A girl and her trees

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11.22.2010 Posted in Uncategorized

I came across these photos of Georgia Howard (daughter of Swamp Merchant) from this spring at RS and NCEEP’s Casey Dairy Riparian Buffer and Wetland “Full Delivery” mitigation site outside Goldsboro, NC. The site is east of Goldsboro just south of Highway 70 on the way to Morehead City.

All the larger  trees you see were planted and permanently protected in the Fall of 2002 — just when Georgia spouted too!

A Google map of the same area:


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The brownish\gray areas you see on either side of Walnut Creek creek above and below the center of the map are planted to protect water quality from the agricultural run-off from adjacent farm fields.

Ellison named EEP deputy director

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11.16.2010 Posted in Uncategorized

The N.C. Ecosystem Enhancement Program today announced that Michael S. Ellison of Cary will assume the duties of EEP deputy director on Nov. 29.   Ellison, 48, comes to EEP from BHE Environmental Inc., where he served as vice president and director of natural resources.   Ellison is a 1990 graduate of the University of Alabama.  As deputy director, Ellison will be responsible for day-to-day duties of operations management.

Vindication: NCDENR study confirms privately contracted mitigation superior to government "in-house" projects

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11.2.2010 Posted in Uncategorized

I haven’t had time to pick through this carefully, but it appears to be a win for private “Full Delivery” mitigation and mitigation banks — not to mention a damn fine academic effort. I will be back soon with more detailed commentary.

Compensatory Stream and Wetland Mitigation in NC Evaluation of Regulatory Sucess

Video: Double dip throw down on Jones Street

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04.30.2010 Posted in double dipping, In-Lieu-Fee Mitigation, NC Ecosystem Enhancement

Lawmakers might dun DENR for wetlands mistake

State lawmakers said Thursday that they might have to pull $700,000 from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources budget to make up for a costly error in a wetlands clean-up in Johnston County.

When the state pays to preserve environmentally sensitive wetlands, it gets a credit to offset the destruction of another wetland for a highway project or other development. Each restored area can be used only once as a credit, but DENR hired a firm last year to restore the same 46 acres in the Neuse River Basin that the state Department of Transportation paid to restore in 2000.

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Four Year Checkup: Lowell Park looking good for the new decade

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01.13.2010 Posted in Army Corps of Engineers, dam removal, lowell dam, NCEEP, stream restoration

I dropped by RS’ Lowell Park today in Kenly, NC, Johnston County.  Lowell Park is the site of the former Lowell Dam that RS shot to dust in 2005 for the NCEEP.  We purchased an additional 17 acres at the site so that we would leave behind something for the community after the removing the dangerous and defunct structure.

The interpretive signs could use a little paint, but otherwise the site is in ship-shape.  We pay an elderly gentleman to maintain the site and he does an excellent job.  There was hardly a cigarette butt to be seen and the grass was mowed as neat as a pin.

Scroll over and click to see full screen: