CONCORD, Mass. – John S. Andrew, of JASA Family Farm, of Newport, Vermont, is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in waters of the United States in conjunction with converting forested wetland into pasture in Coventry, Vermont.

The permit applicant proposes to mechanically clear and convert a total of about 11.25 acres of cutover forested and scrub-shrub wetland to pasture at the applicant’s dairy farm. This work is proposed in wetlands adjacent to an unnamed tributary to Lake Memphremagog off the west side of Alderbrook Road in Coventry.

With the exception of re-establishing a ditch and maintaining existing ditches, no other drainage improvements are proposed.

In an attempt to mitigate for the unavoidable impacts of the proposed project, the applicant proposes to preserve in perpetuity 23.9 acres of wooded wetland on the property.   

The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in U. S. waters, including wetlands.

The public notice, with more detailed information, can be viewed on the Corps website at

http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.

Public comments on this proposal (File # NAE-2011-1410) should be forwarded no later than April 19, 2013 to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Vermont Project Office (ATTN: Marty Abair), 8 Carmichael Street, Suite 205, Essex Junction, Vermont 05452. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Marty Abair at 802-872-2893 or by email to martha.a.abair@usace.army.mil.

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