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re: Clearing underbrush on wetlands?
Posted on 2/17/22 at 10:31 pm to Mariner
Posted on 2/17/22 at 10:31 pm to Mariner
Is it in a neighborhood? We bought a lot in a neighborhood back in 2001 that had wetlands on it. We filed some sort of paper work and the Corps of Engineers had so many days to come out and make a determination. They never showed in the time allotted. We received A letter from the Corps saying we could proceed with our project with out the determination. Lot size is a little bigger than yours. In Mandeville, but outside the city limits. If your situation is similar, it could go the same. Good luck.
1
Posted on 2/17/22 at 10:43 pm to TIGER2
It's in a neighborhood.
Someone told me the best thing to do is build your house first because inspectors out the wazzoo will visit during construction, then when its built everyone splits and you are old news. That is when you schedule bobcats to plow through the backyard and do whatever you want.
I just want to have a little bit of the wetland under brushed for aesthetics.
Someone told me the best thing to do is build your house first because inspectors out the wazzoo will visit during construction, then when its built everyone splits and you are old news. That is when you schedule bobcats to plow through the backyard and do whatever you want.
I just want to have a little bit of the wetland under brushed for aesthetics.
Posted on 2/17/22 at 10:46 pm to Mariner
Follow that route.
Also congrats on the flooding and mosquitoes.
Also congrats on the flooding and mosquitoes.
Posted on 2/17/22 at 11:12 pm to Mariner
You can clear/cut the brush as long as you do not disturb the soil (like root/stump removal).
Utilizing a forestry mulcher will deposit a layer of debris on top of the existing wetland soil. The CoE may allow some amount of thin layer of mulched debris but likely not a lot.
Contact CoE for them visit your site for determination.
Utilizing a forestry mulcher will deposit a layer of debris on top of the existing wetland soil. The CoE may allow some amount of thin layer of mulched debris but likely not a lot.
Contact CoE for them visit your site for determination.
Posted on 2/18/22 at 5:20 am to Mariner
Speaking as someone who has done wetland work for over 10 years, it really depends on the amount/degree of underbrushing. The entire purpose of Section 404 is to prevent the loss/conversion of wetland functions.
Let's say you have an acre of pine savanna that has very few trees on it. Underbrushing that wetland would have a substantially greater impact on wetland function than underbrushing a closed canopy hardwood forest. Underbrushing a bottomland hardwood that has very little understory anyway isn't going to cause much functional loss. Also depends on the vegetation--if it's privet or other invasive shrubs, I would take some pictures, stash them away, and then ask forgiveness rather than permission. Plant some native, adapted species in their place for a more natural look, and you could argue that you enhanced the wetland by removing invasives and reestablishing native species.
Basically, it depends on the type of wetland. But be forewarned, the Corps would require a permit if you wanted to clear a tallow tree thicket if it was on a wetland. And anyone worth their salt could argue that tallow trees have very little benefit as an invasive species.
Let's say you have an acre of pine savanna that has very few trees on it. Underbrushing that wetland would have a substantially greater impact on wetland function than underbrushing a closed canopy hardwood forest. Underbrushing a bottomland hardwood that has very little understory anyway isn't going to cause much functional loss. Also depends on the vegetation--if it's privet or other invasive shrubs, I would take some pictures, stash them away, and then ask forgiveness rather than permission. Plant some native, adapted species in their place for a more natural look, and you could argue that you enhanced the wetland by removing invasives and reestablishing native species.
Basically, it depends on the type of wetland. But be forewarned, the Corps would require a permit if you wanted to clear a tallow tree thicket if it was on a wetland. And anyone worth their salt could argue that tallow trees have very little benefit as an invasive species.
This post was edited on 2/18/22 at 5:23 am
Posted on 2/18/22 at 5:48 am to Mariner
Controlled burn will clear out the underbrush.
Posted on 2/18/22 at 6:07 am to Doctor Strangelove
quote:
Controlled burn will clear out the underbrush.
Yeah, and it could also kill the overstory trees depending on species and fuel load.
Posted on 2/18/22 at 6:17 am to Cowboyfan89
Thanks for the info. I am going to contact the surveyor recommended on a previous post and go from there. I sent an inquiry to the local CoE.
Posted on 2/18/22 at 6:24 am to Mariner
Once upon a time, I did wetland delineations. Onsite vegetation was an "Occupational hazard". Anyone doing a site visit for this purpose should be ready to deal with it (if they're worth their salt).
Posted on 2/18/22 at 6:42 am to Mariner
go get you a brush cutter attachment on your weedwacker and get after it.
Posted on 2/18/22 at 6:48 am to Mariner
Drip torch right after a strong front moves through and dries things up enough to burn
Posted on 2/18/22 at 6:51 am to Mariner
Fence it up and put 20 goats on it.
Posted on 2/18/22 at 7:15 am to Mariner
Burn some down limbs and maybe your fire gets out of control.
Posted on 2/18/22 at 7:29 am to Mariner
Get some goats
Posted on 2/18/22 at 7:41 am to LT
It's a subdivision unfortunately.
Posted on 2/18/22 at 7:59 am to Doctor Strangelove
Buy a gallon of Remedy Ultra and wait for a dark night.....
Posted on 2/18/22 at 8:10 am to Mariner
quote:
It's a subdivision unfortunately.
If it's a subdivision, it's possible any wetland impacts have already been mitigated. Depending on how old it is, you may be able to reach out to the developer and find out what they mitigated. They would have maps showing the areas that were impacted/mitigated as well.
Worth checking into before spending a bunch of money on a consultant, especially for only a few acres.
Something else to consider is an NWP. If you have mostly nonnative vegetation in the understory, and want to introduce native understory species to be more like the natural plant community, you could likely claim coverage under Nationwide Permit 27--Aquatic Habitat Restoration, Enhancement, and Establishment Activities. No mitigation required, because you are restoring, enhancing, or establishing wetland functions. In your case, if that is the route you wanted to go, it would be enhancement.
This post was edited on 2/18/22 at 8:16 am
Posted on 2/18/22 at 8:11 am to Mariner
Can't use any mechanical equipment.
Posted on 2/18/22 at 8:18 am to CWS91
quote:
Can't use any mechanical equipment.
Well technically, you couldn't do anything without a permit. Any removal of vegetation could result in alteration of the physical, biological, or chemical functions of the wetland. The method of removal is irrelevant--you are altering a wetland.
That's like saying you can use a shovel but not a backhoe to dig a ditch; one is more efficient, but both have the effect of draining/altering a wetland.
This post was edited on 2/18/22 at 8:19 am
Posted on 2/18/22 at 8:21 am to Mariner
quote:
Someone told me the best thing to do is build your house first because inspectors out the wazzoo will visit during construction, then when its built everyone splits and you are old news. That is when you schedule bobcats to plow through the backyard and do whatever you want.
And then y'all will bitch about flooding problems in a few years.
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