7. PRSR 04-11-2007of
fiver
MEMORANDUM
TO: Parks and Recreation Commission
FROM: Bill Maertz, Parks and Recreation Director
DATE: April 11, 2007
SUBJECT: Directors Report
• Please find attached a copy of the Metro Greenways grant application for restoration
work at Woodland Trails Park.
• I have attached key portions of Anoka County's Mississippi river Regional Trail
Northern Alignment Master Plan. If approved and constructed, this trail will lead
from Anoka all the way to the Elk River city limits near the Kelley farm. The
Sherburne County Trail Master plan includes a trail that would connect to the
regional trail. The proposed Babcock Park to Downtown Elk River trail would be an
important link in this trail system.
• On Apri12, 2007 the City Council appointed three new park commission members.
Attached, please find an updated list of contact information.
ATTACHMENTS:
Metro Greenways Grant Application
Anoka County Regional Trail Master Plan (key portions)
Park Commissioners Contact Information
City of Elk River Top of the World Restoration - 2007 Metro Greemvays Site Restoration Nomination Page 1
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Restoration Grant Application Form
DEADLINE: March 31,2007
Sites being nominated for funding consideration through Metro Greenways require submission of this
Site Nomination Form and supplemental materials. Please attach additional pages if necessary.
For an electronic version of this form, a-mail a request to kate.drewryC~dnr.state.mn.us, or download it
from the DNR web site at http: www.dnr.state.mn.us/fad/land/metro~reen.html
The following required materials must be submitted as part of the application package:
(all attachments should be sized 81/2" by 11 " to facilitate copying)
^ completed application form
^ proposed work plan and timeline
^ proposed budget
^ site restoration plan, and if applicable, proposed plant list
^ summary of 5+ year natural resource management plan
^ general location map showing boundaries of proposed site
^ topographic map of the site and its surroundings
^ aerial photo of the site
^ other photographs of the site
^ letter of commitment from the landowner
^ Mn Land Cover Classification System map of the site (if completed).
Also, projects will be rated higher that include:
^ letter(s) of support from local organizations
Please submit two (2) copies of the application form and required support materials by
March 31, 2007 to:
Metro Greenways
MN Department of Natural Resources
1200 Warner Road, St. Paul, MN 55106
Or by email to kate.drewrv(a~dnr.state.mn.us
If you have questions, please contact Kate Drewry, Metro Conservation Corridors and Greenways
Coordinator at (651) 772-7946.
City of Elk River Top of the World Restoration - 2007 Metro Greemvays Site Restoration Nomination
Site Name Top of the World Savanna Restoration & Environmental Education
Nominating Agency/Organization City of Elk River
Contact Person Bill Maertz, Parks Director
Address Lions Park Center
1104 Lions Park Drive
Elk River, MN 55330
Phone Number(s) (763) 635-1150 Fax Number 763.635.1155
E-mail Address bmaertz@ci.elk-river.mn.us
Page 2
Site Location (Must be within a Metro Conservation Corridor Focus Area: To view a map of the
Focus Areas, go to www.dnr.state.mn.us/metroconservationcorridors)
County Sherburne
Address
Site Description
City Elk River
Township 33N
Range 26W
Section 16
Total Acreage to be restored with this Grant 7 acres, minimum. UD to 15 total
Describe past and current land use and land cover.
Site lies at the north end of the Top of the World park and immediately adjacent to the Great
Northern Trail, and bordered on the north by CR33. The site is former pastured grassland that is
now retired.
Project Overview (50 words or less; include a summary of the project, total project cost, and
amount of Greenways funding requested.)
Conduct natural areas restoration at Top of the World site, including control invasive trees and shrubs
in an area that was formerly pastured and restore species rich prairie/savanna. Design and install
natural history interpretive signage/kiosk along Great Northern Trail/CR33 area to increase park
patron exposure to ecology of the site.
I. Potential Ecological Value (Primary Criteria)
A. Plant Community/Habitat Quality
Sites located within, buffering, or connecting to a Regionally Significant Ecological Area and/or having rare species/plant
communities will receive higher priority. The restoration plan must be ecologically sound and appropriate for the site. Current and
future use of lands adjacent to the site should not signiftcantly diminish the ecological quality of the site over time.
Describe the existing and proposed ecological qualities and features of the site. Include
information on plant communities, aquatic features, wildlife use, rare species, and specific
restoration needs.
The restoration area lies on the north side, and contiguous to a high quality oak forest (immediately
adjacent MCBS natural areas and Site of Biodiversity Significance). It supports mature stands of bur
City of Elk River Top of the World Restoration - 2007 Metro Greenways Site Restoration Nomination Page 3
and pin oak with quality shrub and ground cover. The area proposed for restoration also serves as a
habitat corridor/bridge between MCBS sites and occurs along the City's Great Northern Trail
Greenway that serves as a recreational and natural resource corridor.
Describe what type and level of restoration activities are proposed and attach a site plan, plant list
(if applicable) and monitoring/management plan..
The site is proposed to be restored to species rich prairie/savanna to remove the threat of invasive
species currently at the site and provide more compatible transition to the high quality oak forest that
lies on the south side of the site to be restored. Activities are anticipated to include control of
existing nonnative/invasive trees/shrubs, and pasture grasses with herbicide/prescribed burn followed
by seeding to species rich prairie/savanna using local ecotype seed/plants, then followed by grown-in
maintenance. The restoration areas will be quantitatively sampled by Bonestroo ecologists at the end
of the first full growing season to assess the rate of development and identify areas lacking sufficient
native cover that require supplemental seeding.
B. Other Ecological Functions
In addition to habitat, natural areas and other open spaces may provide a wide variety of additional ecological benefits, such as
protection of surface and ground water quality and quantity, soil stability, and natural flood storage capacity. Restoration of sites to
enhance such functions will receive a higher priority.
Describe any other ecological functions that would be maintained or improved by restoring this
site.
The restoration area lies on the north side, and contiguous to a high quality oak forest (immediately
adjacent MCBS natural areas and Site of Biodiversity Significance). It supports mature stands of bur
and pin oak with quality shrub and ground cover. The area proposed for restoration also serves as a
habitat corridor/bridge between MCBS sites and occurs along the City's Great Northern Trail
Greenway that serves as a recreational and natural resource corridor.
II. Project Feasibility (Primary Criteria)
A. Committed and Capable Land Owner/Manager
The owner of the site must support the project and be willing to commit to long-term protection of the site. A letter of commitment
from the landowner should be submitted with this application. A capable private or public entity that will accept long-term
management responsibilities for the site, including monitoring and maintenance, must be identified.
Land Owner
Name(s) City of Elk River
Contact Name Bill Maertz
Address Lions Park Center
1104 Lions Park Drive
Elk River, MN 55330
Land Manager (if different than owner)
Same as left
Phone Number (763) 635-1150
Describe the status of discussion with/commitment from the current landowner(s), and attach a
letter/resolution of support from landowner if possible.
The site is permanently protected as a public park by the City of Elk River and the City supports this restoration
City of Elk River Top of the World Restoration - 2007 Metro Greenways Site Restoration Nomination Page 4
effort.
8. Timeliness
Sites that offer the prospect of completing the funded restoration by June 2008 will receive higher priority. Projects must be
completed by June 2009. A work plan with timeline must be submitted with the application.
Attach a work plan with timeline and describe any known issues that may interfere with completing the
project by June 2009.
Work is proposed to begin in fall 2007 following the procedures laid out in the Park Natural Resource
Management Plan (attached), with grow-in maintenance work for the first two growing seasons being
associated with this grant request (work through) spring 2009. The City intends to hire Bonestroo for. natural
resource restoration/grow-in management activities and assistance on interpretive sign development:
Remaining grow-in and long-term maintenance work for the prairie/savanna restoration will be carried out by
the City.
C. Reasonable Cost
The cost of restoring the site must be reasonable given existing site conditions and restoration goals. A detailed work plan and budget
must be submitted with the application.
Budget exhibit is attached. To our knowledge, no unusual circumstances or activities surround the proposed
work plan.
D. Expertise of the Implementing Entity
The experience and expertise of the entity responsible for the restoration will greatly influence the likelihood of project success.
Specific expertise in the type of restoration contemplated is highly desirable, and previous successful projects should be listed.
What entity or agency is proposed to design/implement the restoration activities? Describe the
restoration project expertise and experience of the responsible entity.
The City of Elk River is actively engaged in protecting and managing natural areas under its authority. It has
undertaken a series of restoration efforts on City property in partnership with private natural
resources/restoration companies. For this project, the City proposes to enlist the assistance of the natural
resources staff from Bonestroo to design, install, and conduct grow-in maintenance of the restoration areas.
III. Other Program Goals (Secondary Criteria)
A. Community Support and Collaboration
Local community elected off cials, residents, and other interested groups should be involved and favor the project. Identification of the
site for natural resource conservation in community documents such as natural area/greemvay plans, and natural resource
inventories is desirable. Financial involvement and/or resource dedication by multiple partners is also a strong indicator of support.
In general, projects that include a percentage of non-state funding sources will receive higher consideration.
The City has expended significant effort and enlisted the help of a variety of sources to permanently protect
Top of the World as a City of Elk River public park. Continuing its commitment to the site, the City supports
this proposed restoration effort. In addition, elected officials and appointed committee members of the City
support efforts to manage/restore natural areas, particularly where it improves the quality of life-for residents.
B. Compatible Public Use
Although the primary focus of the program is to restore natural areas, people may also have opportunities to use and enjoy these
areas. Sites where educational and recreational activities can be accommodated without compromising the site's ecological value
will receive greater consideration than comparable sites that do not provide for these uses.
Describe the types and level of compatible public use that are proposed for the site.
Currently, Top of the World Park has a series of mowed trails through oak woods that are used by hikers
during the summer and for cross-country skiing/biathlon in the winter. The Great Northern Trail borders the
restoration site on the west. This paved trail is a well-used recreational corridor in the City. The current and
planned uses for Top of the World Park, including the restoration area are compatible with the restoration
City of Elk River Top of the World Restoration - 2007 Metro Greemvays Site Restoration Nomination Page S
proposed in this application, as well as long-term management of the site.
C. Imminence of Threat
Many natural areas and potential corridors are threatened by invasion of exotic species. In some situations, only a short period of
time maybe available to protect an area from being signif candy degraded. Higher priority will 6e given to those sites with an
immediate threat from invasion by exotic species, if the proposal includes provision for ongoing exotics control.
Describe the type and level of threat, if any, to the site.
The City has expended a significant amount of financial and physical resources to protect Top of the World
Park. Continuing its commitment to the site, the City is embarking on long-term restoration and management
of natural areas within the park, including the activities proposed in this application.
D. Other Factors
Certain sites, by virtue of their size, characteristics, location, and history can further natural resource protection by increasing
awareness of the Metro Greemvays program and its goals. Sites and projects that bring these important benefits to the program will
receive extra consideration. Would the project not be able to be done, but for Metro Greemvays support? Also, an attempt will also
be made to distribute protected sites throughout the region and within urban, suburban and rural areas.
