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150 <br /> f <br /> �" • <br /> t . <br /> Br t c ry ac,�s <br /> • } <br /> 1=1 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission it <br /> Gordon Myers, Executive Director <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Lyn Hardison,Environmental Assistance and SEPA Coordinator <br /> NCDENR Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Services <br /> FROM; Gabriela Garrison <br /> Eastern Piedmont Coordinator. Cl t'`' �1 " <br /> Habitat Conservation <br /> DATE: July 18,2016 <br /> SUBJECT: Comments on Oakwood Solar Farm LLC, Solar Facility in Orange County;Project <br /> Number 16-0397. <br /> Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission(NCWRC)have reviewed the <br /> proposed project description. Comments are provided in accordance with certain provisions of the North <br /> Carolina Environmental Policy Act(G.S. 113A-1 through 113A-10; 1 NCAC 25)and the Fish and <br /> Wildlife Coordination Act(48 Stat.401,as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.). <br /> Oakwood Solar Farm,LLC proposes to construct a solar facility in Orange County. The site would be <br /> located at 6517 US Highway 70,east of Mebane. A map of the proposed location(provided with the <br /> application materials)suggests the project is sited on both cleared and forested land. Clearing trees from <br /> this site and installing solar panels will displace wildlife species. Installing solar panels on previously <br /> cleared and disturbed land will have less impact and is therefore the preferred option. Solar projects <br /> should be sited to avoid impacts to wetlands,streams,riparian buffers and priority wildlife habitat, <br /> Aerial maps and images indicate tributaries to Lake Michael flow through the eastern and western <br /> portions of the project site. There have also been wetlands delineated onsite. The NCWRC offers the <br /> following recommendations to minimize impacts to aquatic and terrestrial wildlife resources: <br /> 1. Maintain or establish a minimum 100-foot undisturbed,native forested buffer along each side of <br /> perennial streams and 50-foot undisturbed,native forested buffer along each side of intermittent <br /> streams and wetlands. Forested riparian buffers provide habitat areas and travel corridors for <br /> wildlife species. In addition,forested riparian buffers protect water quality by stabilizing stream <br /> banks and filtering stormwater runoff. <br /> 2. Use bridges for all permanent roadway crossings of streams and associated wetlands to eliminate <br /> the need to fill and culvert,where practicable. If culverts must be used, the culvert should be <br /> designed to allow aquatic life passage. Fords may be appropriate and preferred for intermittent <br /> stream crossings or where crossings will be used only once or twice a year. For fords,crossings <br /> Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh,NC 27699-1721 <br /> Telephone: (919)7070220 • Fax: (919)707-0028 <br />