Justin Eddy From: Patty Frantz Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2017 10:26 AM To: Joyce Chisolm; Justin Eddy; Gayle Nipper; Yolanda Velazquez Subject: FW: Alafia River Mit Bank CompleteClarificationResponse_03062017 Attachments: PLANS.pdf Please upload to App Id 696643. Thanks. From: sharon [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2017 1:31 PM To: Patty Frantz <[email protected]>; John Emery <[email protected]> Subject: FW: Alafia River Mit Bank CompleteClarificationResponse_03062017 Hi and good afternoon Pat and John: With respect to what I sent you Monday, I found a minor discrepancy in the ‘Plans” Component. The oversight lies in Mitigation Plan Tables 4 & 6 that I had not fixed after the changes to access. Please discard the “Plans” pdf package sent on Monday and replace it with what is attached. Table 1 and UMAM Parts I & II are correct. The number of credits should be 35.52 not 35.48 as shown in Parts I & II but not Table 4. The correction is on Table 4: adjust score 7.15 to 7.19 credits with 89.93 acres for Mitigation Category U2. The corrected adjustment on Table 6 is: 1.77 to 1.78 In the Bank Credits segment attached with the “Plans” the acres were updated to reflect the corrected 89.93 U2 acres. Thank you and my apologies for the oversight… Sharon Collins TerraBlue Environmental P.O. Box 135 Homosassa Springs, FL 34447 386-878-3064 [email protected] From: sharon [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 9:57 AM To: Patty Frantz ([email protected]); John Emery ([email protected]); Adrienne Vining ([email protected]) Cc: Campbell McLean ([email protected]) Subject: RE: Alafia River Mit Bank CompleteClarificationResponse_03062017 Hi and good morning Pat, John and Adrienne: As mentioned below, for your internal use to make your search for approved documents easier I sent you a table. 1 Also, for your internal use in permitting ease please see: Selection of the essential permitting components previously submitted and approved per the 03132017 table; and Balance of the BOCC‐approved ARCE certification package re March 1, 2017 agenda Note that the “PLANS” attachment is the combined set of approved Mitigation Plan, Forestry Stewardship Plan, Management with Monitoring Plan, UMAM & credit ledger draft. I made one change and it is the date in the Financial Assurance documents‐‐replacing 2016 with 2017. When recorded, the approved draft conservation easement will reflect 2017 not 2016. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you for your assistance on permitting the ARMB. Sharon Collins TerraBlue Environmental P.O. Box 135 Homosassa Springs, FL 34447 386-878-3064 [email protected] From: sharon [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2017 6:53 PM To: Campbell McLean ([email protected]); Patty Frantz ([email protected]); John Emery ([email protected]); Adrienne Vining ([email protected]) Subject: Alafia River Mit Bank CompleteClarificationResponse_03062017 Hi and good afternoon Pat, John and Adrienne: The Clarification Response sent on March 6, 2017 completes the partial responses previously sent on and related to the Response and updated responses. Because the SWFWMD suggested several changes to submitted documents and these were incorporated into the Responses, a few documents replaced earlier editions. With respect to the March 6, 2017 Response, to only make your search for documents that will become a part of the permit easier, I have prepared a draft table identifying which dated or submitted document is the latest and WMD‐ approved version. This table is not part of the Response but your use. Also, for your benefit and ease to find them on your web portal as previously sent, I will attach those documents that are the essential components—these should come to you on Friday. In addition, as asked I will forward on the balance of the ARCE approval certification package—which, as already mentioned in one of the earlier emails, may also be found in the BOCC’s website for the March 1, 2017 meeting agenda. Thanks. Sharon Collins TerraBlue Environmental P.O. Box 135 Homosassa Springs, FL 34447 386-878-3064 [email protected] 2 3 MITIGATION BANKING PLAN for ALAFIA RIVER MITIGATION BANK Submitted to: SWFWMD Submitted for: Gulf Ridge Council, Inc., Boy Scouts of America 13228 N. Central Avenue Tampa, FL 33612 Submitted by: TerraBlue Environmental, LLC P.O. Box 135 Homosassa Springs, Florida 34447 Prepared by: ----------------------------------------------------- Sharon Collins Owner/Principal Ecologist Date: Updated August 4, 2015 TerraBlue Environmental POBox 135 Homosassa Springs FL 34447 [email protected] 386-878-3064 0 1.0 PROJECT OVERVIEW 1.1 INTRODUCTION The Gulf Ridge Council, Inc., Boy Scouts of America (GRC) proposes to establish the Alafia River Mitigation Bank (ARMB) within 469 of 476 acres of private lands, which extend into and bound to more than 3 miles of the Alafia River that Gulf Ridge Council owns in Hillsborough