CONCORD, Mass. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District has issued a public notice to share with the public those projects approved for funding between 2009 and 2018 through New Hampshire’s In Lieu Fee (“ILF”) program, the New Hampshire Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund (“ARM Fund”).
The sponsor for the program is the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). The program serves as an alternative form of compensation for impacts to aquatic resources authorized by the New England District Army Corps of Engineers and/or the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. These projects were submitted in response to Requests for Proposals (“RFP”) each year beginning in 2009 and were recommended by the program’s Site Selection Committee and approved by the federal Interagency Review Team and the New Hampshire Wetlands Council.
A general description of each project is provided in the draft amendment to the ILF instrument. Details on these projects, such as their mitigation plans, are available on the Corps’ on-line Regulatory In-lieu fee and Banking Information Tracking System (RIBITS): https://ribits.usace.army.mil/ribits_apex/f?p=107:2.
The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public, federal, state, and local agencies and officials, Indian Tribes, and other interested parties. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps in implementing the ILF program in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
All comments will be considered a matter of public record. Copies of comment letters will be forwarded to the sponsor and the Interagency Review Team consisting of representatives of the Corps, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Marine Fisheries Service, and Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The public notice, with more specifics on those projects approved for funding through the NHDES ILF program, can be viewed on the Corps website at https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/PublicNotices/.
Public comments on this activity (file # NAE-2005-1143) should be forwarded no later than July 5, 2019 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Taylor Bell), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Taylor Bell at 978-318-8952 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: taylor.m.bell@usace.army.mil.