Restoration of this particular area within Top of the World Park will help to control the threat of
nonnative/invasive grasses in this portion of the park, as well as increase native species richness and provide
continuity of native plant communities across the park, along the Great Northern Trail/greenway corridor, and
within this region of the city. It will restore native habitat between adjacent MCBS/Sites of Biodiversity
Significance areas.
City of Elk River Top of the World Restoration - 2007 Metro Greenways Site Restoration Nomination Page 6
IV. Budget
Complete only the sections that apply to your project. Use blank rows for any additional elements.
Metro Greenways Grant Cash Match In-Kind Match
Cost Share Ci Ci
Project Management
(Communications and scheduling related to
design and installation) O 0 500
Project Design
(Detailed site plan and finali=e plant list) $ 125 $ 125 $ 0
Grant Administration
Manage funds, prepare final report) $ 0 $ 0 $ 250
Site Preparation
(brush and invasive tree cut/treat/disposal,
herbicide existing nonnative grass,
prescribed burn, spot treatment of any
regrowth prior to seeding 28-35 total acres
treatment, 4-5 activities.) 2 975 2 175 800*
Plant Material
(Seed and live plants) 2 725 2 725 0
Supplies and Materials
(Mulch, Herbicide, stakes, erosion control
matting, temporary fencing 0 $ 0 0
Equipment Rental
(Earth-moving equipment, chippers, saws,
etc) 0 0 0
Installation
(Labor by contractor) 1 050 0 0
Maintenance (mow, spot spray)
(Labor by contractor) 3 240 0 0
Other (Design, manufacture and
installation of interpretive sign)
$ 0 3 900 0
Other ( )
$0 0 $0
Subtotals 10 115 8 925 1 550
* burn break construction by city staff
Metro Greenways Cost Share (subtotal from above) 10 115
Match (cash and in-kind, subtotal from above) $10,475
Total Project Cost 20 590
City of Elk River Top of the World Restoration - 2007 Metro Greenways Site Restoration Nomination Page 7
Top of the World Park Natural Resource Management Plan - 2005
On following pages
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ............................................................................................. ii
I. Introduction ................................................................................1.
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Resource -
Management Goals .............................................................................................................1.
II. A Brief Look at the Natural History of the Study Area ................3.
III. Resource Management Recommendations ...........................................13.
Management Goals ...........................................................................................................13.
Recommended Management Activities .............................................................................13.
Appendices
Appendix A Glossary of Technical Terms
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan
1
1
1
I. Introduction
This report presents the Management Plan for the Top of the World Park Natural Area
within the City of Elk River. The site lies north of the Top of the World Park and to the
east of the City trail located on the abandoned Great Northern rail bed. The inventory for
this report used the existing information from the Elk River Natural Resources Inventory
(2004). The inventory was designed to document as many existing plant species as
possible, as well as how frequently they occur within the forest and then used to classify
and qualitatively rank existing natural communities according to the system developed
by the MN DNR, Natural Heritage Program and used by the MN DNR County Biological
Survey staff.
At the time of Euroamerican settlement, oak woodland and savanna, along with prairie
were common in Elk River and Sherburne County. Many of these original savannas,
also known as oak barrens were either cut, or became more closed forests and
woodlands. Top of the World Park Addition is an example of an area that was
historically more open, and has become well-treed since settlement. Despite this
change, it is in very good condition.
This Management Plan details activities for the forest at Top of the World Addition
Natural Area that are recommended with an eye toward maintaining and/or improving
the ecological quality of the site. Successful management of this forest will require that
a wide variety of people continue to be involved. These include city staff, residents, and
other natural resource managers. As this area continues to develop, it is important that
neighboring citizens be kept informed of activities, and the supporting science behind
management decisions. This will create a group of citizens who are better informed,
more involved, and take a proprietary interest in the restoration and maintenance of the
quality of this forest.
Top of the World Park Addition Resource Management Goals
^ Management of the oak forest to maintain composition, structure, and function of
the community
^ Maintain oak dominance within community by using resource management
activities that foster recruitment of young oak into the canopy
^ As development occurs in the area surrounding the forest, establish buffers for
the forest
^ Maintain existing trails to enable resource management and provide
opportunities for compatible activities such as walking, jogging, and cross-
country skiing
A location map for Top of the World Park can be found on the following page
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan
Top of the World Park Addition Location Map
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 2
A Brief Look at the Natural History of the Study Area
The particular resource elements present in any area and their patterns in the
landscape are the result of historical processes, including climate, hydrology, plant and
animal migrations and interactions, and human decisions and activities. This section
very briefly describes the role these interactions have played in determining the present
day composition of natural communities and landscapes in the area.
Landscape History of the Study Area
Bedrock Geology and Glacial Landscapes
The landscape history of the area includes bedrock geology. The vast majority of the
region is mantled by debris left by glaciers, but the bedrock that is closest to the surface
in Elk River is of the Cambrian System, some 5-600 million years ago.
The topography of the area was most heavily influenced by the last period of glaciation
(the "Wisconsin Stage"), which ended in east-central Minnesota about 10,000 years
ago. During this event, glaciers sculpted the landscape and left behind a variety of
deposits, including drift/till and outwash composed of sand and gravel, and windblown
deposits of very fine sands. During the last glaciation, the Superior Lobe was the first
ice sheet to advance into from the region from the northeast, and finally retreat about
20,000 years ago. With each advance and retreat, the melting ice sheet deposited
immense piles of sand and gravel along its margins. Outwash deposits from the
Superior lobe are found in the north-central part of the city, along Highway 169 and in a
small area just southeast of downtown.
Throughout the vast majority of the city, Superior Lobe deposits are covered by those of
the Grantsburg sublobe of the Des Moines Lobe glacier. The Des Moines Lobe entered
the area from the northwest, giving rise to the Grantsburg Sublobe that moved to the
northeast, through the Twin Cities and into western Wisconsin. The Des Moines lobe
left a variety of deposits that dominate the landscape in the area, including rugged
terrain from till, outwash, and more subtle terrain from lake deposited sands.
The topography, soils, and pattern of streams, lakes and wetlands that resulted from
glacial activity greatly influenced the pattern of vegetation and plant communities that
developed later in the area. Existing plant communities such as Oak Savannas and
Prairies are well-adapted to droughty soils, and developed in areas where the
landscape allowed periodic fires. Areas with a steep, rugged terrain burned less
frequently and supported oak woodland communities, while wetlands were found in
depressions and valleys with denser, hydric soils.
After the glaciers
Immediately after the glaciers melted, spruce trees and tundra colonized the periglacial
environment. This was later followed by pine barrens and mixed boreal forests with a
bracken fern-dominated ground layer. As the climate of the region warmed dramatically
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 1
about 9,000 years ago, pines began to decline, and prairie expanded into the region,
along with elm and oak forests. The climate remained in this warm period until about
7,000 years ago, when midgrass prairie reached its maximum extent in Minnesota, and
covered the southwest half of the state.
Prairie, oak woodlands and brushlands, and oak savanna, consisting of scattered trees
with aprairie-like ground cover, dominated the Region until about 4,000 years ago,
when the climate gradually became cooler and moister. Oak thickets spread, and oak
woodlands came to dominate some upland areas, interspersed with tall grass and wet
prairies. White pines also migrated to just northeast of Sherburne County as the climate
cooled. About 300 years ago, the climate became especially moist and cool, and fires
became less frequent. As a result, extensive forests of elm, sugar maple, and
basswood (known as the Big Woods) developed in eastern Minnesota. After this, the
major patterns of vegetation in the area at the time of European settlement were then in
place.
Historic Influence of Humans on the Landscape
Ideas about the history of Native Americans and their influence on the local landscape
are still evolving. Native Americans have probably inhabited and hunted in the area for
over 10,000 years. While their impacts were not as great as those of European settlers,
Native Americans used a wide variety of plants and animals for food, and altered
vegetation patterns for cultivation and by setting fire to broad expanses of landscape.
Native Americans (and European fur traders) used fire to hunt game; create desired
habitat; clear the landscape for travel, communication and defense; and obtain
firewood. While some fires in the region would have occurred naturally, the activities of
Native Americans undoubtedly accounted for the vast majority of fires. Prairies,
savannas, and oak forests are fire-dependent plant communities, and would most likely
not have been present in the Twin Cities Area at the time of European settlement
without these fires.
At the time of settlement, around 1850, the landscape of the study area supported a rich
variety of plant communities including various types of wetlands in low areas and oak
and aspen woodlands, brushlands and prairies on drier uplands. As the township
developed after the mid-1800s, more intense human activities began to change the
landscape and natural communities. In Scott County today, approximately 90-95
percent of the native landscape has been substantially impacted by human activities.
Examples of changes since European settlement include the following:
Roads and the railroads began to fragment forests and other communities.
Agriculture affected hydrology by draining wetlands and altering creeks.
Vegetation was altered through clearing, plowing, cessation of regular fires, and
grazing. These effects are evident in the reduction of native vegetation diversity
in meadow and forest understory and substitution of communities of low diversity
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 2
dominated by non-native plants. Soil erosion increased where native cover was
removed, adding sediments to creeks, wetlands and lakes.
Urbanization continues to fragment natural communities further with the addition
of more roads, streets and utilities. Construction of all types altars and compacts
soils, and changes the local hydrology. Large -areas of impervious surface and
drainage of wetlands increases the amount of stormwater runoff and pollutants
carried to local waters.
. Non-native, aggressive species like European buckthorn have been added as
landscape materials. Changes in habitat and the increasing presence of humans
in the landscape has brought changes in animal populations, decreasing or
eliminating some species like bluebirds and bison, and favoring others such as
English sparrows and white-tail deer.
Influence of Landform and Climate on Vegetation Types
Plant communities that exist in any given area are the result of numerous biological and
physical factors. These work in concert to influence plant communities in often subtle
ways, and sometimes dramatic and immediate ways such as drought, or a tornado.
Biological factors can include such varied things as the presence or absence of
pollinators, burrowing activities, herbivory, or over utilization of an area by a single
species or number of species.
Of the physical factors, two have a consistently strong influence in the shaping of plant
communities. These are climate and landform. The climate in east-central Minnesota is
considered to be continental and subhumid, with long, cold winters and relatively brief,
warm summers. Wide fluctuations in temperature and precipitation strongly influence
the plant communities present in the region and causes plants to be adapted to
extremes, rather than averages.
Landforms also have a profound impact on the type of plant communities found in any
area. As was mentioned previously, the landforms of the area are primarily glacial in
origin. Direct glacial modification of the landscape, such as the deposition of till, and
moraine, and the influence of periglacial processes such as outwash, have formed the
vast majority of the landforms in this region. Most of the deposited materials associated
directly with glaciers, such as till and moraine are unsorted. These consist of materials,
which range in size from clay and fine sand to large boulders in a random arrangement.
Overall, the materials deposited in the township tend to form well-drained to very well-
drained landscapes with sands and gravels common.
In addition to the influences of climate and landform, landscape position also has a
profound impact on the type of plant communities supported. Angle, position, and
aspect of slope all strongly influence plant species that can be supported in an area.
Slope aspect plays a significant role since it can exaggerate the influence of the sun
and the amount of water plants loose through their leaves on south- and southwest-
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 3
facing slopes making these areas more hospitable to prairie or dry oak communities.
