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: Marc Anderson
581 Little Canal Drive
Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with a manmade canal (Little Canal) adjacent to Littles Bayou and Choctawhatchee Bay. The project is located at Parcel ID 28-2S-19-24050-009-0290, at 581 Little Canal Drive, in Section 28, Township 2 South, Range 19 West, in Santa Rosa Beach, Walton County, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: From Santa Rosa Beach, head east on US Highway 98 past the intersection of US Highway 331 and continue 1.5 miles to Bay Drive. Turn north on Bay Drive/County Road 283-N, then turn west on Little Canal Drive. Follow the road to the north approximately 0.6 miles. The site is located on the west side of the road at 581 Little Canal Drive.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:
Latitude 30.37738°
Longitude -86.16127°
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Basic: Upland Cut Boat Slip
Overall: Construct an upland cut boat slip on a single-family lot on Little Canal, in Santa Rosa Beach, Walton County, Florida.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The subject site consists of a 0.26-acre developed parcel with a 75-linear foot natural shoreline on a 54-foot wide manmade canal. The site is surrounded by developed and undeveloped single-family residential lots, with Little Canal Drive to the east and the manmade canal to the west. There is no emergent or submerged aquatic vegetation in the vicinity of the project.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to construct an upland cut boat slip (with boathouse and boat lift), a seawall, a marginal deck (over uplands), and an upland retaining wall. The work consists of the excavation/dredging of 277 cubic yards of material from a 1,064-square foot area (uplands and manmade canal adjacent to the slip) to -1.8 feet mean low water to create a boat slip, the installation of a 97-linear foot seawall along the shoreline (includes the east and south sides of the slip), and a 20-foot by 36-foot boat house with boat lift. The work also includes the construction of a 954-square foot non-jurisdictional upland deck (with stairs) and 126.5-linear foot upland retaining wall that would be installed landward of the seawall and boat slip.
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 canal that this residence is located on is a manmade canal originally constructed in the 1960’s. The owner is requesting to stabilize the shoreline with an inset constructed seawall for two purposes. [First is] to prevent erosion into the waterway and protect the flow of the canal. Second is to construct a boat house that is out of the path of the waterway for the neighbors enjoying this waterway.” The applicant would minimize impacts to the aquatic environment by utilizing Best Management Practices (BMPs) during construction.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION: The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment: Due to the nature of the project, the applicant did not offer compensatory mitigation.
CULTURAL RESOURCES: The Corps is not aware of any known historic properties within the permit area. By copy of this public notice, the Corps is providing information for review. Our final determination relative to historic resource impacts is subject to review by and coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer and those federally recognized tribes with concerns in Florida and the Permit Area.
ENDANGERED SPECIES: The Corps has determined the proposed project may affect, but would not likely adversely affect the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) as determined using the 2013 Manatee Key, following couplets A > B > C > G > H > I > J> L > N > O > P. The Corps has also determined the proposed project may affect but is not likely to adversely affect the Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi), Green turtle (Chelonia mydas), Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), Kemp’s Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), and Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata). The Corps will request National Marine Fisheries Service’s concurrence with these determinations 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. The proposed project would impact approximately 300 square feet of estuarine intertidal and subtidal habitat due to dredging, utilized by various life stages of Bull and Spinner sharks, four shrimp species (brown, white, pink, Royal red), coastal migratory pelagic species, red drum, and 43 species of reef fish. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a substantial adverse impact on EFH or Federally managed fisheries. 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.
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 Pensacola Permits Section, 41 North Jefferson Street, Suite 301, Pensacola, Florida, 32502 within 15 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, Holly Millsap, in writing at the Pensacola Permits Section, 41 North Jefferson Street, Suite 301, Pensacola, FL 32502, by electronic mail at Holly.M.Millsap@usace.army.mil, by fax at (850) 433-8160, or by telephone at (850) 470-9823.
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: 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 of 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 US Army Corps of Engineers (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 decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 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.