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). The purpose of this public notice is to solicit comments from the public regarding the work described below:
APPLICANT: Allen Lewis, Lt Col, PE
Tyndall AFB
102 Checkertail Way
Bldg. 36234
Tyndall AFB, FL 32403
AGENT: David Bell
Jacobs
10 10th Street NE
Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30309
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The project would affect waters of the United States and navigable waters of the United States associated with the St. Andrew Sound. The project/review area is located near U.S. Highway 98 in Section 34, Township 5 South, Range 13 West; at Latitude 30.007058 and Longitude -85.526792; in Panama City, Bay County, Florida.
EXISTING CONDITIONS: The location of the proposed breakwater construction and seagrass enhancement are in St. Andrew Sound offshore of Buck Beach in the southwestern portion of Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB) in the Crooked Island District. The proposed project area consists of a shallow water estuarine area with unconsolidated sand substrate and sparse submerged aquatic vegetation. Shore elevation ranges from approximately 2.6 to 4 feet NAVD 88. The general bathymetry of the current extent of the seagrass meadow is shallow with depths between 1 and 4 ft. The area is characterized to have experienced a substantial loss of coverage in the seagrass meadow since 2010 when historic ranges were mapped as far seaward as the present day 7- to 9-feet bathymetric contour lines. The applicant indicates that since 2010, the seaward end of the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in St. Andrew Sound has been moving inshore at an average rate of 67 feet per year, likely due to a combination of grazing, disease, erosion, and deposition. The ongoing erosion is contributing to the receding shoreline and limiting the area where SAV can establish. Thus, increasing the vulnerability of Tyndall AFB to storm surge impacts based on its low elevations and location in a hurricane-prone area.
These projects are funded by the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's National Coastal Resilience Fund grant, awarded to The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
PROJECT PURPOSE: The purpose of the project is to improve the resilience of Tyndall AFB by protecting shorelines near critical base assets, attenuating wave energy, and reducing the rate of coastal erosion from sea-level rise in the project areas over time.
Basic: The basic project purpose is seagrass enhancement, tidal flood mitigation and shoreline protection.
Overall: The overall project purpose is to construct a living shoreline breakwater project at the Tyndall Air Force Base, Bay County, Florida.
PROPOSED WORK: The applicant requests authorization to install twelve 206-foot-long breakwater units that would be constructed 96 feet apart at distances ranging from 216 and 816 feet from the Mean High Water line (MHWL). The submerged shoreline stabilization breakwater (SSB) units will be installed within the historical extent of the seagrass meadow and approximately 25 feet from the existing submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). The SSB units will be submerged at a water depth of 5 ft, with the top of each structure 0.54 feet below the current mean low water level. The SSB units will be constructed from quarry limestone boulders with a 2:1 side slope. Each SSB unit will cover a footprint of 9,148 ft2 (0.21 acre) on the seafloor. Combined, the 12 SSB units will cover approximately 109,771 ft2 (2.52 acres).
AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION: The applicant has provided the following information in support of efforts to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the aquatic environment:
Potential impacts to surface water habitats have been avoided and minimized to the extent possible while still achieving the project's purpose: minimizing disruptions to Tyndall AFB’s mission due to storm-related flooding of critical infrastructure and operational areas. Avoiding impacts to existing seagrass beds was a primary consideration during development of the proposed nature-based solutions (NBS) breakwaters. Since 2010, the seaward end of the SAV in St. Andrew Sound has been moving inshore at an average rate of 67 ft per year, likely due to a combination of grazing, disease, erosion, and deposition. The ongoing erosion is contributing to the receding shoreline and limiting the area where SAV can establish. To protect the existing seagrass meadow, no breakwater units will be placed on areas where surveys revealed existing seagrass coverage. All NBS projects were designed to remain at least 25 ft seaward of existing seagrass beds. Additionally, all breakwater designs place units no less than 75 ft apart to ensure adequate flushing for water quality purposes and sufficient spacing for manatee protection.
To further minimize the impacts to the wetlands and other surface waters adjacent to the proposed impact areas, best management practices will be used during project construction. Construction of the NBS projects will be conducted from barges located 200 to 900 ft offshore, depending on the breakwater. No construction activity, including staging areas, will be conducted on land. No operation of heavy machinery will be conducted within wetlands or surface waters outside of these aerial limits. All clearing activities will take place from inside the area to be cleared. No heavy machinery or vegetation will be staged or stockpiled within adjacent areas
COMPENSATORY MITIGATION: The applicant has provided the following explanation why compensatory mitigation should not be required: “No mitigation is proposed because there are no wetland impacts.”
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, federally recognized tribes and other interested parties.
ENDANGERED SPECIES: Pursuant to Section 7 ESA, any required consultation with the Service(s) will be conducted in accordance with 50 CFR part 402. The Tyndall Air Force Base is the lead Federal agency for ESA consultation for the proposed action. Any required consultation will be completed by Tyndall AFB. As the lead federal agency Tyndall AFB is untimely responsible for compliance under section 7 of ESA.
This notice serves as request to the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for any additional information on whether any listed or proposed to be listed endangered or threatened species or critical habitat may be present in the area which would be affected by the proposed activity.
ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT: As Lead Federal Agency, Tyndall AFB initiated consultation with the NMFS on EFH as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1996. The proposal would impact approximately 0.21 acre of shallow water estuarine habitat with soft bottom, sand/shell, water column, and adjacent submerged aquatic vegetation utilized by various life stages of coastal sharks, penaeid shrimp, reef fish, coastal migratory species, and red drum. NMFS determination is that the proposed action is not likely to adversely affect the NMFS ESA-listed species and/or designated critical habitat.
NAVIGATION: The proposed structure or activity 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 of 1899 (33 USC 408) because the activity, in whole or in part, would not alter, occupy, or use a Corps Civil Works project.
WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION: Water Quality Certification may be required from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
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 geographic extent of aquatic resources within the proposed project area that either are, or are presumed to be, within the Corps jurisdiction has been verified by Corps personnel.
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.
COMMENTS: 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 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 used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.
The Jacksonville District will receive written comments on the proposed work, as outlined above, until July 10, 2025. Comments should be submitted electronically via the Regulatory Request System (RRS) at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs or to Davielle Drayton at davielle.n.drayton@usace.army.mil. Alternatively, you may submit comments in writing to the Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, Attention: Davielle Drayton, 100 W. Oglethorpe Ave Savannah, GA 31404. Please refer to the permit application number in your comments.
Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice, that a public hearing be held to consider the application. Requests for public hearings shall state, with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing. Requests for a public hearing will be granted, unless the District Engineer determines that the issues raised are insubstantial or there is otherwise no valid interest to be served by a hearing.
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