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• Anoka County Multi- Jurisdictional All Hazards Mitigation Plan gross acres. Public and institutional property occupies only about 1% (304 acres). Parks, private recreation and open spaces, including Cedar Creek Natural History Area and the developing Sand Hill Crane Nature Preserve account for approximately 17% of the acres (5,173) in the city. Vacant or rural areas account for roughly 54% (16,433) of the acres in the community. Major water bodies account for 7% (2,130) acres. The remainder falls in miscellaneous categories. Public lands: East Bethel has a number of unique natural amenities. These areas offer exceptional recreational, educational, and scientific opportunities. The largest of these is The Cedar Creek Natural History Area. The Cedar Creek Natural History Area encompasses more than 3,000 acres and is the largest open space in East Bethel. It is one of the largest ecological research sites in central Minnesota. The three great ecosystems of North America meet in the vicinity of Cedar Creek - the western prairies, the northern evergreen forests, and the eastern deciduous forests. In addition, within its nine square miles Cedar Creek contains rare ecosystems including spruce bogs, a northern cedar forest, and tracts of never plowed savannas. Cedar Creek was established in 1942 and ranks among the worlds top ecological research sites. Cedar Creek is owned and operated by the University of Minnesota, in cooperation with the Minnesota Academy of Science. Entirely contained within the Cedar Creek Area is Fish Lake. The lake is 332 acres in size and has a maximum depth of 13 feet. Adjacent to and immediately south of Cedar Creek across County Road 26 is the Helen Allison Savanna Scientific and Natural Area. This is an 86 -acre area on the Anoka Sandplain that was formed 16,000 years ago by glacial melt water. The area was established in 1960. Oak savanna, which consists of oak trees over prairie vegetation, occupies 54 acres of the preserve. Over 45 species of birds have been documented in the preserve. Another unique natural resource in East Bethel is the Sand Hill Crane Natural Area. The area includes Ned, Mud, and Deer Lakes. It covers 533 acres and is owned and cooperative managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Anoka County, and the City of East Bethel. Another 74 acres of government land is adjacent to the Sand Hill Crane property bringing the total amount of government land in this unique resource to 607 acres. Another one of East Bethel's unique physical resources is Coon Lake. It is located in the southeast corner of East Bethel, with portions of the lake in the City of Ham Lake and the City of Columbus. Coon Lake is part of the Anoka County Park System. Coon Lake has numerous access points and is used for boating and swimming. The lake covers 1,259 acres with a littoral area of 1,098 acres. It also supports many forms of wildlife such as loons, ducks, geese, fish, beaver, and turtles. East Bethel also has a number of community focused recreational facilities. The East Bethel Ice Arena is located on Highway 65 at 207th Avenue NE. Booster Park is the oldest and most popular park in the city. It is adjacent to city hall and consists of 45 acres and offers traditional activities such as baseball diamonds, tennis courts, a hockey rink, picnic facilities, and hiking trails. The city recently acquired 32 acres to expand Booster Park. John Anderson Memorial Park surrounding Cooper Lake is in the northwestern corner of the city. It is a total of 70 acres in size. The city also has a number of smaller neighborhood parks that offer recreational opportunities to residents. Private fee areas: East Bethel has two privately owned and operated golf courses. Viking Meadows Golf Club and Hidden Haven Golf Club. Both course are open to the general public. Agriculture and forestry: While a large amount of land in East Bethel is vacant or rural (54 %, 16,414 acres) agriculture is limited due to soil conditions and the declining availability of