North-facing slopes tend to be moister and have a tendency to be occupied by
woodlands/forests.
Vegetation at the Time of Settlement
According to the original land survey notes (compiled in this area of Minnesota between
1853 and 1856), the presettlement vegetation of southeastern Sherburne County was
comprised primarily -of prairie and savanna in the south. Oak forest was more common
in the northeastern part of the city where it was interspersed with tamarack swamp, and
wet meadow, with small inclusions of wet prairie and lakes.
Based on this information from these original survey notes, ecologists have determined
that the area around Top of the World Park was "oak openings and barrens" - a
description generally interpreted to be Oak Savanna, including scattered trees and
groves of oaks of scrubby form with some brush and thickets and prairie openings.
Native Americans
Ideas about the history of American Indians and their influence on the local landscape
are still evolving. American Indians have probably inhabited and hunted in the area for
about 10,000 years. While the level of impacts were not as great as those of European
settlers, American Indians used a wide variety of plants and animals for food, and
altered vegetation patterns by cultivation and frequently burning the landscape.
The Indians (and European fur traders) used fire to hunt game; create game habitat;
clear the landscape for travel, communication and defense; and to obtain firewood.
While some fires in the region occurred naturally, the activities of American Indians
increased the frequency of fires, such that prairies in much of south and southeastern
Minnesota may have been burned annually.
Prairies and savannas are fire-dependent plant communities, and may not have been
present in much of the Twin Cities Area at the time of European settlement without the
influence of fire acting in concert with large grazers. The Anoka Sandplain has been
better able to resist encroachment by trees compared with other landscapes due to the
prevalence of droughty soils that limit tree growth. At the time of settlement, around
1840-50, the landscape around Top of the World Addition included a rich variety of plant
communities including various types of wetlands and floodplain forest in low areas and
oak woodlands, savanna and prairies on drier uplands. Forests would have been largely
confined to wetlands, north-facing slopes on hills to the west, and river bottoms..
After settlement, a patchwork of agricultural uses of the land developed and more
intense human activities began to change the landscape and natural communities. The
second great change in land use started in the mid to late-20th century and is ongoing,
as the landscape shifts away from agriculture and towards suburban and rural
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 4
development. In Sherburne County today, most of the native landscape has been at
least moderately altered by human activities, with only a small fraction remaining in
natural communities similar to what was here at the time of Euroamerican settlement.
Despite this, many natural community remnants can still be seen, particularly in areas
where compatible agricultural uses are practiced or development has not occurred.
Post-settlement Landscape
The first major wave of change to the post-settlement landscape came as woodlands
were cut and prairies broken by settlers clearing the land for agriculture and pastures.
Other historic influences important to some natural areas, particularly fire, were
suppressed by settlers. .Soon after, roads and railroads began to be built in the area to
connect settlers to towns, and towns to one another. These activities reduced the
number and quality of intact natural areas on the landscape during the mid- to late
1800's. Despite this, some of the traditional agricultural activities, such as grazing and
haying were at least to some degree compatible with maintaining the diversity and
function of natural areas.
This first wave of change continued into the early 1900's with the second great change
to the landscape coming after World War II. At this time, agriculture intensified and
farmers began planting just a few crops, rather than having diverse rotations of small
grains, pasture grasses, and hay. This in turn led to a decrease in the number of
families living and working on farms. At the same time, the automobile became the new
yardstick for commuting convenience and it became affordable for the average person
to live in the country and work in town. This second wave of change has resulted in
large-scale and remarkably dramatic changes in the landscape. Natural areas have
became more fragmented and isolated from one another, particularly in landscapes on
the urban/suburban fringe. Also, as agricultural practices such as grazing and haying
that were at least partially compatible with maintaining prairie and savanna were
stopped, trees and brush encroached on these areas at a rapid pace. This has
continued to process of reduced natural areas and their function on the landscape.
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 5
Site Inventory Methodology
The inventory for Top of the World Park was conducted in the fall of 2004 as part of the
Elk River NRI and Land Cover Classification project. A brief summary of each of the
Project methodology steps is included on the following pages.
Gather and Review Background Information
To provide a more detailed understanding of the study area, available information on
natural resource features was gathered and reviewed by ecologists. These information
resources included presettlement vegetation, biological survey information for
Sherburne County, wetland and water resource information, and the Sherburne County
soil survey.
Minnesota County Biological Survey
The Minnesota County Biological Survey (MCBS) conducted an inventory of select
remaining natural communities within Sherburne County (MCBS, 1998). Although much
of the remnant natural vegetation within the City of City of Elk River was reviewed
through aerial photography and cursory ground surveys, only a small subset of these
remnants were of high enough quality to be surveyed in detail and included in the
county biological survey. Other remnants where either too degraded or too small in size
to be considered of high enough quality for inclusion in the survey.
Aerial Photo Interpretation
In 2002, City of Elk River staff plotted 2000 true-color low altitude aerial photographs for
each section (square mile) of land within the City of City of Elk River's base maps.
These were printed at a scale of 1 "=300'. Available electronic data layers such as the
National Wetlands Inventory, the Hennepin County Soil Survey, geopolitical boundaries;
parcel boundaries, transportation information, DNR Natural Heritage (MCBS) data, and
Hennepin County Wetland Inventory information were also printed on these plotted
photos to aid in remote interpretation of land cover. In addition, 1994 MN DNR 1:15,840
scale, color infrared aerial photographs were also used as an aid to remotely sense
vegetation type and natural community structure.
The boundaries of natural communities and semi-natural areas were delineated on the
plotted aerial photos. The potential natural community boundaries, as well as any other
relevant information were recorded by hand onto these plotted maps.
Field Inventory
Field inventory work and land cover classification took place in late summer -fall 2004.
During field review of areas, a 5-digit MLCCS code was assigned to any particular
area/polygon. In addition, other pertinent data was recorded including notations using
MLCCS Modifiers and Field Check Levels.
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 6
The field survey included identification of dominant plant species within a given natural
community. Intensity of inventory effort was related to the overall quality of an area. In
general, good quality natural communities were more thoroughly inventoried and more
extensive searches conducted for less frequently occurring or State-listed plant species.
The field inventory emphasized gathering data on the composition, structure and
function of natural communities, including disturbance indicators such as exotic species
and erosion. This information provides a solid starting point for assessing the current
condition of the community and can be used to development management
recommendations.
Land Cover Classification
MLCCS Background
MLCCS, Version 5.4 was used to classify land cover within the city. A brief explanation
of the method and its application to this project is provided below. The complete 273
page MLCCS Manual can be viewed/downloaded on the MN DNR web site at the
following address: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mlccs/index.html.
MLCCS has afive-level hierarchical system of land cover codes to describe natural
semi-natural, and cultural land cover types. Natural land cover types include areas
such as forests, prairies, wetlands, shrublands, and other similar areas. Semi-natural
areas are those dominated by nonnative plant species, but are not actively
planted/maintained by humans through activities such as mowing/cutting. Cultural land
cover types are areas that can be thought of as developed or substantially impacted by
humans. These typically include paved (impervious) areas, agricultural fields, pastures
and frequently manipulated grasslands, quarries, and others. The Elk River inventory
focused on natural and sem-natural areas for land cover mapping.
Progression through each of the five levels of the system represents an increased level
of detail in land cover classification. In this framework, Level 1 is the least detailed and
Level 5 is the most detailed. For the purposes of this project, all natural and semi-
natural areas within the city were classified to the greatest level of detail practical
(typically, Level 4 or Level 5).
MLCCS Modifier Codes
Several `classes' of MLCCS modifiers were assessed in the field while conducting the
land cover classification of Elk River. These modifiers were assessed based on the
methodology and definitions provided in the MLCCS training manual. Once assessed,
the modifier values were entered into the GIS database for each land cover polygon.
Modifier codes used in the Elk River NRI project that have a bearing on the descriptions
provided in this report include:
Natural Community Quality Modifier (M 34x)
The M_34x modifier was developed as part of MLCCS methodology as a cursory
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 7
method to assess the general natural quality of natural community and semi-natural
land cover types. This modifier has three general categories for the assessment
method is based on general ecological variables, and is applied in the same manner for
all natural community types. The following is the description of the M_34x modifier from
the MLCCS training manual
The natural plant community sites can be given a natural quality ranking, based on the
DNR's Natural Heritage's Element Occurrence Ranking Guidelines (EOR). See
"Natural Community Modifiers" for a discussion of the Element Occurrence Ranking
Guidelines.
Refer to the FOR Guidelines to evaluate the specific natural communities. Non-native,
altered and disturbed communities should only be given anon-native ranking (NN or
NA). Valid codes and general definitions modifier m_34X are:
• A =highest quality natural community, no disturbances and natural processes intact.
Site must be visited entirely or partially to accurately assess its natural quality at this
level (fld_level = 3 or 4). Modifier code = 341
• B =good quality natural community. Has its natural processes intact, but shows signs
of past human impacts. Low levels of exotics. Site must be visited entirely or partially to
accurately assess its natural quality at this level (fld_level = 3 or 4). Modifier code = 342
• C =moderate condition natural community with obvious past disturbance but is still
clearly recognizable as a native community. Not dominated by weedy species in any
layer. Minimally, the site must be visited from the edge to accurately assess its natural
quality at this level (fld_level = 2, 3 or 4). Modifier code = 343
• D =poor condition of a natural community. Includes some natives, but is dominated by
non-natives and/or is widely disturbed and altered. Herbaceous communities may be
assessed with this ranking from a distance (fld_level = 1) if large masses of invasive
species are present and the entire community is visible. Modifier code = 344
• NA =Native species present in an altered /non-native plant community. This NA
ranking can only be used if the site is field checked from the edge or to a greater degree
(fld_level 2, 3, or 4), thus confirming the presence of native species within anon-native
community. Modifier code = 345
• NN =Altered /non-native plant community. These semi-natural communities do not
qualify for natural quality ranking. Using NN signifies the site has been field checked
and confirms it is asemi-natural community.
Search for Rare Plant Species
Where natural areas occur, particularly those of better quality, there is the potential for
the occurrence of rare species. Recognizing this, the plant ecologists from Bonestroo
who conducted field inventory work made an effort to search habitats that had a high
likelihood of supporting rare plants. It is also important to note that although plant
' http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/ecological services/nhnrp/eoranks2001.pdfp/eoranks2001.pdf
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 8
ecologists searched areas they had access to that appeared likely to host rare plants,
limited property access, and one-time visit to only a fraction of natural areas in the city
means that some rare plant populations have likely gone undocumented.
Natural Community Description
Elk River NRI Community Code: 20-6N
Community Type: Oak forest dry subtype
Qualitative Rank: B -Good quality natural community
MCBS Site: Yes
MN DNR Biodiversity Significance Site: Yes
Community Description:
Site is a large dry oak forest of generally good quality, on rolling terrain.. The canopy is a
variable mix of oaks including pin oak, bur oak, and some red oak on slopes where conditions
are more mesic. Most of the canopy trees are of moderate size, with smaller crowns
characteristic of forest grown trees. A few larger trees with open grown form are also present.
Patches of quaking aspen and paper birch are locally common, especially on the lower flanks of
some of the slopes. Subcanopy and
understory cover is patchy, with
scattered young bur oak, black cherry
and occasional elm.
