Public Notice Notifications

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SAJ-2017-02025-MLH

Published Sept. 29, 2017
Expiration date: 10/28/2017
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received a complete prospectus proposing the establishment of a mitigation bank pursuant to the 2008 Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources regulations (33 CFR Part 332) as described below:

APPLICANT: Baby Groot LLC
                       Attn: Ryan Deibler and Pamela Harris
                       15315 Indian Head Drive
                       Tampa, FL 33618

LOCATION: The proposed project, identified as the 418.50-acre Missing Link Mitigation Bank (MLMB), is located adjacent to and north of Dean Still Road, approximately 1.8 miles west of State Road 27, within Sections 27, 34, and 35 of Township 26 south, and Range 26 east, Polk County, Florida.

APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES: Latitude:     28.2732°N
                                                                         Longitude: -81.6912°W

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY: Pursuant to 33 CFR 332.8(d)(4), the Corps has posted a full copy of the MLMB prospectus online so that it is available for review by the public. The prospectus may be downloaded from the Regulatory In-Lieu Fee and Bank Information Tracking System (RIBITS) at web address: https://ribits.usace.army.mil.

Once on the RIBITS homepage, select "Jacksonville" from the "ALL DISTRICTS" drop down menu located in the lower left corner of the screen. Once the district filter has been selected, click on the “Banks & ILF Sites” link located in the Navigation box (upper left corner). This will generate a list of projects, scroll down the list and click on the “Missing Link MB” link. On this page, click on the "Cyber Repository" link located on the menu bar above the General Information box, then click on the Prospectus Documents folder to access the prospectus associated with the MLMB project.

If you are unable to access the web address, a copy of the prospectus is available upon request to the project manager listed at the end of this public notice.

PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: The applicant seeks authorization to bank generated wetland credits that could be used to offset impacts to wetland impacts in the final approved Mitigation Service Area. The primary ecological goal of the MLMB is to restore and permanently protect the hydrology and wildlife habitat of 418.50 acres of wetland habitats and adjacent upland buffer habitats while increasing the wetland function of the Palatlakaha River nested in the Ocklawaha River watershed. Specific restoration objectives include:

Rehabilitation of 136.92 acres of cypress domes and strands.
Rehabilitation of 37.47 acres of mixed forested wetlands.
Rehabilitation of 91.47 acres of wet pine flatwoods forested wetlands.
Re-establishment of 0.02 acres of wet prairie.
Rehabilitation of 17.07 acres of adjacent upland buffer pine flatwoods.
Preservation of all 418.50 acres of rehabilitated/re-established wetland habitat and associated upland buffer habitat

ECOLOGICAL SUITABILITY OF THE SITE: A review of available information indicates that the property has been utilized for silviculture activities.

ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF THE BANK: The proposed MLMB would be established and operated by Baby Groot LLC as the Sponsor with the assistance of GreenSource Environmental Professionals, Inc. The property that comprises the MLMB is owned by Baby Groot LLC. The MLMB is proposed to be established as a single and complete project. Following MLMB successful implementation and attainment of final success criteria, long-term management activities will be implemented in order to ensure the sustainability of MLMB. In addition, the Sponsor will provide sufficient financial assurances to ensure construction and long-term management of the proposed MLMB.

PROPOSED SERVICE AREA: The project is located within the Ocklawaha River Basin watershed, identified as Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC 03080102). The Applicant proposes a Mitigation Service Area (MSA) that includes the entirety of the Ocklawaha River Basin. The MLMB MSA is anticipated to include wetland habitat communities that could reasonably be expected to occur on the MLMB.

CULTURAL RESOURCES: No information has been provided regarding onsite cultural resources. Project review will, however, include review of the site for potential cultural resources.

Endangered Species: The site will be reviewed for potential critical habitat and presence of endangered species. The findings will be coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service.

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH): It is unlikely that essential fish habitat is present onsite, however, the project proposal will be coordinated with the pertinent federal agencies to minimize the risk for any potential impact to EFH.

NOTE: This public notice is being issued based on information furnished by the applicant. This information has not been verified or evaluated to ensure compliance with laws and regulation governing the regulatory program.

REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING: Any person may request a public hearing. The request must be submitted in writing to the District Engineer within the designated comment period of the notice and must state the specific reasons for requesting the public hearing.

COMMENTS: Comments regarding the proposed mitigation bank should be submitted in writing to the District Engineer at the address below within 30 days from the date of this notice.

The initial evaluation pertaining to whether or not this mitigation bank proposal has the potential for providing compensatory mitigation for activities authorized by issued Department of the Army permits will be based on the information contained in the prospectus, received from this public notice and obtained during an inspection of the project site.

If you have any questions concerning this proposed project, you may contact Ms. Marie L. Huber by electronic mail at Marie.L.Huber@usace.army.mil, by fax at 904-232-1904, or by telephone at 904-232-1683 or at the following address:

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT CORPS OF ENGINEERS
P. O. BOX 4970
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32232-0019


IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES: Preliminary review of this application indicates that an Environmental Impact Statement will not be required. Coordination with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Marine Fisheries Services, and other Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental groups, and concerned citizens generally yields pertinent environmental information that is instrumental in determining the impact the proposed action will have on the natural resources of the area. By means of this notice, we are soliciting comments on the potential effects of the project on threatened or endangered species or their habitat

EVALUATION: After the end of the comment period, the district engineer will review all comments received and make an initial determination as to the potential of the proposed project to provide compensatory mitigation for activities authorized by Department of the Army permits. That determination will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefits, which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal, must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. Factors relevant to the proposal will be considered including conservation, economics, esthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historical properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food, and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people.

The Corps is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other Interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the proposed activity. All comments received will be considered by the Corps during the formulation of the initial determination of potential for the proposed activity