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r-1 on <br />� Forth Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission 0 <br />Gordon Myers, Executive Director <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO Lyn Hardison, Environmental Assistance Coordinator <br />NCDENR Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach <br />FROM Shari L Bryant, Piedmont Region Coordinator <br />Habitat Conservation Program <br />DATE 28 May 2013 <br />SUBJECT Application of Binks Solar, LLC for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to <br />Construct a 4 MW Solar Array, Orange County Docket No SP -2679, Sub 0 DENR Project <br />No 13 -0417 <br />Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) have reviewed the <br />subject document and we are familiar with the habitat values of the area. Our comments are provided in <br />accordance with provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat 401, as amended, 16 U.S C <br />661- 667e), and North Carolina General Statutes (G.S 113 -131 et seq ) <br />The applicant proposes to construct a photovoltaic solar facility. The facility will consist of four, 1,0 <br />MW solar photovoltaic arrays and eight, 500 kW inverters The facihty will interconnect to an existing <br />electrical distribution line and electricity will be sold to Duke Energy Carolinas The facility will be fenced <br />and located on Cascade Drive in Chapel Hill. <br />The site drains to an unnamed tributary to New Hope Creek in the Cape Fear River basin There are <br />records for the federal species of concern and state endangered brook floater (Alasmidonia varicosa) and <br />Carolina creekshell (Villora vaughaniana), the state special concern notched rainbow (Villosa constricta), and <br />the state significantly rare Eastern creeksheil (Pillosa dalumbis) and Chameleon lampmussel (Lampsihs sn ) in <br />New Hope Creek We offer the following general recommendations to minimize impacts to aquatic and <br />terrestrial wildlife resources <br />Maintain or establish a minimum I00 -foot undisturbed, native forested buffer along each side of <br />perennial streams and 50 -foot undisturbed, native forested buffer along each side of mtermittent <br />streams and wetlands Forested riparian buffers provide habitat areas for aquane and terrestrial <br />wildlife species and travel corridors for terrestrial wildlife. In addition, forested riparian buff rs <br />protect water quality by stabilizing stream banxs and filtering stormwater runoff <br />Mailing Address: Division of Inland Fisheries • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699 -1121 <br />Telephone: (919) 707 -0220 • Fax: (919) 707 -0029 <br />