recreation and timber management, while the private land is mostly undeveloped except for a remote cabin south of the Poplar River. Other privately owned lands within the Poplar River watershed include single family residential or recreational lots and the Lutsen Mountain Resort consisting of commercial buildings, ski runs, and a 9-hole golf course. COORDINATION WITH RESOURCE AGENCIES: This project has been coordinated with the following members of the Interagency Review Team (IRT) and other resource agencies: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Board of Water and Soil Resources. 3. FEDERALLY-LISTED THREATENED OR ENDANGERED WILDLIFE OR PLANTS OR THEIR CRITICAL HABITAT None were identified by the bank sponsor or are known to exist in the action area. However, Cook County is within the known historic range for the following Federally-listed species: Page 2 of 4

3 Regulatory Branch (File No ARC) Northern Long-Eared Bat Hibernates in caves and mines swarming in surrounding wooded areas in autumn. Roosts and forages in upland forests during spring and summer. Gray wolf Northern forested areas. Canada lynx Northern forested areas. This notice is being coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Any comments it may have concerning Federally-listed threatened or endangered wildlife or plants or their critical habitat will be considered in our final assessment of the described work. 4. JURISDICTION This application is being reviewed in accordance with the practices for documenting Corps jurisdiction under Sections 9 & 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act identified in Regulatory Guidance Letter HISTORICAL/ARCHAEOLOGICAL The Corps will review information on known cultural resources and/or historic properties within and adjacent to the project area. The Corps will also consider the potential effects of the project on any properties that have yet to be identified. The results of this review and the Corps determination of effect will be coordinated with the State Historic Preservation Officer independent of this public notice. Any adverse effects on historic properties will be resolved prior to the Corps authorization of the work in connection with this project. 6. PUBLIC HEARING REQUESTS Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice, that a public hearing be held to consider this application. Requests for public hearings shall state, in detail, the reasons for holding a public hearing. A request may be denied if substantive reasons for holding a hearing are not provided or if there is otherwise no valid interest to be served. 7. REPLIES/COMMENTS Interested parties are invited to submit to this office written facts, arguments, or objections within 30 days of the date of this notice. These statements should bear upon the suitability of the location and the adequacy of the project and should, if appropriate, suggest any changes believed to be desirable. Comments received may be forwarded to the applicant. A copy of the full prospectus submitted by the Sponsor is available to the public for review upon request. Replies may be addressed to: Regulatory Branch St. Paul District Corps of Engineers 600 South Lake Avenue, Suite 211 Duluth, Minnesota Page 3 of 4

4 Regulatory Branch (File No ARC) Or, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT, call Andy Chambers at the Duluth office of the Corps, telephone number (218) To receive Public Notices by , go to: and add your information in the New Registration Box. Enclosure(s) Public Notice Drawings Chad Konickson, Chief, Regulatory Branch Page 4 of 4

5 F1 Map Name: HONEYMOON MT Print Date: 08/02/16 Scale: 1 inch = 2,000 ft. Horizontal Datum: NAD83 Map Center: N 090 Preservation Bank F1 Copyright (C) 2009 MyTopo Location Map Figure 1

6 Figure 2 Wetland Bank Service Areas With Major Watersheds & County Boundaries Lake of the Woods 69 Kittson Roseau Marshall Pennington Beltrami 63 Koochiching 62 St. Louis 2 73 Cook Polk 1 72 Red Lake Lake 61 Itasca 7 59 Clearwater Mahnomen Norman Wetland Bank Site 1 4 Cass 4 12 Becker 5 11 Wadena Crow Wing Wetland Bank Service Areas Otter Tail Carlton Morrison Isanti 17 Sherburne Kandiyohi Meeker Yellow Medicine Carver 33 Le Sueur Goodhue Redwood 29 Wabasha Nicollet Brown Blue Earth Watonwan Nobles Cottonwood Winona Dodge 32 Martin 52 8 Steele Waseca Olmsted Jackson Counties 38 Rice Murray 8 Major Watersheds Dakota 38 Scott 82 Rock 9 Ramsey Hennepin McLeod Washington Renville Lincoln Pipestone 8 Anoka Wright Sibley Lyon 7 Chisago 37 Chippewa Lac Qui Parle 4 34 Swift Benton 26 Big Stone Pine Mille Lacs Stearns Pope Stevens 27 Kanabec 15 Grant Traverse 81 6 Todd Douglas Aitkin Wilkin 2 9 Hubbard Clay Faribault Freeborn F2 Houston Fillmore Mower ARC Drawing 2 of 15

7 F3 Poplar River Watershed Figure 3 Crescent Lake Tait River Mistletoe Creek Caribou Creek Poplar River Project Site hayes@boreal.org Scale: 1'=12,500' Poplar River Watershed HUC 10 HUC 12 Watershed

8 F4 Area of Proposed Easement Including Poplar River AMA Figure 4 Proposed Easement Aquatic Management Area hayes@boreal.org

9 Current Conditions: Topography Figure 5 Project Site Contour Line Contour Interval: 2' Beaver Dam hayes@boreal.org F ARC Drawing 5 of 15

10 F6 Existing Conditions Credit Area Map Figure 6 B G F E G B C F D B A C G Project Site Coniferous Swamp (A) Alder Thicket (B) F G F G G F G G Fresh Wet Meadow (C) Open Bog (D) Deep Marsh (E) Coniferous Bog (F) Upland (G) Black Spruce, Balsam Fir, Tamarack, Paper Birch Poplar River AMA hayes@boreal.org

11 F10 Minnesota National Wetlands Inventory Figure 10 Project Site PFO2/4B, Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland PUBG, Freshwater Pond PFO4B, Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland PEM1B, Freshwater Emergent Wetland PFO2B, Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland PSS1B, Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland

12 F12 NRCS Soil Data Figure 12 Data provided by NRCS: Duluth, Minnesota

13 F13 Local Ownership Figure 13 Project Site PID's: , PID: PID: PID: PID:

14 F18 Local Timber Sales "Neptune Sale" Figure 18 Project Site Payment Unit

15 F19 Existing Use Access Trails Figure 19 Coniferous Bog Wetland Alder Thicket Wetland Existing Use Trails Poplar River Scale: 1"=50'

16 F21 Figure 21 Minnesota Lynx Sightings Site Source: Minnesota DNR

17 Current Conditions: Hydrology Figure 22 Project Site Area with flooded Spruce/Tag Alder Beaver Dam Perennial Stream Intermittent Stream F ARC Drawing 13 of 15

18 F23 Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) Assessment Areas Figure 23 Assessment Area F Assessment Area Assessment Area A 1A 3A 2A Assessment Area B 1B 2B 1C 2C Assessment Area C Coniferous Swamp Alder Thicket Fresh Wet Meadow Open Bog 2A 1D 2D 3B 3C 2E 2E Assessment Area E Deep Marsh Coniferous Bog Upland: Black Spruce, Balsam Fir, Assessment Area D 1E 1A Tamarack, Paper Birch Plant Community # River 3D 3E Poplar River Timed Meander Poplar hayes@boreal.org

19 Plant Communities Ecological Classification System Figure 24 FPn63 WFn74 WMn82 APn91/OPn81 LKi54 FPn62/ APn81 Upland: FDn33 River Poplar River Poplar F24