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:
Longboat Key
c/o Isaac Brownman
600 General Harris
Longboat Key, FL 33428
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with Longboat Pass. The project site is located north of the west end of North Shore Road, in Section 15, in Township 35 South, Range 16 East, Longboat Key, Manatee, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: From I-75, take exit 229 S.R. 64 west to Anna Maria Island and S.R. 789 (south). Follow S.R. 789 southward across Longboat Pass Bridge (SR 789 becomes Gulf of Mexico Drive). Turn right on North Shore Road. To access Greer Island once can take a boat through Longboat Pass or take North Shore Road in Longboat Key west and walk along the Gulf.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:
Latitude 27.441443°
Longitude -82.687028°
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Basic: Shoreline and navigation restoration
Overall: To restore and maintain the Greer Island shoreline and maintain flushing into the lagoon and provide navigable access for small vessels in and out of Canal 1A.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: Greer Island is a Manatee County owned property at the north end of Longboat Key, which is designated as a park and preserve. The natural progression of sediment migrating from the Gulf of Mexico beaches around Greer Island has developed into a sand spit that influences and interacts with the coastal processes at the north end of Longboat Key and its surrounding waters. The current shoaling at Greer Island necessities dredging to facilitate navigation access to Canal 1A and to encourage flushing of the lagoon waters.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks a 15-year permit to conduct maintenance dredging and sand placement every four to eight years on an as needed basis. The applicant proposes initial dredging of approximately 25,000 to 35,000 cubic yards of material from the spit (north and east of the bridge) and approximately 500 cubic yards from within Canal 1A (west of the bridge) to -5 feet NAVD with sediment placement between R-42 and R-44.4.
It is anticipated that a small cutterhead dredge with flexible floating pipeline would be utilized. The pipeline would be floated around the northern end of Longboat Key within Longboat Pass and landed on the shoreline at the northern end between R-42 and R-44.4. The floating and landed pipeline will avoid seagrasses. Material would be pumped directly onto the beach or stockpiled.
Beach compatible sediment dredged from the spit will be placed in both the dry and submerged portions of the beach. Sediments from Canal 1A would be placed in the submerged portions of the beach profile
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 adjacent mangroves will be protected and there are no anticipated seagrass impacts. Additionally, silt curtains will be set up around the dredge areas with seagrass beds present to avoid turbidity impacts to the seagrasses.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION: The applicant has provided the following explanation why compensatory mitigation should not be required: The proposed project has been designed to avoid impacts to seagrass and mangroves. No nearshore hardbottom areas have been identified in the project areas. As a result, there is no mitigation proposed.
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 Piping plover, Rufa red knot, Atlantic loggerhead turtle, Green sea turtle, Kemp’s ridley turtle, the West Indian manatee or its designated critical habitat. 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. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a substantial adverse impact on EFH or Federally managed fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. 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 Tampa Permits Section within 21 days from the date of this notice. For electronic mail (preferred) submit comments to Caitlin.S.Hoch@usace.army.mil. For standard mail submit comments to 10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120, Tampa, Florida 33610-8302. Please reference this permit number, SAJ-2020-00126 (SP-CSH), on all submittals.
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, Caitlin Hoch-Nussbaum, in writing at the Tampa Permits Section, 10117 Princess Palm Avenue, Suite 120, Tampa, Florida 33610; by electronic mail at Caitlin.S.Hoch@usace.army.mil or by telephone at (813) 355-0789.
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.