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. George K. Floyd
Apalachicola Maritime Museum
957 East Pine Street
St. George Island, Florida 32328
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with Apalachicola Bay. The project site is located at the corner of Franklin Boulevard and North Bayshore Drive in Section 29, Township 9 South, Range 6 West, St. George Island, Gulf County, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: Travel east on US 98 to intersection of US 98 and State Road 300 in Franklin County. Turn right and cross the bridge. The property is on the right at the foot of the bridge on the St. George Island side.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES: Latitude 29.665495°
Longitude -84.865441°
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Basic: Dredging and shoreline stabilization.
Overall: To provide safe harbor servicing St. George Island with navigational access to Apalachicola Bay.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The channel was established prior to 1960’s to allow for ferry boat access to St. George Island. In August 1993, the Corps authorized dredging a 40’ wide by 1,650’ long by -3’ depth access channel. The spoil was pumped to an upland contained disposal site. The substrate within the proposed dredging area is comprised of fine sand with a layer of organic material in the basin. A submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) survey was conducted in August 2015 that confirmed the presence of mixed species SAV within the proposed channel dredge location. The wetland system consists of a marsh saltwater system. The onsite vegetation consists of Spartina alterniflora, Batis maritime, and Sesuvium portulacastrum. The existing area surrounding the project area consists of residential and commercial developments to the east, west and south and Apalachicola Bay to the north.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to dredge an existing channel and boat basin to a depth of -8’. The final dimensions of the channel would be 100’ wide by 2,168’ long. Dredging would be accomplished via hydraulic dredge. A total of 274,863 square feet/37,177 cubic yards of material is proposed to be dredged from the channel and boat basin. Dredged material would be disposed of in upland areas adjacent to the basin. A 1,273’ long vertical vinyl seawall is proposed around the perimeter of the boat basin. Emergent vegetation, Spartina alterniflora, would be excavated from the basin and replanted landward of a proposed 595’ long breakwater located along the shoreline of the project site. The applicant also proposes to construct a 12’ by 97’ boat ramp and a 330’ by 12’ wooden boardwalk waterward of the seawall within the basin. Three navigation markers are proposed to mark the channel.
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:
Dredge and fill cannot be avoided. There are 2 areas of wetlands located along the basin periphery proposed for filling totaling 0.14 acres and vegetated wetlands in the basin to be excavated totaling 0.04 acres. Impact to wetlands have been minimized by retaining the spoil areas landward of the wetland limits.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION – The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment:
The S. alterniflora in the impact areas will be harvested and relocated to the intertidal area from the breakwater area to mean high water. Additional compensatory mitigation proposed can include enhancing over 10 acres of emergent wetlands affected by recent storm events, thereby accelerating the recovery, and potentially offering a conservation easement.
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 is not likely to adversely affect the gulf sturgeon, Smalltooth sawfish, green sea turtle, Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle. The Corps will request U.S. Fish and Wildlife/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. The proposal would impact approximately 0.58 acres of mixed submerged aquatic vegetation and unconsolidated bottom and 0.14 emergent marsh utilized by various life stages of coastal migratory pelagic species, shrimp, red drum and some species of reef fish. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would have an adverse impact on EFH or Federally managed fisheries in the Apalachicola Bay. 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 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 Permit Section, 1002 West 23rd Street, Suite 350, Panama City, Florida 32405 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, Ms. Tracey L. Wheeler, in writing at the Panama City Permits Section, 1002 West 23rd Street, Suite 350, Panama City, Florida 32405; by electronic mail at tracey.l.wheeler@usace.army.mil; by facsimile transmission at (850) 872-0231; or, by telephone at (850)763-0717, extension 24.
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 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 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.