- Joseph Mullen
- Pennoni Associates
- 100 North Wilkes-Barre Boulevard, Suite 409
- Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18702
WATERWAY: Cranberry Creek
LOCATION: The project site is located along the south side of Sand Spring Road in Cresco, Barrett Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The coordinates for the site are Latitude 41.1524510 N and Longitude 75.2774480 W. The project site is flowed by an unnamed tributary that flows through a railroad embankment along the western side of the property and discharges into Cranberry Creek.
ACTIVITY: The application is requesting authorization to continue excavation and fill activities associated with peat mining activities at the existing Blue Ridge Peat Mine site located on Sand Spring Road in Cresco, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The existing peat mining site has been in operation since 1967. An initial Department of the Army permit (CENAP-OP-R-1986-0258) was issued on December 10, 1986, which authorized excavation and fill activities associated with the peat extraction operation within a 19.3 acre portion of the property. A subsequent Department of the Army permit (CENAP-OP-R-1996-1150) was issued on September 26, 1996, which authorized continued activities at the site. These previous authorizations have expired. The previous approvals authorized disturbance to approximately 20 acres of wetlands for peat extraction within the project site. This application is requesting authorization to continue peat extraction within a 6.2 acre portion of the site that was previously authorized for peat mining. While actual peat extraction would be limited to the 6.2 acre portion of the site, the remaining portions of the 20 acre peat mining areas would continue to be disturbed through continued site maintenance including vegetation control, ditch maintenance and drainage. The previous Department of the Army permit (CENAP-OP-R-1996-1150) included a restoration plan for the peat mining site. The restoration work was not conducted since the peat mining activities have not been completed. As a part of the current application the applicant is proposing to conduct the previously approved restoration after completion of peat mining activities. As a part of the restoration work approximately 20 acres within the proposed and previously mined areas would be re-graded with appropriate top soil materials, stabilized and seeded with an approved seed mix with an expectation that the site would be restored to various forested, scrub-shrub, and emergent habitats. The location and plans of the proposed work are shown on the attached plans.