TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) received a complete prospectus on 5/15/2026 from Charles Joyner, proposing the establishment of the Hazelwood Mitigation Bank to offset non-tidal wetland and stream impacts authorized as part of future federal and state permits. The applicant has revised their plans based on the comments received during the 2025 public notice comment period. The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments and recommendations from the public, federal, state, and local agencies and officials, Indian tribes, and other interested parties concerning the work as described below.
AGENT:
TNT Environmental Inc
4455 Brookfield Corporate Drive
Suite 100
Chantilly, VA 20151
WATERWAY AND LOCATION: The proposed compensatory mitigation site (the Bank) is located south of Hazelwood Road in Prince William County, Virginia at 38.625238, -77.565958. The Bank consists of predominantly upland pasture fields and row crops. The Bank is adjacent to Cedar Run and is located within the Potomac/Shenandoah River Basin. The Bank limits are 321 acres.
PROPOSED WORK and PURPOSE: The Sponsor is proposing 917 linear feet (LF) of stream channel restoration and 734 LF of stream enhancement. The restored/enhanced stream will be protected on both sides by wetland creation areas. The Sponsor proposes to generate a total of 1,622 Unified Stream Methodology (USM) credits upon completion of the activities approved under the mitigation work plan.
The Sponsor is proposing 2.88 acres of wetland enhancement, 54.55 acres of wetland creation, 45.88 acres of wetland buffer restoration, and 93.14 acres of wetland preservation, and 26.62 acres of wetland buffer preservation. The Sponsor proposes to generate a total of 85.52 wetland credits upon completion of the activities approved under the mitigation work plan.
The purpose of the mitigation project is to provide off-site compensatory mitigation for projects that result in unavoidable impacts to streams in the Middle Potomac – Anacostia - Occoquan watershed.
The Bank’s proposed Primary Service Area is comprised of the Middle Potomac – Anacostia - Occoquan Watershed within HUCs 02070010 (the same HUC as the Bank), HUC 02070008, and HUC 02070011.
Oversight of the Project would be by an existing group of federal and state agency representatives. This interagency oversight group is known as the Interagency Review Team (IRT). The Corps and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) chair the IRT.
The Corps, the DEQ, and the VMRC provide no guarantee that any individual or general permit will be granted authorization to use the Project to compensate for unavoidable wetland and stream impacts associated with a permit verified, authorized, or issued by the Corps, pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403), and/or by the DEQ pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act and Title 62.1 of the Code of Virginia and/or the VMRC pursuant to Title 28.2 of the Code of Virginia.
A copy of the Hazelwood Bank Prospectus can be found on the Corps Regulatory In-lieu Fee and Bank Information Tracking System (RIBITS) website Public Notices (army.mil)
https://ribits.ops.usace.army.mil/ords/f?p=107:278:11613015090155:::278:P278_BANK_ID:6664
AUTHORITY: Issuance of public notices regarding proposed compensatory mitigation sites is required pursuant to Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources; Final Rule as published April 10, 2008, in the Federal Register, Vol. 73, No. 70, pages 19,594-19,705 (33 CFR 325 and 332 and 40 CFR 230). This is not an application for work in federally regulated waters; however, authorization under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) may be required for implementation of the proposed work, if approved. No decision has been made as to whether this proposed mitigation bank will be approved.
FEDERAL EVALUATION OF APPLICATION: The Corps is soliciting comments from the public; federal, state, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties to consider and evaluate this proposed Project. To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values, land use classification, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, and consideration of property ownership. If the Sponsor is advised and/or chooses to submit a draft mitigation banking instrument, the Corps will use the comments received on this public notice to inform an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act.
CULTURAL RESOURCES: Additional information may change any of these findings. Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(a)(2) the Corps is the lead Federal agency responsible for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for the proposed action. Any required consultation will be completed by the Corps.
The Corps evaluated the undertaking pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) utilizing its existing program-specific regulations and procedures along with 36 CFR Part 800. The Corps’ program-specific procedures include 33 CFR 325, Appendix C, and revised interim guidance issued in 2005 and 2007. The applicant completed a Phase I Archaeological Investigation and submitted the report to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR). On 07.23.2025 VDHR made the determination that the proposed work would have No Adverse Effect on Historic Properties (i.e., properties listed in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places), which are present within the Corps’ permit area.
The District Engineer’s final eligibility and effect determination will be based upon coordination with the SHPO and/or Tribal Historic Preservation Office, as appropriate and required, and with full consideration given to the proposed undertaking’s potential direct and indirect effects on historic properties within the Corps-identified permit area.
ENDANGERED SPECIES: Our preliminary determination for the Mitigation Bank is that the proposed activity may affect but is not likely to adversely affect any federally endangered or threatened species or their critical habitat. However, pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531), the District Engineer is consulting with the appropriate Federal agency to determine the presence of, and potential impacts to, listed species in the project area or their critical habitat.
The Corps has performed an initial review of the application, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) to determine if any threatened, endangered, proposed, or candidate species, and the proposed and final designated critical habitat may occur in the vicinity of the proposed project. Based on this initial review, the Corps has made a preliminary determination that the proposed project will not affect any listed species or critical habitat
Pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) any required consultation with the Service(s) will be conducted in accordance with 50 CFR part 402. The Corps is the lead Federal agency for ESA consultation for the proposed action. Any required consultation will be completed by the Corps.
This notice serves as request to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for any additional information on whether any listed or proposed to be listed endangered or threatened species or critical habitat may be present in the area which would be affected by the proposed activity.
The USFWS Information and Planning and Consultation (IPaC) Official Species List and Species Conclusion Table are attached for review and comment by the USFWS and the NMFS.
ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT: There is no EFH in the Corps area of responsibility.
NOTE: This public notice is being issued based on information furnished by the Sponsor and their Agent. This information has not been verified or evaluated to ensure compliance with laws and regulation governing the regulatory program.
PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY: Comments and information, including the identity of the submitter, submitted in response to this Public Notice may be disclosed, reproduced, and distributed at the discretion of the Corps. Information that is submitted in connection with this Public Notice cannot be maintained as confidential by the Corps. Submissions should not include any information that the submitter seeks to preserve as confidential.
COMMENT PERIOD: The Norfolk District will receive written comments on the application, as outlined above, until the close of business on July 22, 2026.
Comments can be submitted electronically via the Regulatory Request System (RRS) at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs or to Rowen Schmidt via email at: CENAO_REG_MitigationTeam@usace.army.mil
Alternatively, you may submit comments in writing to the Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, Attention: Rowen Schmidt (CENAO-RG-W), 803 Front Street, Norfolk, VA 23510-1011, Please refer to the application number in your comments.
Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice, that a public hearing be held to consider the application. Requests for public hearings shall state, with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing. Requests for a public hearing will be granted, unless the District Engineer determines that the issues raised are insubstantial or there is otherwise no valid interest to be served by a hearing.
If you have any questions about this application, contact:
Rowen Schmidt at
rowen.e.schmidt@usace.army.mil and copy
CENAO_REG_MitigationTeam@usace.army.mil