TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received a request to modify a mitigation banking instrument (MBI), pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1344) as described below:
APPLICANT: Hillsborough River Mitigation Bank, LLC.
P.O. Box 540285
Orlando, Florida 32854
LOCATION: The project, identified as the 1,109 -acre Hillsborough River Mitigation Bank (HRMB), is located one mile west of I‐75, and south of State Road 52 within Sections 12, 13, 24 and 25, Township 25 South and Range 19 East; and Sections 18 and 19, Township 25 South and Range 20 East, in the central portion of Pasco County, north of Wesley Chapel, Florida.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES: Latitude: 28.307942°N
Longitude: 82.359558°W
MODIFICATION SUMMARY: Pursuant to 33 CFR 332.8(d)(4), the Corps has posted a full copy of the approved HRMB MBI and proposed MBI modification online so that it is available for review by the public. The approved HRMB MBI and proposed MBI modification 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 “Existing 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 “Hillsborough River MB” link. On this page, click on the "Cyber Repository" link located on the menu bar above the General Information description, then click on the MBI Documents folder to access the approved MBI and proposed MBI modification associated with the HRMB project.
If you are unable to access the web address, a copy of the MBI modification 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 expand the 1,109 -acre HRMB to include an additional 276 acres of wetland habitat adjacent to and southeast of the existing bank property and to enhance, preserve and protect the additional wetlands as part of the HRMB. Ecological goals that will be met in expanding the HRMB include:
• preserving 32.7 acres of Wetland Hardwood Mix habitats
• preserving 116.4 acres of Cypress Swamp
• enhancing 32.8 acres of marsh habitats
• preserving 42.2 acres of marsh habitats
• preserving 33.1 acres of Temperate Hardwood Uplands
• enhancing 16.9 acres of Wetland Hardwood Mix habitats
Specific restoration objectives include:
• Restore wetland hydrologic function by removing a segment of road currently impounding water to the south and impeding nature flow to the north.
• Enhance the existing freshwater marsh habitat by removing woody shrub and tree species by means of controlled burning or mechanical/chemical methods.
• Enhance upland areas by re-establishing periodic prescribed fires or controlling underbrush by mechanical/chemical methods.
• Enhancing wetland and upland habitats by eradicating invasive exotic and nuisance species to insure the establishment of healthy, native vegetative communities.
• Encumber the entire property with a Conservation Easement and implement a Long-Term Management Plan that keeps the project ecologically viable in perpetuity.
ECOLOGICAL SUITABILITY OF THE SITE: Over 60% of the Hillsborough River Watershed has been altered by or converted to development. The proposed HRMB expansion is comprised of regionally significant natural communities within the headwaters of the Hillsborough River. The preservation and ecological enhancement proposed on HRMB would provide high quality habitat, improve ecological and hydrologic connectivity, enhance water quality, and provide flood protection for portions of the rapidly urbanizing Tampa Bay area that lies within the Hillsborough River Watershed. This project was selected due to its location, size and opportunity for enhancement. Significant habitat within the project site is suitable for bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), a variety of listed wading birds including the woodstork, white-tailed deer, turkey, Florida sandhill crane, and various passerine birds, small mammals, and herpetofauna. Continued encroachment of invasive and nuisance species into the area and fire suppression, threatens habitats for wading birds and other wetland-dependent wildlife, as well as species dependent on adjacent upland habitats.
OPERATION OF THE BANK: The HRMB has been established and operated by Hillsborough River Mitigation Bank, LLC as the Sponsor with the assistance of Environmental Consulting & Design, Inc. The property that comprises the HRMB expansion is under contract to be owned by the Sponsor. Following HRMB successful implementation and attainment of final success criteria, long-term management activities will be implemented in order to ensure the sustainability of HRMB expansion. In addition, the Sponsor will provide sufficient financial assurances to ensure construction and long-term management of the proposed HRMB expansion.
MITIGATION SERVICE AREA: The project is located within the Middle Cypress Creek Basin identified as Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC 031002050404) which is part of the larger Hillsborough River Drainage Basin (HUC 03100205). No change is proposed for the HRMB’s Mitigation Service Area (MSA). The HRMB MSA is anticipated to include wetland habitat communities that could reasonably be expected to occur on the HRMB expansion.
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.
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.
If you have any questions concerning this proposed project, you may contact Ms. Teresa Frame by electronic mail at Teresa.M.Frame@usace.army.mil, by fax at 904-232-1904, or by telephone at 904-232-1677 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.
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.