The shrub layer is generally thick, with
abundant blackberry and hazel. Some
European buckthorn is present as
well. Ground layer species are
characteristic for the community type,
including wild geranium pointed-
leaved tick trefoil, and others.
Top of fhe World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 9
Trail in oak forest at Top of the World Park
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 70
Top of the World Park Addition -Natural Communities Map
.Resource Management Recommendations
The resource management activities listed below are designed to maintain and/or improve the
composition, function and structure of the forest at the site. These are listed by activity type with
descriptions provided for individual activities. A table is included at the end of this section Summarizing
by-activity costs and priority level of these activities.
Fortunately for the City, the forest found here is in good to very good condition in most areas, with only
minor needs for active management.
Management Goals
^ Management of the oak forest to maintain composition, structure, and function of
the community type
^ Maintain oak dominance within community by using resource management
activities that foster recruitment of new oak saplings into the canopy
^ As development occurs in the area surrounding the forest, establish buffers for
the forest
^ Maintain trails that enable resource management and provide opportunities for
activities such as walking, jogging, and cross-country skiing
^ Provide recreational and educational opportunities that are compatible with
sustaining natural community function and integrity
Recommended Management Activities
Nonnative/Invasive Woody Species Control
Early restoration of the site should involve removal of select species of nonnative
shrubs and perhaps weedier trees, followed by the reintroduction of appropriate species
of woodland grasses and forbs, and the application of prescribed fire.
Nonnative shrubs, and weedier trees determined to interfere with the normal function of
the healthy hardwood members of the canopy should be controlled. This is especially
true for European buckthorn and Tartarian honeysuckle, which should be controlled to
the greatest extent possible. In areas where nonnatives occur in thick patches, cutting
the smallest shrubs and trees first allows for easier handling of larger trees as they are
removed later. If the shrubs/trees are found in very thick patches, this material should
be piled and burned as described below. The control of problem trees and shrubs
should be accomplished before any burning is conducted.
It is important to treat tree and shrub stumps within 1 hour of cutting with a 25-50%
solution of a glyphosate or picloram (Roundup or Garlon) herbicide. Treating cut
stumps by using a spray bottle allows for treating only the edge of the stump with
minimal risk of damaging any adjacent desirable plants. Treating the stumps with a
herbicide is important because it minimizes resprouting. Stump resprouts create the
arduous task of (re)cutting many stems where one previously existed. Resprouting can
also increase the amount of shade at the ground level from precutting ,further hindering
the improvement of the ground layer. When applying herbicides following the
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 11
manufacturer's safety recommendations is critical, including the use of appropriate
protective equipment such as chemical resistant gloves and eye protection.
If cut brush is piled, it should be in areas where the least amount of native cover exists.
Potential sites for stacking cut material are on top of larger stumps, rock outcrops, bare
soil, and the adjacent crop fields. Brush piles for burning should ideally be constructed
in layers with alternating limb directions. Keeping these piles small in basal area but tall
makes burning them easier and minimizes soil sterilization. Piles can be burned during
most times of the year after the material has had a chance to dry out, but winter is often
the best. Snow cover greatly reduces the threat of soil sterilization and unintentional
burning of adjacent areas.
Other Invasive Species Control
Although an inventory was conducted for the area and no significant nonnative species
problems noted beyond buckthorn and similar species, there is still a possibility that new
problem species will show up or was missed during the inventory process. Detailed
inspections should be made at least annually for early detection of problem species on
the site, particularly garlic mustard.
An integrated resource management activity approach should be used that minimizes
the presence of these species, with as little impact on native species as possible.
Potential methods for management of problem species include cutting, mowing, spot
herbicide application, hand removal, introduction of native species that provide
competition, burning, and biological controls. For additional information, see the
problem species management section.
Oak Recruitment and Release
During this phase of restoration, the earlier control of nonnative shrubs and invasive
trees, as well as prescribed burning should begin to show results for oak seedling and
sapling recruitment. If oak saplings are .found in areas where the canopy above them is
dominated by weedy species of trees, selective cutting should be used to release the
oaks and provide the opportunity for them to graduate into the canopy. Cutting of
boxelder, cottonwood, or aspen to create canopy gaps that enable oak saplings to
mature is most preferable. Less preferable is the cutting of other native hardwoods
including black cherry, hackberry and other similar species. Although young elm are
common in some areas of the forest and may currently hinder the development of some
oak saplings into mature trees, the elms will likely fall victim to Dutch elm disease and
may not need to be cut to release oaks in their shade.
Prescribed (Rx) Fire
This activity will be important for maintaining the oak component of this forest and
should be considered for application to any given area approximately once every 5-15
years. A few of the positive aspects of well-timed prescribed burning include the
Top of fhe World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 12
recycling of most nutrients; improved flowering, seed production and germination for
most native plants, and reduced invasion by aggressive woody plant.
Although there are a myriad of factors pertaining to community and individual plant
species responses to fire, some generalizations can be made about the seasonal
application of prescribed fire in oak communities. Past research and field experience of
managers suggests that early spring fires (before April 15th) tend to favor spring flowers,
sedges and grasses. Late spring fires tend to favor species of plants that emerge from
the ground later and mostly bloom from June to September. Fall fires in grasslands
tend to maintain a balance between warm and cool season grasses and forbs, and
reduce the amount of small diameter woody species, such as shrubs and tree saplings.
Because there are a myriad of factors related to seasonal timing of fire, it is important to
make sure that the seasonal application of fire is consistent with addressing specific
problems or achieving stated goals.
As resources allow the site should be split into several burn units that can be rotationally
burned, with individual burn units divided by trails. This allows insects that are sensitive
to fire the chance to recolonize burned areas from those that are unburned. Although
highly unlikely for this site, there is the possibility that this site harbors rare native insect
species. Since some insect species are vulnerable to fire, especially during periods of
dormancy in above-ground plant tissues, it would be recommendable to follow this
rotational burning scheme.
If brush encroachment is reduced to, or below target levels and adequate oak
recruitment is taking place, burning could be reduced to 5-15 year intervals. This longer
interval would allow any oak seedlings recruited during restoration to reach a size where
they would be more resistant to being top killed by fire. The recruitment of oak seedlings
into mature trees will be an important part of long-term management if the goal is to
keep oak as the dominant tree on the site. Because of the aging character of the oaks
on the site, it will be important to allow for oak seedling and sapling recruitment in the
next 30 years to provide for replacement of canopy trees.
In prescribed fire application, good planning, trained personnel, and sufficient
equipment on-site are essential. Fire is a very useful tool in the management of natural
areas, but always has the potential to become dangerous if not given respect and
careful attention. Like many other tools, it requires adaptability as a key component of
long-term management. Good record keeping and monitoring during the early portions
of the restoration will contribute to sound decisions during the maintenance phase of the
restoration.
Recommendations for Monitoring of Management Activities
Ecological Restoration is a process that involves active management by natural
resource professionals. This management often takes place on small, isolated areas of
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 13
varying quality. Management activities can influence one or more aspects of the
managed community and have lasting, long-term implications. To avert any possible
damages and to make sure that the best possible practices are used for restoring
natural communities, it is important to monitor chosen aspects of those communities on
a regular basis.
Vegetation monitoring should also be conducted to watch for shifts in the plant
community composition due to management activities. Under certain conditions,
activities such as fire have the ability to increase the presence of some species at the
expense of others. If detrimental changes are spotted early, resource management
activities can be adjusted to prevent significant shifts in community function or
composition.
When monitoring the site, a specific effort should be made to annually inspect for the
presence of oak wilt. As with other stages of the restoration process, monitoring should
be carried out on a regular basis to provide for determining resource management
effectiveness. Also important will be monitoring for excessive human disturbance such
as off-trail erosion, tree cutting, dumping, etc.
Monitoring can be an expensive and labor-intensive process that has the potential to
take valuable monetary and human resources away from the process of active
management if not exercised judiciously. Deciding what to monitor and how intensively
to monitor is always difficult. Some aspects of management can be monitored through
visual inspection with field notes recorded and shared between the park and the
resource manager. Other aspects may require that quantitative monitoring be
undertaken, such as long-term monitoring of rare plants/animals, although rare species
are not part of the equation with this restoration project.
As part of the process of visually inspecting areas and assessing management efficacy
without quantitative monitoring, it would be recommendable to keep a field journal of
management activities, such as one found in the appendices of this report. This could
be used by the natural resource manager for the purpose of tracking observations
made. These observations may include species noted, fire effects, unusual weather
events, human disturbance, activities of work crews in the forest and buffer, and the
quality of their work performed, as well as many others.
Although this type of information may not be quantitative, it is crucial to help with
adapting management strategies in the future. This is especially true for the long-term,
since personnel and policy changes within organizations are inevitable. This
information would give future managers the benefit of insight on daily and yearly
activities within the forest as they relate to resource management.
Photomonitoring
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 14
It is recommended that two permanent points be established within the forest and
marked with a metal post. These posts would serve as fixed points from which photos
would be taken on an annual basis. The photos should be taken in the same direction
from the post, with the same camera if possible, and within a week or two of each other
each year. This type of monitoring provides a way to track the presence of brush and
the changes in character of the area from year to year. Although not quantitative in
nature, photomonitoring can help resource managers understand the outcomes of
certain management techniques and provide input for adjusting those techniques.
Problem species monitoring
Although it is largely impractical to carry out quantitative monitoring of changes in
nonnative species levels, it is practical to make a yearly walk-through assessment of the
site to determine if additional treatment of nonnatives is warranted. This should include
a site visit by an ecologist at least once a year, at approximately the same time.
Observational notes should be made on whether there was an increase, decrease or no
change in the overall population for a problem species, as well as whether treatment is
warranted in the coming year.
Oak Recruitment and Oak Wilt Monitoring
One of the goals for the long-term management of the forest is to maintain an oak
component in the canopy. Certain activities such as nonnative brush removal, select
tree release, and prescribed fire will improve the chance of recruiting new trees and
maintaining mature oaks here. To determine whether or not these management
activities are having the desired outcome, some type of "rough count" of oak
seedlings/saplings should be conducted every few years. This could be accomplished
by several means. One could be the counting of oak seedlings (less than 1"diameter)
and oak saplings (1-6" diameter) in an approximately 50 foot radius of permanent
photomonitoring points, or other fixed points. Another potential method would be to
start at a fixed location on one side of the forest, and using a compass, walk a path in a
set direction, counting the number of seedlings and saplings encountered within a set
distance from the path walked. This transect could cover a set distance or traverse the
entire length of the forest.
As mentioned earlier in this plan, when monitoring the site, a specific effort should be
made to annually inspect for the presence of oak wilt. As with other stages of the
restoration process, monitoring should be carried out on a regular basis to provide for
determining resource management effectiveness. Also important will be monitoring for
excessive human disturbance such as off-trail erosion, tree cutting, dumping, etc.
Please see Monitoring Section for additional details regarding this subject.
