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North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Cameron Ingram, Executive Director Mailing Address: Habitat Conservation • 1721 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-1721 Telephone: (919) 707-0220 • Fax: (919) 707-0028 MEMORANDUM TO: Lyn Biles, Environmental Assistance and SEPA Coordinator NCDENR Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Services FROM: Olivia Munzer, Western Piedmont Coordinator Habitat Conservation DATE: 02 October 2023 SUBJECT: Scoping for Acer LLC – Treeist Tree Care in Chapel Hill, Orange County. DEQ Project No. 24-0071. Biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) have reviewed the subject information. Our comments are provided in accordance with provisions of the United States National Environmental Policy Act and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.). The L.E.A.D.S. Group P.A., on behalf of Acer LLC, is requesting scoping for the proposed rezoning and special use permits for the Treeist Tree Care and Consulting Company to be located at 6915-UT Millhouse Road, Chapel Hill, Orange County, North Carolina. The proposed project entails the construction of two proposed office and workshop spaces, a residential unit, and supporting tree service equipment on 10.01 acres of forested area. An unnamed tributary of Old Field Creek in the Cape Fear River basin flows along the northeast property boundary. The applicant proposes a 50-foot buffer along both sides of the intermittent stream. Downstream of the project, we have records of the state endangered Carolina creekshell (Villosa vaughaniana). We also have records of the state endangered and proposed federally endangered tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) in Orange County. We recommend contacting the USFWS to ensure that any issues related to the tricolored bat are addressed. Duke Forest and Orange County Open Space (Millhouse Road Park) manage lands surrounding the proposed project. We offer the following general recommendations to minimize impacts to aquatic and terrestrial wildlife resources: 1. We recommend not clearing the entire site, but rather maintaining the maximum amount of native vegetation as possible. 2. Native plants should be used for seeding disturbed areas. Specifically, avoid using Bermudagrass, redtop, tall fescue, and lespedeza, which are invasive and/or non-native. A list of alternatives to non-native species has been attached. Alternatively, use grains, such as oats, wheat, or rye for temporary cover and native seed mixes for permeant seeding. We recommend planting native, wildflower seed mixes that will create pollinator habitat within the project boundary. Planting native vegetation can reduce the cost of maintenance. Avoid using invasive, non-native plants in 119