ROOKERY AT PERICO SEAGRASS ADVANCE MITIGATION Mitigation Establishment Criteria Report May 17, 2013 ROOKERY AT PERICO SEAGRASS ADVANCE MITIGATION Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ I 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1.1 2.0 COMPENSATORY MITIGATION (DIRECT IMPACTS) ................................................. 2.2 2.1 MANGROVE FOREST DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION ............................................... 2.2 2.2 MONITORING METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................... 2.2 2.3 SUCCESS CRITERIA ......................................................................................................... 2.4 2.4 LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE ........................................................................................... 2.5 3.0 HABITAT CREATION MITIGATION CREDITS .............................................................. 3.5 3.1 SEAGRASS HABITAT CREATION .................................................................................... 3.5 3.1.1 Design Details ...................................................................................................... 3.5 3.1.2 Implementation Options ....................................................................................... 3.7 3.1.3 Mitigation Credit Assessment (UMAM) ................................................................ 3.9 3.1.4 Monitoring Details .............................................................................................. 3.13 3.1.5 Mitigation Credit Determination .......................................................................... 3.17 3.1.6 Long-Term Protection ........................................................................................ 3.19 3.2 MANGROVE HABITAT CREATION ................................................................................. 3.19 3.2.1 Design Details .................................................................................................... 3.19 3.2.2 Mitigation Credit Assessment (UMAM) .............................................................. 3.20 3.2.3 Monitoring Details .............................................................................................. 3.22 3.2.4 Mitigation Credit Determination .......................................................................... 3.24 3.2.5 Mangrove Creation Areas Long-Term Protection .............................................. 3.25 4.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 4.25 LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX A FIGURES ...................................................................................................... A.0 A.1 Seagrass Donor Area Exhibit ........................................................................................ A.1 APPENDIX B ATTACHMENTS .......................................................................................... B.0 B.1 Perico Preserve Habitat Restoration Modeling Study Prepared by Coastal Planning and Engineering, Inc. December 2012 ................................................................................. B.1 B.2 Uniform Wetland Mitigation Assessment Worksheet - Parts I and II ............................. B.2 rh \\us1227-f01\workgroup\2155\active\215510428\env\05_rpt-deliv\deliverables\swfwmd\submittal_finaal\rpt_mitigation_credits_20130516_final.docx i ROOKERY AT PERICO SEAGRASS ADVANCE MITIGATION Executive Summary This document has been prepared to provide supporting information for the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) relative to the establishment and release of mitigation credits for the project known as Rookery at Perico Seagrass Advance Mitigation. This document was prepared as a separate document to focus on the establishment of mitigation credits, a key component of the project. The purpose of this document is to provide a framework for the generation, monitoring, success determination, and release of mitigation credits that is applicable for both the SWFWMD and USACE. rh \\us1227-f01\workgroup\2155\active\215510428\env\05_rpt-deliv\deliverables\swfwmd\submittal_final\rpt_mitigation_credits_20130516_final.docx I ROOKERY AT PERICO SEAGRASS ADVANCE MITIGATION Introduction May 17, 2013 1.0 Introduction This document has been prepared to outline the process by which the regulatory permits may authorize the generation and release of mitigation credits for the Rookery at Perico Seagrass Advance Mitigation project. For SWFWMD, this will entail the establishment of a regional offsite mitigation area (ROMA). This document will be provided to both the SWFWMD and USACE to be incorporated into the permit conditions for the applicable permits to be issued. The Applicant acknowledges that this is a unique project and that this document may generate feedback from both the review and resource agencies. The Applicant desires to work with the agencies to establish a mitigation credit generation and release criteria that satisfies the regulatory requirements and provides a predictable mitigation credit quantity for the Applicant. In addition to habitat creation and restoration activities proposed for the purpose of generating mitigation credits, this document will also discuss the details associated with the design, monitoring, and success of the compensatory mitigation for project construction related impacts (i.e. mangrove forest excavation) discussed within the “Support Narrative” that accompanied both the USACE Individual Permit application and the SWFWMD Individual ERP application. Please reference Attachment B of the “Support Narrative and Documentation for SWFWMD ERP Application” or “Support Narrative and Documentation for USACE Application – Revised May 2013” for the Construction Plans or Project Plans, respectively, referenced herein. The following aspects and criteria will be discussed in this document: Compensatory mitigation – Mangrove forest creation Design and implementation Monitoring methodology Success criteria Long-term maintenance Habitat creation mitigation credits – Seagrass and mangrove Habitat creation design Implementation options Conceptual mitigation credit assessment Monitoring methodology rh \\us1227-f01\workgroup\2155\active\215510428\env\05_rpt-deliv\deliverables\swfwmd\submittal_final\rpt_mitigation_credits_20130516_final.docx 1.1 ROOKERY AT PERICO SEAGRASS ADVANCE MITIGATION Compensatory Mitigation (direct impacts) May 17, 2013 Mitigation credit determination/quantification Mitigation credit release schedule/details Long-term maintenance 2.0 Compensatory Mitigation (direct impacts) The proposed project requires 0.41 acre of impact to the mangrove forest adjacent to Perico Bayou for two flushing channel cuts, as described in the “Rookery at Perico Seagrass Advance Mitigation – Support Narrative and Documentation for SWFWMD ERP Application” and “Rookery at Perico Seagrass Advance Mitigation – Support Narrative and Documentation for USACE Application”. The calculated Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method (UMAM) functional loss associated with the impacts is 0.12. The Applicant proposes to mitigate for this impact through onsite mangrove forest creation. 2.1 MANGROVE FOREST DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION The Applicant proposes to provide compensatory mitigation for the mangrove impacts through the establishment of a “Mangrove Mitigation Zone” along the fringe of the “Seagrass Creation Area” as shown on the Construction Plans. The 0.5 acre mangrove creation area will be constructed as a 20-foot wide and 1,089-foot long linear fringe ranging from one (1) foot below mean high water (0.33’ NAVD) to one (1) foot above mean high water. It is anticipated that the portion above mean high water will develop into a black mangrove dominated forest and a red mangrove forest will develop below mean high water. It is likely that a transition area containing both species will develop near mean high water. Following the finish grading activities for the basin, vegetation will be installed along the upper elevations to minimize the potential for erosion within and into the Mangrove Mitigation Zone. As shown on the planting specifications in the Construction Plans, 439 red mangrove propagules will be planted on five-foot centers and 110 3-gallon red mangroves will be planted on ten-foot centers below mean high water and 108 two-inch (minimum) liner black mangroves will be planted on ten-foot centers. 2.2 MONITORING METHODOLOGY The following monitoring methodology has been designed to sufficiently monitor the Mangrove Mitigation Zone to determine whether the mitigation activities are progressing towards and eventually meeting the success criteria required by the regulatory permits. A mitigation construction completion/baseline report will be prepared and submitted to SWFWMD/USACE for approval within 30 days of the completion of planting activities. Once rh \\us1227-f01\workgroup\2155\active\215510428\env\05_rpt-deliv\deliverables\swfwmd\submittal_final\rpt_mitigation_credits_20130516_final.docx 2.2 ROOKERY AT PERICO SEAGRASS ADVANCE MITIGATION Compensatory Mitigation (direct impacts) May 17, 2013 approval is received from SWFWMD/USACE, the monitoring and maintenance period for the Mangrove Mitigation Zone will commence. Monitoring events will be conducted