Record Keeping
It is highly recommended that records of management activities be kept. Hard copy
and/or electronic records will allow current and future managers to learn from past
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 75
successes and mistakes and plan for future activities based on this knowledge. Record
keeping is particularly important for budgeting, providing a track record of costs, and
justification for changes in future budgets. An example would be using the record for
brush removal during a winter project, helping to document costs and hours for that
project alone. Examples of other activities that could be kept on separate Resource
Management Records include prescribed burning, seed collection, seeding activities,
problem species control, monitoring, and planning. The Resource Management Record
could also be used to document several or all activities during a chosen cycle (year,
budget period, etc.).
If time does not allow for detailed documentation, at the very least adiary-like notebook
of activities should be kept. Continuity of management requires a knowledge of past
management activities as well as future goals.
Below is a summary table of management recommendations for the 80-acre Top of the
World Park. These are organized in priority order, with overall cost per acre or activity
included.
Si,mmarv Table of Recommended Resource Management Activities
ESTIMATED
Activity Priority Description COST!
HOURS"
Invasive High Cut invasive brush and tree species. Invasives $400 per
Brush/Tree should be cut and stump treated with Roundup or acre or 20
Removal Garlon (or similar) as weather conditions dictate. hrs/acre
Monitoring Medium- Visit site and make notes on effectiveness of 1 day or $500
high resource management activities as well as work to if hired
be performed. Annual inspections should be
specifically be made for oak wilt.
Prescribed Medium Conduct Rx burn with help of Public Works, ERFD, 60 hours or
burning volunteers, and others as needed. Burn every 5-15 $2,000/ event
years for any one burn unit
* Hours listed are total estimated personnel/volunteerhnurs based on approximate 2005 dollar values.
Old Field (Prairie Restoration) Management Activities
The resource management activities listed below are intended to help restore prairie
species in old field areas and other select areas disturbed by development
(buffer/connector areas). The time line for the most intensive set of these activities for
prairie restoration is 1-5 years, while management of the prairie, once established will
still require periodic management. This phase of the restoration process is focused on
controlling nonnative grass and weedy native species, setting the stage for seeding of
prairie species. This will include limited cutting of brush, herbicide application, coupled
with prescribed burning and planting of appropriate native grasses and flowers.
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 16
Brush Clearing of old field areas:
Clearing brush is a key activity early in this restoration process with removal of
scattered boxelder and other trees and shrubs. This can take place weeks any time
before herbicide/planting and is often best accomplished during fall and winter months.
Cut small trees and brush so that no more than 1-3 inches of flat stump sticks up above
ground surface. This will make it possible to drive equipment over the stumps and seed
in those areas. Also, cutting brush and treating the stumps should be completed prior to
the first prescribed fire.
With the exception of eastern red cedar, treat tree and shrub stumps within one hour of
cutting with a 25-50% solution of a glyphosate or picloram herbicide (trade names are
Roundup and Garlon). Treating cut stumps by using a solution in a spray bottle allows
for treating only the edge of the stump with minimal risk for damaging any adjacent
desirable plants. Treating the stumps with an herbicide is important because it
minimizes resprouting.
Please note that herbicide application should be conducted while following the
manufacturer's safety recommendations, including the use of appropriate
protective equipment such as chemical resistant gloves and eye protection.
These materials can be purchased at most hardware/home stores.
Ideally, brush and tree limbs should be removed from the site or moved to the edge of
the field. If necessary, cut brush should be piled and burned later. After drying
sufficiently, piles can be burned during most times of the year after the material has had
a chance to dry out, but winter is often the best. Snow cover greatly reduces the threat
of the fire burning through adjacent grasses as well as reducing the chance for soil
sterilization in addition to no need for a burn permit when there is more than three
inches of snow on the ground.
Control of Existing, Nonnative/V1/eedy Vegetation:
Prior to seeding, the existing vegetation should be controlled. Before the herbicide is
applied, a perimeter should be mowed around the field to allow for a prescribed burn
break. Mowed areas that are to be used as firebreaks should be mowed at least 8-10
feet wide (see section below for more details on the construction of burn breaks).
Control of existing herbaceous vegetation is most easily accomplished with the non-
specific contact herbicide glyphosate (Roundup) mixed according to label directions
(typically 3-6% solution). This activity may be accomplished by City staff, or with
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 17
outside help from a contractor or agricultural cooperative that regularly applies
herbicides. Generally, the most advantageous time to apply herbicide in preparation for
prairie planting is between April 1 and May 15. This will allow 1-2 weeks for the plants
to die back and dry up, after which the area can be burned.
Prescribed Burning:
Following the control of existing ground cover, the area should be burned in preparation
for seeding of native species. The burn should be accomplished after brown-up, which
is usually two to three weeks. Use the mowed perimeter discussed above as a burn
break. Be sure that the mowing is done close to the ground and that the burn breaks
are greater than 8 feet wide. Any material discharged from the mower should be
deposited outside of the burn break, away from the area to be burned to prevent
increasing fuel loads near the edge of a fire unit. This reduces the chance for fire flare
up, fuel smoldering, and reduces the chance of fire crossing a firebreak. Any dead
limbs lying on the ground inside the burn unit, within 20 feet of the burn break, should
also be removed to minimize chances for fire to creep across the fire line.
Seeding:
Following the prescribed fire in April or May, the site should be seeded with native
species known to occur in this area (recommended seeding list given below). The
recommended seeding method here is to drill grass and forb seed within two weeks of
the prescribed burn (late April to early June). If a native seed drill such as a Truax no-till
drill is used, it would also be recommendable to remove at least half, if not all of the forb
box feeder tubes from the seeder assembly. This allows the fine forb seed to fall to the
ground and prevents it from being placed in the seed furrow where these smaller seeds
might end up being planted too deep. Alternately, fine forb seed can be hand broadcast
at the same time as the drilling or seeded between November and February. The latter
method is known as frost seeding. It works well for small-seeded native forbs, but tends
to work less well for fluffy seeds, particularly those of native grasses, and large, hard
seeds, such as compass plant. A fall fire increases the effectiveness of frost seeding by
exposing the soil, so the seed can then gain good soil-to-seed contact.
Below is a recommended seeding plan that uses species thought to be the most cost-
effective for the site. If forb seed is not used for these plantings, another option is to
purchase live plants and place them in groups of forbs throughout the field. The cost
per acre for grass seed in this seeding list is approximately $200-300, depending on
availability. Forb seed in the amounts listed is approximately $500-800 per acre. If
resources are limited for the planting, it is recommendable to still include some basic
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 18
forbs in the initial mix and plan on frost seeding additional species at a later date. The
basic forbs are approximately $280 per acre. These "basic" forb species are indicated
on the list below with an asterisk next to the common name. If broadcast seeding is
used rather than drilling, the seed amounts should be increased to 1.5 times the listed
seeding rate.
Top of the World Park Recommended (DRAFT) Prairie Planting List
Common Name
Scientific Name Amt./
ac. oz Seeds/
oz.
Seeds/sf
Graminoids
Bi bluestem Andro 0 on erardii 16 10000 3.68
Sideoats rams Bouteloua Curti endula 16 6000 2.21
Kalm's brome Bromus kalmii 8 10000 1.84
Canada wild a EI mus canadensis 16 5200 1.91
Switch rass Panicum vir atum 8 14000 2.58
Little bluestem Schizach rium sco arium 16 15000 5.52
Indian rass Sor hastrum nutans 16 12000 4.42
Prairie dro seed S orobolus heterole is 4 16000 1.47
GRASS SUBTOTAL 100 Subtotal 23.63
Forbs
Anise h sso A astache foeniculum 1.5 90000 3.11
Pur le iant h sso A astache scro hulariaefolia 1 93000 2.14
Prairie sae Artemisia ludoviciana 0.125 250000 0.72
Butterfl milkweed Ascle ias tuberosa 2 11000 0.51
Smooth blue aster Asterlaevis 1.5 55000 1.90
Sk blue aster Aster oolentan iensis 0.5 80000 0.92
Canada milkvetch Astra alus canadensis 2.5 17000 0.98
Partrid a ea Chamaecrista fasciculata 16 2700 0.99
Prairie coreo sis Coreo sis almata 1 10000 0.23
White rairie clover Dales candida 6 19000 2.62
Pur le rairie clover Da/ea u erea 6 18000 2.48
Canada tick trefoil Desmodium canadense 3.5 5500 0.44
Cream entian Gentians flavida s n: G. albs 1 140000 3.22
Maximillian sunflower Helianthus maximilliani 1 13000 0.30
Oxe a false sunflower He1io sis helianthoides 6 6300 0.87
Round-headed bushclover Les edeza ca itata 4 8000 0.74
Rou h blazin star Liatris as era 2 16000 0.74
Wild lu ine Lu inus erennis 5 1100 0.13
Wild ber amot Monarch fistulosa 0.75 70000 1.21
Large-flowered
beardton ue
Penstemon randiflorus
1
14000
0.32
Vir inia mountain mint P cnanthemum vir inianum 0.25 220000 1.27
Yellow coneflower Ratibida innata 4 30000 2.76
Black-e ed susan Rudbeckia hirta 1.5 92000 3.17
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 19
Common Name
Scientific Name Amt./
ac. oz Seeds/
oz.
Seeds/sf
Stiff oldenrod Solida o ri ida 1.5 41000 1.41
Sho oldenrod Solida o s eciosa 0.5 95000 1.09
Prairies iderwort Tradescantia bracteata 1 10000 0.23
Hoa vervain Verbena stricfa 1 28000 0.64
Culver's root Veronicasfrum vir inicum 0.25 800000 4.60
Golden alexanders Zizia aurea 2 12000 0.55
FORE SUBTOTAL 74 Subtotal 40.3
Shrubs
Lead lant Amo ha canescens 1 16000 0.37
TOTAL 175 64.3
Establishment Period Maintenance
Following planting, there will likely be a large recruitment of weed seed from the seed bank. Agricultural
weeds establish quickly and can shade out native prairie species while they are small and trying to
become established. To give the prairie plants a fighting chance, it is important to mow the planting on a
regular basis for the first two growing season. This can be done on an as-needed basis, based on field
inspection, but the safest way to insure your investment in the prairie is to mow when agricultural weeds
grow taller than about 8-12 inches. This typically means 2-3 mowing in late June, mid-July, and mid-
August the year of planting, and then once or twice the second year after planting in late June and mid- to
late July.
Recommended Old Field (Prairie Restoration) Resource Management Activities
ESTIMATED
DATE ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION COST/HOURS'
Prior to Brush/ small Brush removal to prepare site for seeding. $3,750
herbicide tree removal Treat stumps, except for cedar and remove
brush or pile/burn.
Spring Burn Break Burn breaks should be a minimum of eight feet $
construction in width and can be constructed any time
year 1 between October and April for an April burn
date.
Spring, Herbicide Apply glyphosate herbicide to field to prepare $1,150
application for burning and seeding. Application in mid-
Year 1 April to mid-May.
Spring, Prescribed Conduct Rx fire late April to late May to prepare $2,250
burn site for seeding
Year 1
Late Spring Seeding Following brush removal, herbicide application, $6,750,
Year 1 and burning, plant seed by drilling. Cost inclues
approximately $775/acre for forb rich seed mix,
plus installation ~$150/ac.
