C-4_USFWS_Letter_for_Permit.pdf

This document is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) letter dated February 11, 2019, addressing a permit application from Brevard County for the Muck Removal project in the Eau Gallie Area of the Indian River Lagoon. The project involves hydraulically dredging up to 812,650 cubic yards of organic rich fine-grained sediment from approximately 241 acres, with the aim of improving water quality and benthic habitat. The dredged material will be transported via a 6.8-mile pipeline to the Dredged Material Management Area (DMMA) BV-52, located just west of the Intracoastal Waterway channel. The project area is situated within the Indian River Causeway in Brevard County, Florida, specifically in Sections 15, 16, 21, and 22, Township 27 South, Range 37 East.

The letter primarily focuses on the environmental review of the project's potential impacts on federally-listed species, including the eastern indigo snake, wood stork, Atlantic salt marsh snake, and West Indian manatee. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted assessments using various Effect Determination Keys and concluded that the project is "not likely to adversely affect" these species. The Corps determined that the project site lacks gopher tortoise burrows, the work area does not contain salt marsh habitat, and appropriate mitigation measures will be implemented. The document serves as a consultation under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and indicates that no further action is required unless project modifications occur or additional information about listed species becomes available.