County, Florida (Figures 1 & 2, Appendix I). Under federal and State regulations, the project would be permitted as a mitigation bank for the federal (Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE)) and state (Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD)) agencies. The purpose of the ARMB and GRC’s goal is to enhance and restore the ARMB site to a more natural character, reminiscent of the way the property looked and functioned historically, a goal based on a watershed approach to restoration and enhancement of aquatic resources and, thus, ensuring an essential link in the Alafia River’s wildlife corridor. Permit issuance of the ARMB also provides a mechanism for the GRC not only to enhance the ARMB’s habitats but also to benefit and contribute to the health of the Alafia River and downstream Tampa Bay estuary. In addition, the mitigation bank will provide up-front mitigation credit to GRC to be used for sale or transfer to other private and public entities to offset impacts to wetland systems resulting from their development projects. The withdrawal of credits from the Bank will be in accordance with project needs. GRC reserves the right to enter into formal agreement with appropriate entities to purchase mitigation use rights within the bank parcels. GRC expects to retain management and financial responsibility to assure that this Mitigation Plan is fully and properly implemented (Section 7.0 and Appendix II). Establishment of the Alafia River Mitigation Bank (ARMB) will allow consideration for aquatic, water resource needs for sustainable and enhanced water quality, water supply, flood protection, and watershed functions within the Alafia River watershed. Although tied to mitigation-based credits, this project is an essential link for the long-term enhancement, as well as protection, of significant water resources and wildlife habitat connected not only to the Alafia River but also to the Tampa Bay estuary. Credits will be created through enhancement, as well as increased protection measures assured through actions executed by GRC. Once established, the ARMB will be perpetually maintained in its restored natural condition. By permit issuance of the State Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) this document will establish environmental restoration and enhancement activities at the ARMB. A mitigation bank-specific and SWFWMD-approved Conservation Easement will be prepared and recorded by the GRC in Hillsborough County public records prior to an initial credit release on the ARMB (See Appendix IV). Implementation of individual enhancement actions included in this Mitigation Plan may precede the recording of the Conservation Easement to allow a more rapid release of credits once the ARMB is permitted and the ARMB’s Conservation Easement is in place. Mitigation actions will ensure that the ARMB is permanent and self-perpetuating. Appropriate financial mechanisms will be executed by the GRC to ensure financial responsibility (Appendix IV). The Alafia River is more than 24 miles long and a major tributary of Tampa Bay. The ARMB property forms the Alafia River’s shoreline for more than 3 miles or nearly 1/10 the River’s total length. The ARMB lies above the sovereignty lands elevation of the River. A sovereignty safe line was determined and approved by Tampa Port Authority through FDEP documentation (Appendix IV). The Alafia River is a regionally significant ecosystem and wildlife corridor, supporting rich, biodiverse habitats. The River feeds vast plant and wildlife habitats. The ARMB is an integral part of the River’s ecosystem. The ARMB contains one of the most extensive, remaining natural landscapes on the River in Hillsborough County. On the ARMB, the extensive Alafia River’s floodplain contains historic riverine oxbows, numerous meandering floodplain sloughs, hydric TerraBlue Environmental POBox 135 Homosassa Springs FL 34447 [email protected] 386-878-3064 1 hammocks, bottomland hardwood forested wetlands, cypress swamps, and sinkholes. ARMB’s capacity to retain floodwaters, filtrate and transport nutrients and sediments, improve water quality, and control the timing and influx of freshwater is important to downstream estuaries associated with Tampa Bay. ARMB’s capacity for water storage is huge and water can be spread out over a large expanse of its floodplain to reduce flood peaks, a cost-effective flood control mechanism. Furthermore, the ARMB contains some of the rarest upland habitats in the region, though now overgrown and fire-suppressed. This Mitigation Plan provides background information on the ARMB site and outlines the proposed actions and expected results of implementing the bank. This Plan is designed to establish the framework for conservation over the ARMB as a whole by establishing how the component parts work together in a complimentary manner. 1.2 LOCATION The proposed ARMB is located in southern Hillsborough County, north of Lithia Springs, Florida.