1 / 82

November 16, 2004

Presentation to Liaison Council. November 16, 2004. Meeting Purpose. Information exchange on progress and activities. Provide opportunity for Council Members to ask questions and discuss issues. EEP Liaison Council Members Bill Ross NCDENR Dempsey Benton NCDENR Roger Sheats NCDOT

sun
Download Presentation

November 16, 2004

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Presentation to Liaison Council November 16, 2004

  2. Meeting Purpose • Information exchange on progress and activities. • Provide opportunity for Council Members to ask questions and discuss issues.

  3. EEP Liaison Council Members Bill Ross NCDENR Dempsey Benton NCDENR Roger Sheats NCDOT David Franklin USACE Tom Bean NC Environmental Defense Jim Buck Buck Engineering Leslie Bevacqua NCCBI Derb Carter Southern Environmental Law Center Alan Fickett Ecobank Bill Gilmore EEP Camilla Herlevich Coastal Land Trust Phil Harris NCDOT Bill Holman Clean Water Management Trust Fund Mike Jones Martin Marietta Suzanne Klimek EEP Barney O’Quinn Arcadis Linda Pearsall NC Natural Heritage Program John Preyer NCERA Katherine Skinner The Nature Conservancy Joe Thomas Ecobank Greg Thorpe NCDOT Guests Barb Satler EEP Reid Wilson CTNC Chris Russo NCDENR

  4. Agenda • Progress Update Gilmore • Program Status - Operations Klimek, Horton, Amaral, Stanfill • Questions/Wrap-up Gilmore/Klimek

  5. Progress Overview • Visit from Assistant Secretary of the Army • Budget • Policy, Process and Procedures Manual • Personnel

  6. Assistant Secretary of the ArmyThe Honorable John Paul Woodley, Jr. November 3, 2004 On invitation from Secretary Ross Provide overview of program

  7. Opening Briefing, EEP HQ Honorable John Paul Woodley, Jr. ASA Civil Works Sec. Ross- NCDENR Sec. Tippett- NCDOT Chief Deputy Sec. Benton- NCDENR Deputy Sec. Sheats- NCDOT Colonel Ray Alexander- USACE Mr. Ken Jolly- USACE Ms. Nina Szlosberg- BOT, EPPC Mr. Stan Meiberg- USEPA Region IV Ms. Linda Rimer – USEPA

  8. Ellerbe Creek RestorationDurham

  9. Ellerbe Creek

  10. Totten Center, Chapel HillProject DevelopmentHigh Quality Preservation

  11. Haw River Levees and Slopes

  12. Haw River Levees and Slopes

  13. Observations Strong support for • Project Development through Watershed Planning • Types of Restoration Initiatives • New means and methods of mitigation • BMPs • HQ Preservation • Contracting and private sector delivery • Cooperative agreement to streamline processes • Partnerships and multiple value to shareholders • Looking to export many features of EEP

  14. Tri-Party Biennial Budget Administration= $ 15 million Restoration= $ 47 million Preservation= $ 121 million Project Development= $ 6 million $ 189 million

  15. Budget • For MOA work approved August 5, 2004 • First installment of $44 million received • Costs and obligations • Admin and operations 2% • Restoration 53% • HQ Preservation 45% • Projecting to obligate entire budget • Major initiatives in restoration • Continuance of HQ preservation program

  16. Process Improvement • Version 1 Policy and Procedures Manual to be on line by end of month • EEP organizational strategic plan complete and on-line • Comprehensive database contract and development planned for near future, estimated $1.5 million investment

  17. Status of Staffing • At 67% of target

  18. Program Status - Operations • Operational Strategic Plan • Characterization of Program Projects • Mitigation Requirements Accepted to Date • Example of Watershed-based Project Development • Details on Preservation Efforts • Details on Program Assets as Compared to Program Requirements

  19. Operational Strategic Plan for Meeting Projected Needs • Evaluated program assets in relation to projected needs over time • Assessed program needs in relation to terms of MOU and Tri-party MOA • Worked together to determine best approach for different areas of the state

  20. Primary Mitigation Procurement Methods • Full Delivery RFPs • Design-Bid-Build • Watershed-based Project Development • High Quality Preservation • Inter-agency cooperative efforts

  21. Full Delivery Awards -Sept/Oct 2004 • 143,000 ft. stream • 625 acres of wetland • 75 acres of buffer • Total contract value = $39,644,356