Summer Mow/spot Mow and/or spot spray seeding when weeds 3,240
Years 1-2 spray new exceed 8-12 inches in height. First Year: Mow
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 20
ESTIMATED
DATE ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION COST/HOURS"
planting 8-12 inches early in summer and approximately
12 inches in mid- to late summer. Second and
Third Years: Mow 8-12 inches two times, or as
necessary. Four mowings/spraying total in
years 1 and 2; 28 total acres of treatment.
Late Evaluate Walk site to monitor seedling emergence and 2-4 hours staff time
summer, seeding development. Ideally, there should be about 1
Year 1; native seedling per 2-3 square feet minimum.
Year2 Many grasses and fortis should be about 4-6
inches tall by the end of the first growing
season. Evaluate in mid-summer in year 2.
Year2-4 Prescribed As adequate fuel accumulates, conduct one Rx Actual burn:
burn fire late April to stimulate native plants and set approximately 8
back nonnative, cool season grasses. hours for a crew of
5-8, or hired crew for
$1,500 to $4,000 /
burn
Annual Site After initial establishment, at least once each 3 hours
inspection year the site should be walked by city
staff/ecologist to review site development and
conditions.
Year 4 or 5 Prescribed 2" prescribed burn. Seasonal timing may be $300-500+ per acre.
burn fall or spring and should be based on rate of
development for prairie and evaluation of ratio
of grasses to flowers in planting.
Year 5+ Add'I After 4 or 5 growing seasons, evaluate Approximately 1-4
seeding development of seeding to determine if hours
supplemental seeding of flowers and/or grasses
is warranted.
Infrastructure Planning
There are several items that should be planned for in the purchase/development
process for the Top of the World addition. Importantly, this includes fencing and
signage. These two items are considered below.
Fencing
The Top of the World addition property occurs adjacent to existing park land to the west
and south. For this reason, fencing would not be required at these boundaries.
Likewise, the north property boundary occurs adjacent to Excel Energy easement
property and the City does not anticipate that fencing will be required in this
approximate 500 foot length of boundary.
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 21
The east boundary occurs adjacent to Tiller Corporation property. As part of the
agreement between the City and Tiller Corporation, Tiller will erect a fence to prevent
1GGeSS t0 their gravel mining land. The fence is intended for placement approximately
200 feet east of the property boundary, and thus will not require installation of fence on
Elk River Park property.
signage
Similar to the fencing description, the south and west boundaries of the Top of the
World addition occur adjacent to existing Elk River Parks property. Should boundary
signage follow approximate MN DNR standards of spacing boundary signs
approximately one per 500 feet, the east and north perimeter of the property (areas
adjacent to private property) will require placement of 11 new boundary signs to cover
the approximately 5,100 feet here. Assuming a cost of approximately $50 per sign for
sign printing/ installation brings boundary signage cost to approximately $550.
Additional signage at entry points and other key locations is anticipated to cost an
additional $1,200. These are expected to have an average service life of approximately
20 years, with approximately 5% annual replacement due to vandalism and other
factors.
Neighbor/City Resident Involvement
Because this forest is anticipated to one day be surrounded by developed residential
area, it will continue to be important for city staff to proactively address the role local
residents can play in shaping the future of this natural area. This is a challenge as well
as an opportunity because, on one hand it makes the area more vulnerable to overuse
and introduction of difficult to manage elements. On the other had, it invites the public
to enjoy, learn about, and sustain the complex and inspirational natural world which they
live in and influence every day. Below is a list of recommendations for creating positive
public involvement in a natural areas restoration.
Provide Compatible Recreation Opportunities
Construct trails that offer the public the greatest opportunity for enjoyment of,
and education about natural areas, without detriment to the ecological health
of the site.
^ Activities that are known to cause erosion, plant invasion, changes in site
hydrology, or cause mortality of desirable plants should be reviewed and
limited/prohibited for the long-term health of the site.
^ Place trails where they can play a role in resource management.
Educate the public.
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 22
^ Develop and install site-specific natural history interpretive signs to help park
users understand the ecology and management of the site.
^ Post signs on the site to explain why certain activities are being conducted.
This is especially important, since it may be the single means of informing the
most residents.
^ Offer public tours and walks for groups and publicize the events with
newspaper articles and local access cable TV announcements.
^ Integrate resource management activities with public/school environmental
education.
^ Hold neighborhood meetings to inform citizens of proposed management
activities and time lines for implementation.
^ Involve local schools in planting, monitoring, and educational activities.
Middle school and high school classes often need science projects related to
nature or are required to volunteer for community as part of graduation
requirements.
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 23
Appendix A
Glossary of Technical Terms
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan
'Glossary of Technical Terms
Acre-Foot Volume of water that would cover an acre of land to a depth of one foot (43,560
cubic feet).
Alluvium Material, such as sand and gravel, deposited by running water. River terraces and
outwash plains are examples of landforms composed of alluvium.
Barrens Usually refers to an area with sparse vegetation or stunted plants, caused by harsh
growing conditions such as infertile, droughty, or thin soils; also, a plant community that has
very sparse cover or is composed of stunted plants.
Bedrock Any solid rock exposed at the earth's surface or covered by unconsolidated material
such as till, gravel, or sand.
Best Management Practices: Methods, measures, or practices to prevent or reduce water
pollution, including but not limited to structural and non-structural controls, operation and
maintenance procedures, and scheduling of specific activities. Acronym is BMPs.
Blowout An area, on a dune or other sand deposit, where wind has eroded abowl-shaped
hollow in the sand. Blowouts generally are sparsely vegetated.
Bluegreen algae A type of algae whose population often increases dramatically at high
nutrient concentrations in lakes. They can form objectionable surface scums, cause taste and
odor problems, and secrete toxins poisonous to warm-blooded animals.
Bog A wetland composed of a layer of acidic peat on which grows a specialized group of herbs
and low shrubs. Bogs are distinguished from closely related poor fens by extremely nutrient-
poor conditions and the absence of most of the minerotrophic species that occur in poor fens.
Bounce In Hydrologic references, the rise in level in a wetland or lake resulting from a rainstorm
event. The difference in elevation between the normal water elevation and the peak water
elevation of a pond for a given size runoff event.
Brushland An upland plant community composed of shrubs and tree sprouts.
Buffer strip: A band of un-maintained, preferably native, vegetation left along the edge of a
stream, lake or wetland to filter runoff and/or stabilize the shoreline Calcareous Describes a soil
or substrate that contains a significant amount of calcium carbonate.
Canopy Aerial branches and leaves of terrestrial plants; generally the tallest layer of foliage in a
plant community.
Chlorophyll a The primary photosynthetic pigment in plants, a measure of the algal biomass in
lakes
Colluvium A deposit of rock and soil at the base of a cliff or slope, formed by gravitational
action.
Colonial nesting birds Species that nest in colonies (groups or aggregations), either with
others of the same species or in mixed-species aggregations.
Cover The proportion of the ground shaded when the living plant canopy is projected vertically
downward; also a general term used to describe any component of the habitat that conceals
animals from view.
DBH (diameter at breast height) - a standard measure of tree trunk diameter taken
approximately 4.5 feet above the ground level.
Dominant Describes a plant species that shapes the character of a community by virtue of its
size, abundance, dense shade, or effects on soils. Dominant species generally influence the
presence, growth, and distribution of other plant species in the community.
Degradation A decrease in quality.
~ Many of the definitions used in this section are borrowed from Minnesota's St Croix River Vallev and Anoka Sandolain, Worcha et
al, Minnesota DNR, 1995.
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan
Detention Pond A pond designed to catch and temporarily store runoff before discharging the
water downstream. The volume of the pool of standing water in the pond is important in
determining how effective the pond will be in treating the incoming stormwater.
Dissolved Oxygen (D.O.) Oxygen that is dissolved in water. Fish and other water organisms
need oxygen for respiration to survive. Depletion of oxygen from water can occur as a result of
chemical and biological processes, including decomposition of organic matter.
Downcutting The process by which a river or stream erodes and lowers its bed, eventually
resulting in the formation of a valley or ravine.
Drift (glacial) Rock material, such as boulders, gravel, sand, silt, or clay, removed from one
area and deposited in another by glaciers. Drift includes material deposited directly by glacial
ice, such as till, as well as material deposited indirectly, such as outwash.
Ecosystem The interacting group of physical elements (such as soils, water, etc.), plants,
animals, and human communities that inhabit a particular place.
Emergent Describes a plant capable of surviving indefinitely with its root system and lower
stem in water and its upper stem above water (e.g., cattails).
Empirical Based on experiment and observation; used to describe water quality models which
are developed from measured data.
End moraine A typically hilly landform composed of material deposited at the margin of a
glacier.
Ephemeral habitat A temporary habitat created by low intensity, short-lived fluctuations in
environmental factors.
Epilimnion: Upper warm layer of a lake during thermal stratification.
Esker Along, often serpentine hill or ridge composed of sand and gravel deposited by
meltwater streams flowing in a channel in a decaying ice sheet.
Eutrophication A natural process caused by the gradual accumulation of nutrients and
consequent increased biological production, and resulting in the slow filling in of a basin with
accumulated sediments, silt, and organic matter. Man's activities can increase the rate at which
eutrophication occurs.
Eutrophic Lake: A nutrient rich lake; usually shallow, green due to excessive algae growth and
with limited oxygen in the bottom layer of water.
Exotic species A species that has been introduced to an area by humans or that is present in
the area as a result of human-caused changes. (same as non native species.)
Export Coefficient An estimate of the expected annual amount of a nutrient carried from its
source to a lake.
Fen a wetland community composed of sedges, grasses, fortis, and sometimes shrubs, that
develops on peat in shallow basins.
Floating-leaved plants Aquatic plants that root on lake, pond, or river bottoms and have leaves
that float on the water surface at the end of long, flexible stems (e.g., water-lilies).
Floodplain A flat area adjacent to a stream or river channel, created by erosion and deposition
of sediment during regular flooding. Signs of Zflooding include debris caught in trees and ice
scars at the bases of trees.
Flushing Rate The number of times per year that a volume of water equal to the lake's volume
flows through the lake.
Forb A general term for broad-leaved, herbaceous plants.
Forest A plant community with a nearly continuous to continuous canopy (70 to 100% cover) of
mature trees.
Forest-grown tree A tree that matured within aclosed-canopy forest. Forest-grown trees tend
to have narrow crowns and tall, straight trunks with few lower limbs.
z Many of the definitions used in this section are borrowed from Minnesota's St Croix River Valley and Anoka Sandolain, Worcha et
al, Minnesota DNR, 1995.
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 2
Graminoid An herbaceous plant with linear, "grasslike" leaves that typically are oriented
vertically. Graminoids include grasses, sedges, and rushes.
Greenway or Greenway Corridor A linear open space area, usually composed of natural
vegetation, or vegetation that is more natural than surrounding land uses. May include paths or
recreational trails.
Ground layer A vegetation layer, mostly less that 3 feet tall, of grasses, forbs, and woody
plants.
Ground moraine A broad and level or gently undulating landform composed of material that
was deposited underneath, and sometimes at the margin of a glacier as the ice sheet melted;
also referred to as a till plain.
Grove A general term for a patch of trees less than 2 acres in area.
