4.0. PRSR 01-08-1997 Our Natural Heritage
• "A Vision
of Elk River"
Can you imagine the past when a resident of this area could sit below a hugh oak tree on the edge
of a small open expanse and watch an elk wander across the horizon at dusk? While the sun has
set on that dream, there is still another sunset in the horizon.
Today only 4.5% of land which is a good representation of our natural heritage is left in Elk
River. Fortunately our very thoughtful city council has incorporated .75% of the 4.5% as part
of its city park system. Truly, this is a noble effort which will be appreciated by our future
generations.
(This information was obtained by the 1993 Minnesota County Biological Survey and more
recent evaluation of the naturally significant sites found in our city.)
However, I and many others are concerned about the future of the small fragment of our
naturally significant property.
In the expanse of the last 200 years 95% of all of the natural landscape has been lost in our
city. We have know reached the point where we must make a critical decision as to how much of
our natural landscape we should leave for future generations to observe, study and ponder the
past like a good book or movie.
• We have reached the final crossroads, and we must act now to save the last fragments of our
natural heritage for the future. In the last 2 years, 15% of the natural significant landscape
left in our city was destroyed. If this trend were to continue, all remaining natural vegetation
would be lost within the next 15 years, except for the property we are preserving within our
wonderful city park, Woodland Trails. Woodland Trails makes up .75% of all the natural
landscape which once existed in Elk River. If anything where to happen to even a small portion
of Woodland Trails we would quickly slip to a figure of .5%. A very tiny piece of the original
pie.
After talking with many, hundreds of people in our community, I feel that we definitely should
take additional steps to preserve our natural heritage. Most people that I have talked to feel that
a city should preserve at least 5% of the natural landscape for future generations. For Elk River
this is approximately 1,000 acres. Sounds scary; however, we, the people of Elk River, can
achieve this goal because the property is still available. However, we are at the crossroads.
There is no turning back and the clock will not slow down. We as a community must respond or
we will lose our last chances at preserving our natural heritage for future generations.
Keep in mind the net result of these preservation activities would be a greati social and
economical boost for our city.
Example: If you were looking for a site for a corporate headquarters, would you select a place
which has a beautiful park system? Present research has proven conclusively that the most
valuable and desired pieces of property are found in communities with good parks and trails.
Communities with parks and trails do not suffer from depreciating land values even after 100
years.
•
•
Why preserve the natural significant property in Elk River?
A. If we do not preserve these areas future generations will never know the special
qualities of Elk River's Natural Heritage.
B. To recreate the natural environment would take hundreds of hours per acre and
hundreds of years worth of time. (Note: This is only if we have access to species which once
lived in the region and knowledge of the natural arrangement of the living organisms.)
C. Recent research indicates that the greater the variety of living organisms in a region,
the greater the productivity. (University of Minnesota Research Dr. David Tilman)
D. Nature site size and interconnections are important for the long term success of the
natural ecosystem.
E. Once the plants and animals are lost we will never see or experience them again. The
genetic cede of these species are impossible to recreate. A genetic code is the blueprint for the
design of the organism. It is like the manuscript to a week long play, it is literally a 1000 page
document. Unfortunately, no one knows the words or phrases to these documents of life.
How do we go about the preservation of these properties?
A. Pass a resolution that clearly states that natural park land will be preserved.
Example: We hereby pass a resolution to manage and preserve the entire Woodland Trail City
Park as a site where people can observe the natural past.
B. Continue to seek financial assistance from outside agencies to acquire additional
naturalyl significant property.
• C. Work with property owners to make it a positive financial or person venture to save
fragments of the natural heritage.
D. Preserve large interconnected tracks of land rather than small isolated islands.
NOTE: This concept works well with a well developed regional trail system.
•
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We only know the world we experience.
The youth only know the world they experience.
Human experiences are molded by the environment in which they live.
To conclude I would like to leave you with the words of Henry David Thoreau,
"In wilderness is the preservation of the world."
411