09/02/2008 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

Rare Wildlife and Plant Habitat Models Using available natural resources inventory data and land cover information, and known habitat affinities of rare animals, city staff developed a GIS based wildlife model to assess potential habitats for rare animal populations known to occur within the City. This predictive model identifies potential habitats for a state threatened reptile, the Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea biandingii). Potential habitats are field checked for the presence of rare animals during the development review process. Furthermore, the model identifies opportunities for the restoration and management of natural habitats and for reestablishing habitat corridors that may support rare wildlife populations in the future. The City assisted with the development of a predictive model to assess potential habitats that could support rare plant populations within the City. The model parameters were based on environmental data collected with historic and recent records of rare plant population records documented within Lino Lakes and adjacent communities on the Anoka Sandplain (e.g. Blaine, Ham Lake, and Columbus). The model analyzes available MLCCS land cover and natural resources inventory data, as well as soils, wetlands, hydrology data, and recent aerial photographs to determine natural and semi - natural habitats with a high likelihood of supporting undocumented rare plant species populations. The results of this model are used to review proposed development plans and conservation projects, and to identify areas within the City that may require additional field survey and assessment for the presence of rare plant populations. Lino Lakes Parks, Natural Open Space /Greenways, and Trails System Plan In 2004, the City updated its Comprehensive Parks, Natural Open Space /Greenways, and Trail System Plan. The planning process incorporated updated and detailed natural resources information and environmental analysis to develop a parks, open space, greenway, and trail system plan that incorporated important natural resources into a contiguous network of recreational and habitat corridors throughout the City. The Plan led to the development, and refinement of a Conservation Development approach to development that was adopted by the City. This program has resulted in the design and implementation of residential conservation developments within the City that achieve ecological restoration, open space preservation, recreational, and economic development goals of the City (Figure 2 -4: Open Space /Conservation Development Model, Brauer & Associates). I -35 E Corridor Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) The I -35E Corridor Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) was a proactive, citizen driven environmental review process that comprehensively assessed the environmental impacts of development in a 4,600 -acre growth area in the City. The AUAR was completed in 2005 and the AUAR area is shown in Figure 2 -5. The overarching goal of the whole project was to balance development with natural resource conservation. The result of the AUAR process was a Mitigation Plan that documents the actions the City will take to mitigate environmental impacts. The foundation of the Mitigation Plan is the Conservation Design Framework (CDF). The goals of the CDF are to: 1) Conserve the most ecologically significant natural resources within the AUAR area; 2) Protect ecologically sensitive natural resources from adjacent land uses by through buffering; and 3) Connect ecologically significant resources via multifunctional greenway corridors - corridors for wildlife, trails, and surface water management features. • • •