Public Notice Notifications

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Florida - This includes all public notices for projects being reviewed for Standard Permits within the State of Florida.

Antilles - This includes all public notices for projects being reviewed for Standard Permits within the Antilles area (this includes Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands).

Tropical Storms & Other Emergencies - These public notices provide information on procedures for emergency permitting requirements due to specific tropical storm events or other emergency situations.

Special Issues - These are public notices that involve the Regulatory program but which are generally not limited to one particular geographic area. These would include public notices for the establishment or modification of Restricted Areas/Danger Zones, re-issuance of General Permits or Nationwide Permits, changes to guidance and policies, etc.

Administrative Penalty - These public notices provide information associated with Administrative Penalties. An Administrative Penalty can be assessed to address violations associated with issued Department of the Army permits.

SAJ-2019-00341 (SP-LSL)

Published June 26, 2020
Expiration date: 7/25/2020

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received an application for a Department of the Army permit pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1344) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. §403) as described below:

APPLICANT:  Mr. Toby Griffis
                       Steinhatchee River Club, LLC
                       25655 Marsh Landing Parkway
                       Ponte Vedra, Florida 32082

WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with Steinhatchee River. The project site is located at 5800 Southwest Highway 358 in Section 25, Township 9 south, Range 9 west, Steinhatchee, Dixie County, Florida.

Directions to the site are as follows: From Interstate 10 (I-10), take exit 283 onto US-129 toward Live Oak, Florida. In 3.2 miles, turn right onto 11th Street Southwest (SW). At the roundabout, take 3rd exit onto Irvin Avenue SW. After 21 miles, turn left onto US-19 South and travel for 22 miles. Turn right onto SW Highway 358 and travel for 11 miles. The property is on the right at 5800 SW Highway 358, Steinhatchee, Taylor County, Florida.   

APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:  Latitude 29.665719°
                                                                          Longitude -83.36983°

PROJECT PURPOSE:

Basic: Water access.

Overall: To improve water access to serve the public and surrounding communities in Taylor County, Florida.

EXISTING CONDITIONS: There are 4 separate wetland areas onsite. Wetland A and B are located in the northern portion of the property and consists of a saltmarsh community dominated by black needle rush. Wetland C is located on the east-central portion of the property. This area is considered a forested mixed community dominated by red maple, cabbage palm and slash pine. Wetland D is located in the south eastern portion of the property. This wetland is considered a cypress wetland dominated by bald cypress, fetterbush, and Virginia chainfern. The existing area surrounding the project area consists of Steinhatchee River to the north, undeveloped land to the west, and residential developments to the east and south.

PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to modify an existing docking facility. The applicant proposes to add a 25’ x 25’ covered boathouse connecting to the existing 25’ x 30’ platform to the west of the existing boat ramp. To the east of the boat ramp, a 8’ x 50’ fixed dock along the ramp is proposed. Along the shoreline just north of the existing saltmarsh grass, a ramp/gangway leading to a system of floating docks with 12 wet slips is proposed. The fixed docks would be constructed out of treated wood and the floating dock would be aluminum. The pilings would be 6” galvanized steel and be mechanically driven.

Maintenance dredging is proposed within the 2 existing, man-made canals and a small area with in the river. The dredging would be accomplished from the upland property using a long reach excavator. The removed material would be contained on the upland property, allowed to dry, and then would be used as fill material on the upland property. It is estimated that +/-726 cubic yards of material would be removed, +/-412 cubic yard would be within sovereign submerged lands. No submerged aquatic vegetation is located with the dredge areas. A narrow strip of saltmarsh grass (+/-0.02 ac.) will be impacted along the river front.

A 155' bulkhead is proposed along the western canal resulting in 0.01 acre of saltmarsh impact and 0.02 open water impact within a manmade dredged canal. The bulkhead would be constructed from vinyl sheet pile with treated wood pilings. The bulkhead is needed due to fill/drainage requirements of Suwannee River Water Management District and to minimize impacts to the canal. Turbidity curtains would be utilized.

AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION INFORMATION – The applicant has provided the following information in support of efforts to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the aquatic environment:

The Applicant proposes only minor edge impacts (0.03 acre) with the construction of the proposed bulkhead and necessary dredging activities. By constructing the bulkhead, the Applicant in incurring great expense in order to reduce the proposed impacts by eliminating the fill slope associated with the fill/drainage requirements associated with the proposed project.

COMPENSATORY MITIGATION – The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment:

The applicant proposes to purchase 0.02 compensatory mitigation bank credits from Florida Gulf Coast Mitigation Bank. No mitigation is proposed for the 0.01 acre of surface water impact due to lack of vegetation in this area, the low quality of the impact, and the small size of the impact.

CULTURAL RESOURCES: The Corps has determined the permit area has been extensively modified by previous work and there is little likelihood a historic property may be affected.

ENDANGERED SPECIES: The Corps has determined, based on the use of The Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, and the State of Florida Effect Determination Key for the Manatee in Florida (April 2013), that the proposed project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the West Indian manatee with the inclusion of conditions a, b, c, d, and e of the Standard Manatee Conditions for In-water Work (2011).

The Corps has determined the proposed project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect gulf sturgeon, green sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, and sawtooth sawfish. The Corps will request National Marine Fisheries Service concurrence with this determination pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.

ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT (EFH): This notice initiates consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service on EFH as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 1996. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a substantial adverse impact on EFH or Federally managed fisheries in the Steinhatchee River. Our final determination relative to project impacts and the need for mitigation measures is subject to review by and coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

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. The jurisdictional line [has/has not] been verified by Corps personnel.

AUTHORIZATION FROM OTHER AGENCIES: Water Quality Certification may be required from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and/or one of the state Water Management Districts.

COMMENTS regarding the potential authorization of the work proposed should be submitted in writing to the attention of the District Engineer through the Panama City Permits Section, 415 Richard Jackson Boulevard, Suite 411, Panama City Beach, Florida 32407 within 30 days from the date of this notice.

The decision whether to issue or deny this permit application will be based on the information received from this public notice and the evaluation of the probable impact to the associated wetlands. This is based on an analysis of the applicant's avoidance and minimization efforts for the project, as well as the compensatory mitigation proposed.

QUESTIONS concerning this application should be directed to the project manager, Mrs. Lisa S. Lovvorn, in writing at the Panama City Permits Section, 415 Richard Jackson Boulevard, Suite 411, Panama City Beach, Florida 32405; by electronic mail at lisa.s.lovvorn@usace.army.mil; or, by telephone at (850) 285-9533.

IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES: 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.

EVALUATION: The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision 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. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including cumulative impacts thereof; among these are 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. Evaluation of the impact of the activity on the public interest will also include application of the guidelines promulgated by the Administrator, EPA, under authority of Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act or the criteria established under authority of Section 102(a) of the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. A permit will be granted unless its issuance is found to be contrary to the public interest.

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 impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps to determine whether to issue, modify, condition, or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this determination, comments are used to assess impacts to endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.

COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT CONSISTENCY: In Florida, the State approval constitutes compliance with the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan. In Puerto Rico, a Coastal Zone Management Consistency Concurrence is required from the Puerto Rico Planning Board. In the Virgin Islands, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources permit constitutes compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Plan.

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.