TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has received an application for aE 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: Santa Rosa Island Authority
c/o Leigh Davis
1 Via De Luna
Pensacola Beach, Florida 32561
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States associated with Santa Rosa Sound. The project is located north of Via De Luna
Drive/State Highway 399, in Section 13, Township 3 South, Range 29 West, on Pensacola Beach, on Santa Rosa Island, Escambia County, Florida.
Directions to the site are as follows: From Gulf Breeze proceed southeast on US-98 and
merge onto Highway 399/Pensacola Beach Boulevard. Continue southeast and follow the road to the east on Via De Luna Drive. Turn north on Avenida 16 and continue to the northeast onto Rio Vista Dr. Segment A “Sharp Point” lies along Rio Vista Drive on the west side of the point. Segment B “Baby Beach” lies along Rio Vista Drive on the east side of the point, to the north and west of Avenida 18. There are several public access areas along Rio Vista Drive to access the beach.
APPROXIMATE CENTRAL COORDINATES:
Segment A “Sharp Point”: Latitude 30° 20.47’ North, Longitude 87° 07.07’ West
State Plane Coordinates (Florida North): 1,142,771 E / 497,227 N
Segment B “Baby Beach”: Latitude 30° 20.43’ North, Longitude 87° 06.79’ West
State Plane Coordinates (Florida North): 1,144,237 E / 496,950 NPROJECT
PURPOSE:
Basic: debris removal
Overall: To modify an existing permit to include the removal of debris from the shoreline of “Baby Beach” on Santa Rosa Sound, on Santa Rosa Island, in Escambia County, Florida.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The project site consists of an unconsolidated sandy beach with some existing rock revetments and private single-family docks. Limestone debris is located within the initial permit’s 650 linear feet of shoreline for Baby Beach, extending 280 linear feet westward. The adjacent subtidal area is a wide shallow sandy shelf extending offshore a distance of less than 100 to over 500 ft into Santa Rosa Sound before dropping into to deeper waters. Several small patches of variable-density shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) have been identified in the nearshore area. A large area of turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) lies several hundred feet offshore of the eastern Baby Beach segment. The upland areas consist of publicly accessible lots, private residential lots, and Rio Vista Drive.
PERMIT HISTORY: The Department of the Army permit number SAJ-2015-03063, issued on February 13, 2017, authorized the beach nourishment of two segments of Sharp Point: Segment A, known as “Sharp Point” and Segment B, known as “Baby Beach”. The discharge of a total of 6,500 cubic yards of fill material (beach compatible sand) in a total of 1.1 acres is authorized with maintenance events of 2,000 cubic yards every 2-3 years. Sharp Point (Segment A) involves the placement of 1,500 cubic yards of fill material along 400 linear feet of the western shoreline of Sharp Point. Baby Beach (Segment B) involves the placement of 5,000 cubic yards of fill material along 650 linear feet of the eastern shoreline of Sharp Point. Fill material would be hauled in by uplands and graded by bulldozer or similar land-based equipment. The timeframe for completing work ends on February 13, 2027.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant is proposing to modify the scope of work of the existing permit at the Baby Beach (Segment B) portion of the project site; No changes are proposed at the Sharp Point (Segment A) portion of the project site. The proposed modification includes the removal of a total of 1068 cubic yards of limestone debris from a 19,222 square foot (0.44 acre) area, consisting of 12,467 square feet within the original project site at Baby Beach and 6755 square feet from the area outside of the original project site, extending 280 linear feet to the west.
The material would be removed offsite to an upland spoil cell area located on Santa Rosa Island to be screened and sorted. Suitable material would remain on Santa Rosa Island and unsuitable material would be disposed of offsite. Additional fill would be discharged to replace the volume removed and would comply with the grainsizing and testing requirements, limits of nourishment activities and specific and general conditions would remain as defined in the original permit.
Please note that the project drawings show the full scope of project to include the proposed modification of debris removal as well as the previously authorized beach nourishment activities (as noted in “Permit History” above).
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 applicant will utilize Best Management Practices (BMPs) during construction. The proposed activities would be located to avoid sensitive areas, including submerged aquatic vegetation.
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION: The applicant has offered the following compensatory mitigation plan to offset unavoidable functional loss to the aquatic environment:
There would be no impacts to special aquatic site, therefore, the applicant did not provide a compensatory mitigation plan.
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 West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), Piping plover (Charadrius melodius), Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi), smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), giant manta ray (Mobula birostris), and swimming sea turtles, including green turtle (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricate), Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). The Corps will request U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Service concurrence with these determinations 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 an additional 0.16 acres of estuarine subtidal and intertidal habitat utilized by various life stages of 6 shark species (scalloped hammerhead, spinner, Atlantic sharpnose, sandbar, tiger, silky), four shrimp species (brown, white, pink, Royal red), coastal migratory pelagic species, red drum, and 43 species of reef fish. 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.
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 Pensacola Permits Section, 41 North Jefferson Street, Suite 301, Pensacola, Florida, 32502 within 15 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, Holly Millsap, in writing at the Pensacola Permits Section, 41 North Jefferson Street, Suite 301, Pensacola, FL 32502, by electronic mail at Holly.M.Millsap@usace.army.mil, or by telephone at (850) 470-9823.
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.