Grub A tree or shrub whose aboveground shoots are repeatedly killed by fire or browsing but
whose root system survives and continues to send up new shoots. The root system of a grub
may be several hundred years old; the above ground shoots are generally much younger.
Habitat The locality, site, and particular type of local environment in which plants, animals, and
other organisms live.
Herb A plant lacking a persistent above ground woody stem. Herbs include broad-leaved
flowering plants, ferns, grasses, sedges, and others.
High Water Level (HWL) The peak water surface elevation in a ponding area as a result of a
specific runoff event. Once the peak is reached, the pond water elevation eventually returns to
its normal (standing) water level.
Hydrology The science and study of water in nature, including its circulation, distribution, and
its interaction with the environment.
Hydrophyte A plant adapted to growing in water or on wet soils that are periodically saturated
and deficient in oxygen.
Hypolimnion Lower cooler layer of a lake during thermal stratification.
Ice block lake A lake that occurs in a depression that was formed when a block of glacial ice
was buried or surrounded by till or outwash sand, and then melted.
Ice scar A scar on a floodplain tree caused by abrasion by ice floes during spring flooding.
Impervious Surface A surface that is impermeable to the downward seepage of water; e.g.,
pavement and roof tops.
Inflorescence An arrangement of flowers on a plant, such as in a cluster or along a stalk.
Lacustrine Refers to features (such as sediments, landforms, plant communities, or animal
communities) that were formed by or are associated with a lake.
Landform A land feature, such as plain, plateau, or valley, formed by a particular geologic
process.
Life form Characteristic structural features and growth pattern of plant species (e.g., broad-
leaved deciduous shrub).
Litter layer Relatively undecomposed organic matter and debris on top of soil layer.
Loading The amount of a pollutant or other substance delivered to a lake, usually expressed
as a weight per unit time (i.e. pounds per year). The loading of a given constituent to a receiving
water is a function of the volume of incoming water and the concentration of the constituent in
the incoming water.
Loess Fine material consisting predominantly of silt with fine sand and clay. Loess is often
deposited by wind.
Macrophytes Higher plants which grow in water, either submerged, emergent, or floating.
Reeds and cattails are examples of emergent macrophytes.
Marsh A plant community of shallow wetland basins, dominated by herbaceous, emergent
aquatic plants such as cattails and bulrushes. Marshes usually have standing water throughout
the growing season.
Meltwater Water released by melting glacial ice.
Mesic A general term describing upland habitats that are intermediate between wet and dry;
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 3
also used to describe plants and plant communities that occur in mesic habitats.
Mesotrophic Lake Midway in nutrient levels between eutrophic and oligotrophiclakes.
Microhabitat A small, specialized habitat.
Mineral soil A soil composed mostly of inorganic matter, including clay, silt, sand, and gravel.
Mineral soils usually have less than 20% organic matter but may have organic surface layers up
to 12 inches thick.
Minerotrophic A general term describing wetlands with nutrient levels that fall between very
low (such as in bogs) and very high (such as in seepage meadows).
Mitigation: Actions taken to reduce an impact. Water quality mitigation measures can be non-
structural (such as street sweeping, regulation of fertilizer use, and creation/protection of natural
buffers to filter runoff) or structural (such as installation of detention basins). Properly designed
detention basins are among the most effective and reliable measures for mitigating the water
quality impacts of urban developments.
Model A mathematical representation of an event or process.
Moraine Rock and mineral debris deposited directly by glacial ice. Moraines most often consist
of unsorted rock and mineral particles.
Muck Adark-colored organic soil of highly decomposed plant material in which the original plant
parts are not recognizable.
MUSA (Metropolitan Urban Service Area) The area designated by the Metropolitan Council of
the twin cities area to receive urban services such as central sewer, urban streets, etc.
Native habitat A habitat formed and occupied by native plants and animals and little modified
by logging, farming, ditching, flood control, and the like.
Native species A species that occurs naturally within a given region.
3Native vegetation Vegetation, composed of native plants, that has been little modified by
human activities such as logging, farming, ditching, or the introduction of nonnative species.
Natural area Geographic area in which the dominant plants and animals are native species.
Natural community An assemblage that tends to recur over space and time of native plants
and animals that interact with each other and with their abiotic habitats in ways that have been
little modified by nonnative plant and animal species. Natural communities are classified and
described according to their vegetation, successional status, topography, hydrologic conditions,
landforms, substrates, soils, and natural disturbance regimes (such as wildfires, windstorms,
normal flood cycles, and normal infestation by native insects and microorganisms).
Nonnative species A species that has been introduced to an area by humans or that is present
in the area as a result ofhuman-caused changes.
Non-Point Source Pollution: Refers to pollution other than that caused by discharge of
pollutants through a pipe from a closed system to a receiving water. Pollution caused by runoff
from farm fields or paved streets are examples of this non-point pollution.
Normal Water Level (NWL) The elevation of the surface of the standing water pool within a
pond or wetland. Generally, the NWL is the elevation of the bottom of the primary outlet pipe or
overland flow channel. Nutrient Budget: An itemized estimate of nutrient inputs and outputs
(usually for a period of one year), taking into account all sources and losses.
Nutrient Loading The input of nutrients to a lake
Nutrient Trap A type of pond or wetland that is effective at removing nutrients from water.
Nutrients Elements such as phosphorus and nitrogen that are required for plant growth. When
excess amounts are transported in stormwater they may encourage excessive algae or other
plant growth in receiving water bodies.
Oligotrophic Lake A relatively nutrient-poor lake, usually clear and deep with bottom waters
high in dissolved oxygen.
s Many of the definitions used in this section are borrowed from Minnesota's St. Croix River Valley and Anoka Sand lain, Worcha et
al, Minnesota DNR, 1995.
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 4
Open-grown tree A tree that has matured in an open setting, such as a prairie or savanna.
Open-grown trees tend to have broad crowns and thick, spreading lower limbs.
Organic soil A soil in which the upper surface layers contain more than 25% organic matter.
Outcrop Bedrock that projects above the soil.
Outwash plain A plain formed of sorted and stratified material-such as layers of sand and
gravel-carried from an ice sheet and deposited by glacial meltwater.
pH A measure of the acidic or basic nature of the water; it is defined as the logarithm of the
reciprocal of the hydrogen-ion concentration in moles/liter.
Parent material The weathered rock or partly weathered soil material from which topsoil
develops.
Parts per billion (ppb) a unit of concentration, sometimes expressed as micrograms per liter
(ug/I).
Parts per million (ppm) a unit of concentration, sometimes expressed as milligrams per liter
(mg/I).
Peat soil A dark brown or black organic soil consisting largely of undecomposed or slightly
decomposed plants. Peat soils usually form where persistent excessive moisture slows or
inhibits the decay of plant material.
Persistent vegetation Wetland vegetation formed by emergent hydrophytic plants with stems
that normally remain standing until the beginning of the following growing season (e.g., cattails
and bulrushes).
Phosphorus A nutrient essential to plant growth. Phosphorus is the nutrient most commonly
limiting plant growth in lakes.
Phosphorus Export The amount of phosphorus carried off of a given area of land by
stormwater.
Phytoplankton Open water algae; it forms the base of the lake's food chain and produces
oxygen.
Prairie An upland plant community composed of grasses and forbs. Prairies generally lack
trees; shrubs, if present, are not prominent.
Presettlement A term used for convenience to denote the time period before Euro-American
settlers moved into the Region. The Region was actually settled by American Indians for
thousands of years before European-Americans arrived.
Range (geographic) The limits of the geographic distribution of a species or group.
Rate Control: A term that refers to controlling the rate at which water is discharged from a
watershed. Rate control is often accomplished by creating ponds-either by excavation or
berming- to temporarily store runoff, then discharging the stored water at a slower rate to
downstream areas. Further reductions in the rate at which water is released from a pond can be
accomplished by reducing the size of the outlet, such as through installation of a wall in the
outlet structure with a hole (orifice) through it.
Reintroduced species Species that had been eliminated from areas where they occurred
historically and were later released back into the area by humans.
Remnant A portion or fragment of a natural community that has survived while the rest of the
community has been destroyed by logging, urban development, clearing of land for cultivation,
and other human activities.
Residence Time The amount of time it takes for water flowing into a lake to equal the lake
volume. The shorter the residence time, the more incoming water the lake is receiving relative
to its volume.
Rhizome A horizontal underground plant stem.
Savanna An upland plant community formed of prairie herbs with scattered trees or groves of
trees. The canopy cover of trees in a savanna is generally between 10 and 70%.
Secchi Disc A device measuring the depth of light penetration in water, typically a 9-inch, white
circular plate attached to a rope. Used to measure water transparency.
Sedge Any of a number of grasslike plants of the family Cyperaceae.
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 5
Sedimentation The process by which matter (usually soil particles) settles on a substrate
following transport by water, wind, or ice.
Seepage The slow, diffuse oozing of groundwater onto the earth's surface.
Shallow Lake Lakes with mean depth of less than 10 feet
Shrub layer A vegetation layer, usually less that 6 feet high, of shrubs and tree seedlings.
Shrub swamp A wetland community dominated by a nearly continuous to continuous canopy
(70 to 100% cover) of shrubs, such as willows and alders.
Subcanopy A vegetation layer, composed of patches of individuals of approximately equal
height, that is lower than the canopy layer; often refers to a layer of saplings, tall shrubs, or
small trees between 6 and 35 feet high.
Submergent Describes an aquatic plant that grows entirely under water.
Substrate The surface layer of organic or mineral material-such as till, outwash, or bedrock-
from which the soil is formed.
Succession The change in vegetation over time.
Swale A broad, shallow depression in a till plain or broad river plain.
Swamp A wetland community with a fairly continuous to continuous canopy of shrubs or trees,
such as speckled alder, black ash, or tamarack. Swamps generally occur in shallow basins or
wet depressions.
4Talus Rocks and other coarse mineral debris that accumulate at the base of a cliff or steep
slope.
Terrace A sandy and gravelly alluvial plain bordering a river. Terraces represent former river
floodplains, left stranded when the river level dropped because of channel downcutting or
decreased flow. Terraces are ordinarily level or nearly level and are seldom flooded.
Till Unstratified and unsorted material deposited directly by a glacier. Till consists of clay, sand
gravel, or boulders mixed in any proportion.
Till plain Abroad and level or gently undulating landform composed of material that was
deposited underneath and at the margin of a glacier as the ice sheet melted; also referred to as
aground moraine.
Total Phosphorus (TP) A measure of all of the different forms of phosphorus in water.
Includes phosphorus dissolved in the water, suspended or incorporated in algae or other
organisms.
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) Particulate material which floats in or is carried along in water
(e.g., algae, soil particles).
Transitional habitat A habitat present between two adjacent natural communities (for example,
the edge of a forest along a wet meadow). Transitional habitats often have features that set
them apart form the habitats formed by either of the adjacent communities.
Trophic State The level of growth or productivity of a lake as measured by phosphorus content,
algae abundance, or depth of light penetration.
Understory The vegetation occurring below the canopy in a plant community.
Vine A plant with along, weak stem that grows along the ground or climbs on other vegetation
for support.
Watershed: The area of land draining into a specific body of water.
Water Transparency A measure of the clarity of water. The depth at which an object can be
seen in water.
