Mitigation Bank planned for SPA land on DI

Public comments now being accepted

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced the opening of a public comment period on a 134-acre commercial saltwater mitigation bank proposed for a portion of land owned by the State Ports Authority (SPA) on Daniel Island. Under the plan, the property would be preserved and restored to its original condition, stated Sen. Larry Grooms, who has been working on the proposal for a number of years.

"Restoring this land is a genuinely rare opportunity,” stated Grooms, in a press release. “The existence of a saltwater mitigation bank is itself unusual, to say the least. Having the ability for the public to enjoy the same large, natural, open space is simply icing on the cake.”

Once the land is restored, it could be used for recreational activities such as hiking, biking and kayaking, noted Grooms.

“The mitigation proposal includes creating land elevations on the site that are conducive to the natural formation of tidal creeks and marshlands,” stated the press release. “The mitigation work would be monitored to ensure that the restoration meets Corps’ guidelines and community standards.”

A “Public Notice” issued by the Army Corps of Engineers on January 13 indicated that the site of the mitigation bank is a portion of a former confined disposal facility. Prior to 1970, it was used to manage dredge materials for the SPA. The Corps’ announcement further stated that during the 1980s and 90s, the majority of the mitigation site was used for farming. Those activities, however, were discontinued more than a decade ago.

The plan for the site calls for removing existing vegetation and excavating 105.35 acres to create the elevations necessary to establish tidal creeks, low marsh and high marsh. Once that work is complete, saltwater marsh vegetation would be planted and natural tidal flows would inundate the mitigation site twice a day.

The proposed mitigation bank would also provide credits (or in-kind compensatory mitigation) for “authorized impacts to aquatic resources located within the Cooper River, Stono River, Santee River and Bulls Bay watersheds,” stated the Corps’ announcement.

“We’d be able to pre-sell some of those credits and use the monies to do the restoration work, and create the walkways, pathways and parks,” added Grooms.

The public notice on the Daniel Island mitigation bank can be found at http://www.sac.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices. Public comments on the proposal can be mailed to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

ATTN: Regulatory Division

69A Hagood Avenue

Charleston, S.C. 29403-5107

If submitting comments, be sure to include the public notice number of the project (P/N SAC-2015-00526). Written comments will be accepted until February 13, 2017.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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