ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

BALDWIN COUNTY and MOBILE COUNTY

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR A REVIEW OF A FEDERAL AGENCY’S CONSISTENCY DETERMINATION FOR A PROPOSED FEDERAL ACTION
PUBLIC NOTICE - 591

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) hereby gives notice that the NOAA affiliated Alabama GulfCorps has requested, in accordance with Title 15 C.F.R. 930 Subpart C, review of a proposed federal actions pursuant to ADEM Administrative Code division 335-8.

Alabama state managers on the RESTORE Council have identified several projects that the GulfCorps plans to begin working on in year six of this multi-year effort.  These projects are all located on state or federal lands, or other conservation landholdings that are protected by 501c(3) organizations.  The GulfCorps is funded through the RESTORE Deepwater Horizon funds to provide employment opportunities and training for local conservation corps to participate in coastal habitat restoration.

GulfCorps will train and hire local young people to conduct coastal habitat restoration using manual labor. These projects were identified in collaboration with the Governor’s office and other partners and there are multiple locations in Alabama. These projects provide stewardship of coastal upland habitats through the mapping, control and eradication of invasive species, trail/road and facilities maintenance and repair, including removal of debris, native vegetation planting, pitcher plant bog restoration, prescribed burn fire preparedness and prescribed burns, sand dune creation, education and outreach, and invasive apple snail removal.

GulfCorps crews list of standard crew activities that could be undertaken at each project site include:

• Invasive Species Management: Mechanical treatment with saws and/or hand tools, and/or chemical

treatment with herbicide hand applicators or backpack sprayers. Foliar application used for
grass/herbaceous plants. Hack-and-squirt used for woody plants.

• Wetland Native Vegetation Planting: Planting native wetland vegetation with hand tools.

• Reef Preparation: Recycling oyster shells, bagging shell/reef material, bundling trees.

• Wetland Fire Preparation: Fire line maintenance and selected vegetation thinning/removal with hand

tools. Activities will be directed by land manager; GulfCorps crews will not select areas for treatment or
use heavy equipment.

• Wetland Prescribed Fire: Participation in partner-led prescribed fire application. Partner (land manager)

acts as burn boss, selects areas, determines timing, and obtains necessary burn permits/authorizations.

• Wetland Debris Removal: Storm debris cleanup and litter removal using hand tools (no heavy

equipment)

• Wetland Vegetation Management: Propagating, collecting, growing, harvesting, and transplanting

wetland plants. Harvesting/transplanting would only take wetland plants from nurseries or approved
donor sites where extraction is authorized.

• Planting Native Upland Vegetation: Planting native vegetation with hand tools in locations/spacing

dictated by partner/land manager.

• Upland Vegetation Management: Propagating, collecting, growing, harvesting, and transplanting plants.

Harvesting/transplanting would only take plants from nurseries or approved donor sites where
extraction is authorized.

• Upland Fire Preparation: Fire line maintenance and selected vegetation thinning/removal with hand

tools. Activities will be directed by land manager; GulfCorps crews will not select areas for treatment or
use heavy equipment.

• Upland Prescribed Fire: Participation in partner-led prescribed fire application. Partner (land manager)

acts as burn boss, selects areas, determines timing, and obtains necessary burn permits/authorizations.

• Upland Debris Removal: Storm debris cleanup and litter removal using hand tools (no heavy

equipment).

• Facility Vegetation Management: Clearing, removing, or trimming vegetation around

facilities/amenities.

• Trail Maintenance: Maintenance of established trails to include vegetation management, mulching,

leveling with hand tools, and marking.

• Boundary Marking/Maintenance: Marking boundary lines with signs, and fence/border maintenance.

The following Alabama GulfCorps Projects are proposed for year six:

• AL1-1 Weeks Bay NERR Stewardship

This previously approved project is adding additional land parcels – all standard GulfCorps activities.

• AL1-2 Weeks Bay Foundation

This previously approved project is adding additional land parcels. The Weeks Bay Foundation is now the
South Alabama Land Trust and they are adding land beyond Weeks Bay to their portfolio – all standard
GulfCorps activities.

• AL1-3o Little River SOA Boundaries

New location – all standard GulfCorps activities.

• AL1-3p Red Hills WMA

New location – all standard GulfCorps activities.

• AL1-6h Brookley Waterfront Park

New location – all standard GulfCorps activities.

• AL1-8a City of Orange Beach Stewardship

This previously approved project location is adding additional land parcels – all standard GulfCorps
activities.

• AL1-11h Chickasabogue Park

New location – all standard GulfCorps activities.

• AL1-11i River Delta Park

New location – all standard GulfCorps activities.

• AL1-11j Escatawpa Hollow Park

New location – all standard GulfCorps activities.

• AL1-11k Bayfront Park

New location – all standard GulfCorps activities.

GulfCorps has determined that the proposed activities are consistent to the maximum extent practicable with the enforceable policies of the Alabama Coastal Area Management Program (ACAMP).

Any person wishing to make comments or provide additional information relative to the proposed activity’s consistency with the ACAMP must submit such comments or information by letter or by email to ADEM at the address below within fifteen (15) calendar days following the publication date of this notice. Only those comments, which address issues within the Department’s scope of authority, can be considered. All correspondence regarding this proposal should reference application number ACAMP-2018-040.6.

Sarila Mickle
Mobile Branch Office
Alabama Department of Environmental Management
3664 Dauphin Street, Suite B
Mobile, Alabama 36608-1211
Coastal@adem.alabama.gov

Copies of all information submitted are available for public inspection at the ADEM office located at the above address Monday – Friday (except legal holidays), 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Arrangements for review and copying should be made in advance. These documents related to this proposed action and documents otherwise related to this facility also may be viewed at the Department’s eFile system located at http://app.adem.alabama.gov/eFile/ by selecting Media Area “Water,” entering the application number in place of the “Permit Number,” and pressing Search.

This Public Notice is available on the internet at http://adem.alabama.gov/newsEvents/publicNotices.cnt. The ADEM Division 335-8 rules are available on the internet at adem.alabama.gov.

After consideration of all written comments and consideration of the requirements of the Alabama Coastal Area Management Act and ADEM Coastal Program rules, the Department will make a final determination.  The Department’s determination, associated documents and all comments received during the public comment period will be available for inspection at the ADEM office located at the above address during normal working hours.  Notice of the final permit decision will be sent to any person who requests such notice, in writing, during this comment period.

The Department maintains a list of interested individuals who are emailed legal notices regarding proposed permits.  If you wish to receive such notices, please sign up at http://adem.alabama.gov by entering your email address on the left side of the page and clicking the submit button.

Notice is hereby given this 21st day of September, 2022, by authorization of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

Nondiscrimination Statement:   The Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in the administration of its programs.