Wetland Habitats where the soil is saturated or covered with water for part of the year.
Woodland A wooded habitat characterized by an interrupted tree canopy; also used as a
general term to describe any tract of land with trees growing on it.
Woodland-brushland An upland plant community composed of a patchy canopy (10 to 70%
cover) of mature trees and a dense understory of shrubs, tree shoots, and saplings. Usually the
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan
trees occur in scattered groves with dense thickets of brush between them.
Many of the definitions used in this section are borrowed from Minnesota's St. Croix River Vallev and Anoka Sandolain, Worcha et
al, Minnesota DNR, 1995.
Top of the Wo-1d Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan
City of Elk River Top of the World Restoration - 2007 Metro Greenways Site Restoration Nomination Page 8
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Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 8
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Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan g
City of Elk Rfver Top of the World Restoration - 2007 Metro Greemvays Site Restoration Nomination Page I1
Additional Site photos
View ofprairie/savanna restoration area from northeast (County Road 33) looking to southwest. Restoration is planned
for the old field area in the foreground, back to the tree line. This area is currently dominated by nonnative cool season
grasses.
Interpretive signage is proposed for a trail kiosk/natural history interpretation area along the trail to highlight restoration
work..
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 11
City of Elk River Top of the World Restoration - 2007 Metro Greemvays Site Restoration Nomination Page 10
Top of the World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 10
Site Map -Aerial Photo
II. PURPOSE
This master plan evaluates the need and feasibility of completing the northern
alignment of the Mississippi River Regional Trail and utilizes a Feasibility Study and
Report conducted by Hakanson Anderson Associates, Inc. The report was completed in
2006 and presented to the Cities of Anoka and Ramsey, who then adopted resolutions
of support for the development and construction of the Mississippi River Regional Trail
(refer to Appendix D).
The objectives of the master~plan process are:
1. To define the preferred route for the regional trail from the City of Anoka
through the City of Ramsey to the Sherburne County line.
2. To define alternate route locations, existing right-of-way and streetwidths, along
with estimated costs to.construct the trail.
3. To define connection between the regional trail and major parks, trail systems
and activity centers.
4. To identify opportunities, conflicts and other strategic issues relevant to
establishing a quality regional trail.
5. To gain valuable input from the cities, agencies, organizations and the public.
The master plan will be presented to the Metropolitan Council's Parks and Open Space
Commission for recommendation and Metropolitan Council approval.
III. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The development of this master plan was initiated through a meeting of appropriate
personnel from Anoka County, the City of Anoka and the City of Ramsey. Based on
these meetings the project scope and trail corridor were established.
Multiple trail locations were discussed by the County and City staff, before deciding on
final proposed trail locations. Many alternates are shown in the attached drawings.
Some of these alternates can act as replacements for primary segments, however most
alternate segments are proposed to be additional segments that would interconnect
other trails and sidewalks within the project corridor.
The primary route was divided into five segments as follows:
• Segment 1 (west) begins at the west county line and terminates at the west end
of Mississippi West Regional Park.
• Segment 2 (Mississippi West Regional Park) begins at the west boundary of the
park and terminates at the intersection of 138'h and Riverdale Drive.
Page 2 of 26
• Segment 3 (central) begins at the intersection of Riverdale Drive and 138'h
Avenue and terminates at the east end of Rivlyn Avenue.
• Segment 4 (Kings Island) begins at the east end of Rivlyn Avenue and terminates
at the east end of Mississippi River Community Park.
• Segment 5 (City of Anoka) begins at the west end of Benton Street and
terminates at Peninsula Point Park.
A trail construction cost analysis was done for each of the segments, which resulted as
follows:
Segment 1 $634,159
Segment 2 $189,175*
Segment 3 $163,587
Segment 4 $303,209
Segment 5 $65,550
*Construction costs for segment 2 will be included in the park development of the
Mississippi West Regional Park or through a trail grant.
The estimated cost for this project is $1,355,630 for a length of 7.5 miles with an
approximate cost of $34.23 per lineal foot.
IV. BACKGROUND
A. Corridor History
In the mid-1980's, Anoka County identified the Mississippi River Regional Trail
corridor. This trail corridor was proposed to run along the Mississippi River, from
the westerly county line (Elk River) to downtown Anoka. Although the corridor
was identified, the exact alignment or location had not been developed. The
proposed trail would offer residents from the cities of Anoka and Ramsey
pedestrian access to Mississippi West Regional Park, a 273 acre regional park
located along the Mississippi River.
Since that time, Anoka County has conducted a comprehensive analysis of its
parks and trails. In 1998, Anoka County adopted a new comprehensive Park
and Recreation System Plan, titled the 20/20 Vision Plan. Part of that plan
included Chapter 13 -Trail and Greenway Development (refer to Appendix B).
Input for the trail corridors was obtained from a wide variety of stakeholders,
including a 20 member County Board appointed advisory group, the County
Highway Department, and all local units of government in Anoka County and
surrounding counties. As a result of this plan, a number of new regional trail
Page 3 of 26
corridors were identified, as well as, reaffirmation of the existing trail corridors.
Using the Metropolitan Council's Regional Trails Policy Amendment to its
Regional Recreation Open Space Development Guide/Policy Plan, Anoka
County identified the major regional trail corridors in the county. They were
adopted into the Metropolitan Council's Plan along with the Anoka County
Parks and Recreation System Plan. Mississippi River Regional Trail is one of
these regional trail corridors.
In 2006, Anoka County adopted a new comprehensive Park and Recreation
System Plan. Again input for the regional trails was obtained through a variety
of stakeholders, including a local advisory group and all local units of
government in Anoka County. One new regional trail was proposed, several
new regional trail segments were identified as well as trail segments to be
realigned. See Appendix C.
Mississippi River Regional Trail was addressed in this new system plan. This trail
corridor is proposed to follow the Mississippi Riverfrom the southernmostAnoka
County border to the Sherburne County border. The total length of the trail as
proposed is 24 miles. Currently, there are 16 miles of existing paved trail
utilizing both on-street and off-street alignments. This master plan will address
the remaining eight miles of trail to be built from the City of Anoka, through the
City of Ramsey and Mississippi West Regional Park to the Sherburne County
border.
The north segment of the Mississippi River Regional Trail corridor connects to
the Central Anoka County. and Rum River regional trails. It will connect to
Mississippi West Regional Park as well as Ramsey Town Center and local
neighborhood parks, trails and points of interest along the corridor. The trail
will make pedestrian access for area residents to the surrounding amenities
relatively easy and enjoyable.
B. Points of Interest
There are a number of existing points of interest along this proposed corridor.
Beginning at the east end is Peninsula Point Park, which offers a shelter with
restrooms and other park amenities. 1.5 miles to the west is Mississippi River
Community Park, which offers shelters with restrooms, open and covered picnic
areas, play areas for volleyball and softball, and a number of internal trails.
Just west of Mississippi River Community Park, across an oxbow of the
Mississippi, is Kings Island. Kings Island is a heavily wooded area that was used
in the past for a gravel mining operation. Nearly all of Kings Island is within the
100 year floodplain; however it has a nice combination of wooded areas and
river frontage.
Page 4 of 26
Another 3/a mile to the west is Mississippi West Regional Park. This park is
currently a combination of wooded areas and abandoned agricultural land that
is being restored to prairie. Anoka County will be making park improvements to
this property in the future.
Approximately one mile west of the Anoka County / Sherburne County line is the
Historic Oliver Kelley Farm. This farm is owned by the Minnesota Historical
Society and is used as an interpretive center and working example of an 1860's
Farm.
C. Planned Improvements for Highway 10
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has indicated that Trunk Highway
10 is an Interregional Transportation Corridor. The TH 10 Corridor
Management Plan calls for conversion of TH 10 to a freeway, from TH 1 Ol in
Elk Riverto Main Street/Greenhaven Road in Anoka. The Anoka portion ofthis
project will involve removing two signalized intersections at Fairoak and
Thurston Avenue.
MNDOT has provided some preliminary layouts forthis area; howeverthe entire
project is still in the preliminary phases. The future right of way lines are not
known at this time, however the trail layout includes the most recent MNDOT
proposed right of way lines, where applicable.
In addition to the proposed improvements to TH 10, a proposed bridge crossing
the Mississippi River, connecting the cities of Ramsey and Dayton, is planned
within the area east of Bower's Dr. N.W. This bridge crossing should provide
additional pedestrian opportunities by connecting Hennepin County. The
current bridge crossings are at Elk River and Anoka. The design of the bridge
and connecting interchanges should take the regional trail corridor into
consideration.
D. Ramsey Town Center Multi Modal Facility
Ramsey Town Center is a 369.5 acre development north of Highway 10,
between Armstrong Boulevard and Ramsey Boulevard NW, in the City of
Ramsey. This development will include 2400 residential units and 1.65 million
square feet of commercial, industrial, and institutional space.
This project will eventually include a Northstar Commuter Station. The Ramsey
Town Center project includes a municipal parking garage that will link the
commuter station to near and adjacent trails. In the future there will be a
pedestrian bridge overTH 10 and the railroad tracks for a direct connection to
the Mississippi West Regional Park and the regional trail system, south ofTH 10.
Page 5 of 26
Existing ROW Information
The topographic and property line information, used as a background for the
trail layout drawings, was acquired from the City of Anoka and the City of
Ramsey. The information within the City of Ramsey appears to be much more
accurate than the City of Anoka information; however it is more than adequate
for the purposes of this project.
Existing right of way information was taken from half section drawings produced
by the Anoka County surveyor's office.
F. Flood Elevations
100 year flood elevation information was taken from Flood Insurance Rate
Maps that are produced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
G. Historical/ Cultural Background Information
At this time, it is unknown if there are any known or suspected archaeological
properties in the area that will be affected by this project. The State Historical
Preservation Office will be consulted forfurther information as trail development
proposals come forward.
Page 6 of 26
V. BOUNDARIES AND ACQUISITION COSTS
For this master plan, the proposed trail corridor is broken down into five segments that
illustrate the primary route and several alternative routes. It is proposed that if the
primary route cannot be constructed, the alternate routes will be considered; however,
most of the alternates are intended to be additional trail locations, to interconnect with
other existing and proposed trails.
Segment 1 -Appendix A, Sheets i , 2 & 3 of 8
The primary route for Segment 1 is approximately four miles in length. It begins
at the Anoka County/Sherburne County line and ends at the west end of
Mississippi West Regional Park. This trail segment will include a 10 foot
bituminous trail south of and adjacent to the Highway 10 right-of-way until
Bowers Drive NW where it will then be routed through an agricultural field and
wooded area. From there it will travel along the south side of 142"d Avenue
NW in the existing road right of way. This segment of trail will require
approximately 75,000 SF in trail easement acquisition at a cost of
approximately $175,000. Approximately 13,050 LF crosses agricultural fields
or open space. In these areas, Anoka County proposes that as the land is
developed, the trail could be required as part of the development with little cost
to the city or the county.
Segment 1 has an important alternate. The route through the agricultural field,
as an extension of Riverdale Drive, could also be an important connection to the
existing trail along Riverdale Drive. Riverdale Drive could have a trail along its
entire length in the future, which would be very convenient and useful to that
entire area after development.
Page 7 of 26
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