  22. Full Delivery Services Requested October 2004 Requested: 450,000 feet stream 900 acres wetlands 1300 acres buffers Potential Value = $100 million Advancing mitigation -- Impacts for 3+ years out based on NCDOT projected impacts

  23. Restoration through Design-Bid-Build • 22 firms - “on call” contracts • awarded $1.54 million for restoration design • 4 individual RFSs for design of larger projects • 53,000 linear feet of stream • 50 acres of wetlands • Value of $1.85 million • Approximately $8.5 million currently contracted for construction

  24. Watershed-based Project Development Services Solicited • In receipt of proposals from approximately 20 firms (November 9) • Targeting program needs for 2006 - 2008 • Beginning selection process • Potential contract value of $1.2 million • Work to start early 2005

  25. High Quality Preservation • $39.9 million spent through Sept 04 • Options/offers on additional $38.9 million • Continuing to pursue additional according to forecasts provided • To date and in partnership with other agencies have preserved over 24,000 acres for the State

  26. Characterization of Program Projects • Tier 3 = Project opportunity has received favorable review from staff and initial contact with landowners has been made • Tier 2 = Landowners have been contacted and feedback has been positive • Tier 1 = Site acquired and designer assigned

  27. Tier 1 Projects

  28. Tiers 2 and 3 Projects

  29. Process for Accepting DOT Impacts • DOT sends request to EEP with details of field-verified impacts • EEP evaluates request and program assets • Transition project on Exhibit 2? • Have impacts increased from projection? • Has the project been advanced? • Do we have assets to offset impacts according to defined protocols? • EEP issues appropriate response and adjusts applicable databases • EEP response part of permit application

  30. Amount of DOT Impacts Accepted through EEP *1:1 Restoration Component due July 22, 2005

  31. Break

  32. Example Project Development Process Deborah Armaral

  33. High Quality Preservation Stephanie Horton

  34. Goal Preserve highest quality land in the state “best of the best” • Under threat of degradation • Available for timely acquisition • Mitigation need in the ecoregion

  35. Ecoregions-EEP transition

  36. Preservation Ratios • 10:1 preservation : impact within ecoregion • Meet aggressive mitigation schedule • Complete construction to mitigate for 8 years of impacts by 2008 • 1:1 restoration on MOA timeline • 5:1 preservation released • Opportunity to partner with others to protect most important conservation areas

  37. Selection Criteria Developed by state and federal agencies • Ecologically significant areas • Conservation corridors • High quality waters • Waters containing rare species • Water supply watersheds • Unique wetlands • Areas IDed in watershed protection plans

  38. Site Selection • 300’ stream buffers protect all functions • Wildlife habitat • Flood mitigation • Sediment removal • Bank stability • Water temperature moderation • Aquatic food webs

  39. Acquisitions • EEP provided $39.15 million for the purchase of conservation lands • Protected 96 miles of stream and 4,900 acres of wetlands • Helped purchase more than 24,000 acres

  40. Active Projects • $38.9 million allocated for protection of 64 additional properties • Additional stream footage and wetland acreage: 90 miles of stream; 3,200 acres of wetlands; total approx. 9,300 acres

  41. Partnerships • NC Clean Water Management Trust • NC Heritage Trust Fund • NC Parks and Recreation • NC Plant Protection Program • NC Wildlife Resources • Private donors and landowners

  42. Conservation Trust for North Carolina Partnership • Site identification & evaluation • Prepare EEP applications • Secure options • Transmit offers • Complete closings • Initial site monitoring

  43. Conservation Trust for North Carolina Partnership • Identify and evaluate preservation sites through local land trusts • Encourage landowner participation • Assessed 100 properties • EEP is actively pursuing most

  44. Partnerships • Needmore Tract • 4,400-acre site managed for public use by NC Wildlife Resources Commission • Partners include Heritage Trust, Clean Water Management Trust, The Nature Conservancy, NC Wildlife Resources, Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, private donors

  45. Needmore Tract • Endangered mussels and fish onsite -Littlewing pearlymussel -Appalachian elktoe mussel -Spotfin chub • 27 miles of Little Tennessee River, 37 miles of tributaries • Corridor links USFS property with GSMNP • Development threat high-second homes

  46. Little Tennessee River Needmore Tract

  47. Little Tablerock Mountain • 544-acre tract North Toe River headwaters • Appalachian elktoe in the watershed • 24,491 feet stream • Adjacent to Blue Ridge Parkway • Private donor purchased uplands • Public access - Wildlife Resources

  48. Little Tablerock Mountain

More Related