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: Michael Sundet
2130 Queensland Ln. N
Plymouth, MN 55447
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with tidal canal connected to Florida Bay. The project site is located at 425 S. Coconut Palm Blvd., in Section 05, Township 63 South, Range 38 East, Plantation Key, Monroe County, FL 33036; R/E parcel #00430150-000100.
Directions to the site are as follows: US Highway No 1 North to mile marker 90±. Left at Royal Poinciana Boulevard. Left at Coconut Palm Blvd to S. Coconut Palm Blvd. Project Address: 425 S. Coconut Palm Blvd, Plantation Key, Monroe County, FL
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES: Latitude: 24.998939°
Longitude: -80.543603°
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Basic: The purpose of the project is to provide vessel mooring and shoreline stabilization.
Overall: The overall project purpose is to provide vessel mooring and shoreline stabilization at a vacant residential lot in Plantation Key, Monroe County, Florida.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The wetland system consists of a saltwater system. The onsite vegetation consists of buttonwood and seagrape wetland vegetation. The existing area surrounding the project area consists of vacant land and single-family residences along artificial canals connected to Florida Bay.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant seeks authorization to extend a dock and install a boat lift. Prior to the start of construction, turbidity curtains will be deployed to isolate the construction site from ambient waters. These will remain in place until all construction induced turbidity has subsided and water quality has returned to pre-construction conditions. Dock construction will commence with installing the required piles. Precast piles will be set by auger or punch and driven into firm rock with an impact hammer. Augers will be drilled and filled with reinforced concrete. The remaining work consists of forming, setting steel and placing concrete. The boat lift will be installed per the manufacturer’s specifications. The boat lift I-beams shall be installed with a vibratory hammer. All materials for the project will be trucked to the site over existing roads and the applicant’s property. The majority of work shall be performed from land. A barge may be required for the installation of the piles.
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:
Prior to the start of construction, turbidity curtains will be deployed to isolate the construction site from ambient waters. These will remain in place until all construction induced turbidity has subsided and water quality has returned to pre-construction conditions.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION: The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment: If mitigation is required by the Army Corps of Engineers, the appropriate mitigation will be determined with a UMAM and payment made to Keys Restoration Fund. If mitigation is required by the D.E.P. they propose payment to the Everglades Mitigation Bank.
CULTURAL RESOURCES: The Corps is aware of recorded historic resources within or adjacent to the permit area and is evaluating the undertaking for effects to historic properties as required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This public notice serves to inform the public of the proposed undertaking and invites comments including those from local, State, and Federal government Agencies with respect to historic resources. Our final determination relative to historic resource impacts may be subject to additional coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer, those federally recognized tribes with concerns in Florida and the Permit Area, and other interested parties.
ENDANGERED SPECIES: The Corps has determined the proposed project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the following endangered species 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:
West Indian (Florida) manatee (Trichechus manatus): The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has determined the project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect (“MANLAA”) the West Indian manatee or its designated critical habitat. Since the proposal by the applicant is for in-water construction, potential impacts to the endangered manatee were evaluated using The Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, and the State of Florida Effect Determination Key for the Manatee in Florida (Manatee Key), dated 25 April 2013. Use of the Manatee Key resulted in the following sequential determination: ; This determination is partially based on the applicant following the standard manatee construction precautions for the proposed activity. The Corps has concurrence with this determination from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), pursuant to the Manatee Key.
American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus): The project is located within American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) consultation area. According to the 28 October 2014 American Crocodile Key, the property supports suitable nesting habitat for the crocodile but the project will not impact the area of suitable nesting habitat. Use of the Key resulted in sequence #3. Therefore, the Corps has reached a “may affect not likely to adversely affect” determination on the American crocodile and its suitable nesting habitat. No further consultation with the FWS is required for the American crocodile.
Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) and Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii): According to the Multi species recovery plan the aforementioned species do not breed in Florida, but may winter in Florida. The PCEs for the species are found in geographically dynamic coastal areas that support intertidal beaches and flats (between annual low tide and annual high tide), and associated dune systems and flats above annual high tide. The project site is not within optimal habitat for these species as the project is located within a canal system or dredged channel. Based on information available, a no effect determination has been reached on these species and its native habitat. No further consultation with the FWS is required.
Key Largo Woodrat (Neotoma floridani smalli): The real estate parcel number is not on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Suitable Habitat List, dated August 2010, for Monroe County for the Key Largo Woodrat; however, the RAR lists the species with the RAR consultation area. As such, potential impacts to the Key Largo Woodrat were evaluated using the Species Key, dated 29 July 2013, and resulted in the following sequential determination: A> “no effect”. No further consultation with the FWS is required.
Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly (Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus): The real estate parcel number is not on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Suitable Habitat List, dated August 2010, for Monroe County for the Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly; however, the RAR lists the species within the RAR consultation area. As such, potential impacts to the Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly were evaluated using the Species Key, dated 29 July 2013, and resulted in the following sequential determination: A> “no effect”. No further consultation with the FWS is required.
The Corps has determined that the project will have no effect on any other listed threatened or endangered species, and/or designated critical habitat.
The Corps has determined the proposed project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect (“MANLAA”) the swimming green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii), leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), and Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) species. A no effect determination was reached on Acorpora sp. and its designated
critical habitat, loggerhead sea turtle and smalltooth sawfish critical habitat, and corals species; (Dendrogyra cylindrus, Orbicella annularis, Orbicella faveolata, Orbicella franksi, Mycetophyllia ferox). The Corps will request 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 250 sq. ft. of submerged bottom utilized by various life stages of marine life. Our initial determination is that the proposed action would not have a substantial adverse impact on EFH or Federally managed fisheries in the Florida Keys. 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.
Navigation: The proposed structure is not located in the vicinity of a federal navigation channel.
SECTION 408: The applicant will not require permission under Section 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act (33 USC 408) because the activity, in whole or in part, would not alter, occupy, or use a Corps Civil Works project.
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.
COMMENTS regarding the potential authorization of the work proposed should be submitted in writing to the attention of the District Engineer through the Florida Keys Permits Section, 9900 SW 107th Ave., Suite 203, Miami, FL, 33176 within 21 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, Maria Hoidal, in writing at the Florida Keys Permits Section, 9900 SW 107th Ave., Suite 203 Miami, FL, 33176; by electronic mail at Maria.N.Hoidal@usace.army.mil; or, by telephone at (786) 920-7630.
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.
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.
WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION: A Water Quality Certification is required from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The project is being reviewed under FDEP application no. 137439-003-EE-Moncore County.
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.