TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received a complete prospectus proposing the establishment of a mitigation bank pursuant to the 2008 Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources regulations (33 CFR Part 332) as described below:
APPLICANT: Everglades Scouts Mitigation, LLC
305 Alcazar Avenue, Suite 3
Coral Gables, FL 33134
LOCATION: The proposed project, identified as the 87.42-acre Everglades Scouts Mitigation Bank (ESMB), is part of the 210-acre Boy Scouts of America Camp located within (surrounded by) Everglades National Park on land owned by South Florida Council, Inc., Boy Scouts of America adjacent to the Hole-in-the-Donut Mitigation Area in Everglades National Park, approximately 4 miles from the eastern boundary of the Park within Section 17, Township 58S, Range 37 East, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES: Latitude: 25.389250°
Longitude: -80.650153°
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY: Pursuant to 33 CFR 332.8(d)(4), the Corps has posted a full copy of the ESMB prospectus online so that it is available for review by the public. The prospectus may be downloaded from the Regulatory In-Lieu Fee and Bank Information Tracking System (RIBITS) at web address: https://ribits.ops.usace.army.mil/ords/f?p=107:2.
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 “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 “Everglades Scouts MB” link. On this page, click on the "Cyber Repository" link located on the menu bar above the General Information box, then click on the Prospectus Documents folder to access the prospectus associated with the ESMB project.
If you are unable to access the web address, a copy of the prospectus 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 enhance, restore, preserve and protect wetlands and uplands on the 87.42-acre property. The primary ecological goal of the ESMB is to restore 87.42 acres of Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) and Shoebutton Ardisia (Ardisia eliptica) dominated wetlands to encourage the regrowth of a long term viable native marsh and prairie ecosystem. Additionally, the adjacent pineland areas (minimum 100’ wide/ 26.9 acres) will be enhanced and integrated into the overall site restoration project as an adjacent upland buffer to ensure healthy surrounding habitats.
ECOLOGICAL SUITABILITY OF THE SITE: A review of available information indicates that the property was historically part of the mosaic of the southern Everglades Ecosystem with short to medium hydroperiod wetlands dominated by Muhly and Sawgrass often called fingerglades. The marshes were composed of a variety grasses and sedges that were farmed until the early to mid 1900’s. Once these areas went fallow, exotic vegetation (primarily Brazilian Pepper and Ardisia) took over and precluded usage by native animals and significantly inhibited native plant species regrowth.
ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF THE BANK: The proposed ESMB would be established and operated by Everglades Scouts Mitigation, LLC as the Sponsor with the assistance of RS Environmental Consulting, Inc. The property that comprises the ESMB is owned by South Florida Council, Inc., Boy Scouts of America. The ESMB is proposed to be established as a single and complete project. Following ESMB successful implementation and attainment of final success criteria, long-term management activities will be implemented in order to ensure the sustainability of ESMB. In addition, the Sponsor will provide sufficient financial assurances to ensure construction and long-term management of the proposed ESMB.
PROPOSED SERVICE AREA: The project is located within the Everglades National Park Subwatershed, identified as Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 030902021300 which is part of the larger Everglades Subbasin (HUC 03090202). The Applicant proposes a Mitigation Service Area (MSA) that includes Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties. The ESMB MSA is anticipated to include wetland habitat communities that could reasonably be expected to occur on the ESMB.
CULTURAL RESOURCES: The proposed bank is not expected to have any direct or indirect impact to cultural resources. Project review will, however, include review of the proposal for any potential impact to cultural resources.
ENDANGERED SPECIES: The proposed bank site will be reviewed for potential critical habitat and presence of endangered species. The findings will be coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service.
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. 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.
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.
COMMENTS: 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.
The initial evaluation pertaining to whether or not this mitigation bank proposal has the potential for providing compensatory mitigation for activities authorized by issued Department of the Army permits will be based on the information contained in the prospectus, received from this public notice and obtained during an inspection of the project site.
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.