SAJ-2001-00310 (SP-KAB)

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 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. §403) as described below:

APPLICANT:  City of Carrabelle – City Administrator

                       Attn: Courtney Dempsey

                      1001 Gray Avenue

                       Carrabelle, FL  32322

                       citycbel@fairpoint.ne

WATERWAY AND LOCATION:  The project would affect waters of the United States associated with the Gulf of Mexico. The project is located in the Gulf of Mexico in Federal waters offshore of eastern Franklin County, Florida. 

Directions to the site are as follows:  The proposed artificial reef project, called Carrabelle 10 Mile Reef, is in the Gulf of Mexico, off eastern Franklin County, with the center of the site being located approximately 12.32 nautical mile (nm) on a direct bearing of 178.06° from the Turkey Point red channel marker near the Florida State University Marine Laboratory Channel. Additionally, the center of the site is located 11.33 nm on a direct bearing of 80.68° from the Sikes Cut #1 green buoy.

APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES: 

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PROJECT PURPOSE:

Basic:  Marine habitat enhancement.

Overall:  Reauthorize and expand an existing artificial reef site, known as Carrabelle 10 Mile Reef, with multiple deployments of approved materials in order to enhance the marine habitat in the offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico, off eastern Franklin County, Florida.

EXISTING CONDITIONS:  Within the previously authorized reef site, deployed materials include concrete culverts and pre-cast reef modules. In 2021, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Artificial Reef Program conducted side scan surveys of both the previously authorized site and the newly proposed site and found no seagrass or hardbottom resources. Additionally, multiple dive assessments have been conducted by the Organization for Artificial Reefs (OAR) between 2000 and 2022, supporting the findings of the side scan survey.     

PROPOSED WORK:  The applicant seeks a 10-year reauthorization to continue deployments and expand an existing previously authorized artificial reef site known as Carrabelle 10 Mile Reef. The proposed new site would include the existing 0.1 nm x 1 nm rectangular site of 84.7 acres in area and would add a new area to the northeast of the existing site. The new area would be a rectangle measuring 0.40 nm on the east-west axis by 0.68 nm on the north-south axis, encompassing 209.3 acres of newly permitted seafloor, for a total of 294 acres. It is anticipated that 28 separate phases of patch reef deployments of approved reef materials would be made over the course of the permit depending on funding and suitable reef material availability. All reef materials would be consistent with reef materials referred in the publication Guidelines for Marine Artificial Reef Materials, 2nd Edition, which was produced by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. All reef materials would also meet the expectations of the National Artificial Reef Plan, the state of Florida Artificial Reef Strategic Plan and the OAR Artificial Reef Development Plan. For the life of the permit, a total area of 80.64 acres of Gulf bottom would have new reef materials. This would account for only 27.4% of the new permitted site area when completed, if completed fully. There would be a 50’ buffer zone area inside the overall site borders on all sides where no materials would be deployed to ensure all reef materials are deployed within the permitted site. There would be a 200-foot separation between patch reefs. 

DEPTH, PROFILE AND CLEARANCE:  The depth at the proposed site ranges from -40’ on the north end to -60’ on the south end, relative to mean low low water. The maximum profile of any reef material would be 13’ at the north end of the site and 20’ feet at the south end of the site. The minimum depth after deployment (navigational clearance) would be 27’ at mean low low water.

CULTURAL RESOURCES:  The Corps 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 green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi), and giant manta ray (Mobula birostris) or its designated critical habitat. The Corps will request National Marine Fisheries Service concurrence with this determination pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. 

The Corps has determined, based on the use of The Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, and the State of Florida Effect Determination Key for the Manatee in Florida, that the proposed project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) with the inclusion of conditions a, b, c, d, and e of the Standard Manatee Conditions for In-water Work (2011).

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 294 acres of unvegetated bottom utilized by various life stages of shrimp, reef fish, stone crab and coastal migratory pelagic species in the Gulf of Mexico. 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.

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 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 Panama City Permits Section, 415 Richard Jackson Boulevard (Blvd), Suite 411 Panama City Beach, Florida 32407 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, Mrs. Kelly Bunting, in writing at  Panama City Permits Section, 415 Richard Jackson Blvd, Suite 411 Panama City, Florida 32407; by electronic mail at Kelly.A.Bunting@usace.army.mil; or, by telephone at (850) 763-0717, extension 2. 

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.   

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.