03/27/2013 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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3.11. Unique Natural Features Biological Resource The City's Biological Resources are primarily a function of its lakes and natural habitat areas, much of which is located within its parks. Beginning in 1945, a colony of hundreds of great blue herons nested on Rice Lake, south of Lake Peltier. These birds were displaced in the early 1990s by residential development and the opening of a nearby golf course. A second heron colony inhabited Howard Lake, north of Lake Peltier, and once numbered 550 nests. The Howard Lake colony suffered severe losses during a wind storm in 1987, which downed nest trees and killed many young birds. The colony never recovered from the storm's devastation and has since relocated to Lake Peltier. Before 1998 there was an estimated 1100 nests with 1000 to 2000 birds (great blue herons, night herons and great white egrets) or more on Peltier island. The Black- crowned night herons left in 1998. During 2000 and 2001 there was total abandonment of nests of all species on the island. In 2002 a slow no -wake zone was established around the island. In 2004 Andy Von Duyke under the Conservation Biology Graduate Program at the University of Minnesota studied the island rookery through 2004. Conclusions were that the island rookery was heavily predated by raccoons. Citizen volunteers and the City of Lino Lakes have been monitoring the rookery since then and are using tree flashing on nesting trees to keep the raccoons from predating the nests. This seems to be successful. The colony is slowly recovering and in 2011 City staff counted about 57 nests and also observed great white egrets. A research project published by Custer and Galli in 20021, concludes that 47% of the great blue herons nesting in the rookery utilize Peltier Lake for food foraging and most herons travel distances less than 10 miles. Great white egrets tend to travel slightly farther distances and prefer less wet habitat for foraging than do the great blue herons. The area's mix of plant community types provides diverse habitat for amphibians, reptiles, and mammals as well as numerous species of birds found in multiple habitat niches. The most recent known bird surveys conducted in the mid 1970's for Lino Lakes and Anoka County documented well over 200 species occurring in the immediate vicinity. The shoreline and shallows north of the island serve as a spawning area for Northern pike and walleye, and as a resting area for terns, black crown night herons, and other waterfowl. The north arm of the lake is one of the few remaining places in the metro area with healthy native vegetation, including water willow, which is considered a species of special concern. The City has a notable number of rare biological resources. See Table 6 below. As the Resource Management Plan (RMP) was developed, these rare features and habitats that support rare species were prioritized for protection and incorporation into the Wetland Preservation Corridor. These important natural resource areas were carried forward into the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and identified as part of the Multi - Functional Greenway Corridor. In general the rare plant species are found along the upland - wetland transitional zones. Extensive botanical survey work has occurred within the City to document locations of these rare plant species. The City has also invested resources in identifying and protecting Blanding's turtle habitat. The critical habitat areas were identified and incorporated into the Wetland Preservation Corridor and Greenway Corridor. 1 Custer and Galli. 2002. Feeding Habitat Selection by Great Blue Herons and Great White Egrets Nesting in East Central Minnesota, Waterbirds 25(1): 115 -124, City of Lino Lakes SWMP 1 February 8, 2013 Draft 146 • •