03/11/2002 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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COUNCIL MINUTES MARCH 11, 2002 Jeff Perry, Anoka County Parks and Recreation Department Natural Resources Specialist, stated through a series of recent comprehensive planning efforts, that include the Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Natural Resources management report adopted in 1995, the "2020 Vision" Anoka County Parks and Recreation System Plan adopted in 1998, and the Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park Reserve Master Plan adopted in 1999, the Peltier Lake island heron rookery and surrounding natural communities have been identified as a unique resource to protect and preserve into the future. The island itself and the surrounding aquatic vegetation communities are biologically unique and contain rare plants and animals that are of local, regional, and State-wide significance. Several management goals and strategies have been documented during these planning efforts, which specifically include controlling boat traffic around Peltier island to prevent further disruption to the heron rookery. Therefore, special consideration in the way of supporting a slow/no-wake zone on the north end of Peltier Lake is clearly consistent with various comprehensive plans recently adopted by Anoka County. Mr. Perry stated in 1999 the Anoka County Parks and Recreat o epartment received letters and reports expressing concern for the water ski course that was ca m isturbance to the heron rookery and surrounding habitat. In response, County Offici ed a Peltier Lake Association meeting to inform the Association of the significance of th o rookery and surrounding natural communities and recommended slow/no-wake speeds ard sland and the northern portion of the lake due to the sensitivity of the area to high -speer i o .+rized watercraft. The consensus at that meeting was to voluntarily keep water skiing to the am .. $ y of the lake, south of the island. There was also agreements to avoid skiing in the area nhe island. Mr. Perry stated in the spring of 1999 the D- F •. ent of Natural Resources, in cooperation with Anoka County, began collecting more co a n e nesting data. In June of 2000 the heron rookery was abandoned during the critical nestin -riot Upon notice of the rookery activity, County and State officials inspected the island, o several egg shells that appeared to hatch successfully. The monitoring records were revie by oun and State officials shortly after June 2000 and various theories of cause an fect we = scussed and analyzed. Mr. Perry noted in June 2001 t1h eroii rookery was again abandoned during the critical nesting period. The rookery was once ag inspected and again egg shells were found that appeared to have successfully hatched, along with a few dead young great blue herons that appeared to have been abandoned. In August 2001 a report was presented to the Anoka County Parks and Recreation Committee regarding the decline of the Peltier Lake heron rookery. The Anoka County Parks and Recreation Committee recommended forming a task force to comprehensively assess the potential causes for the decline of the rookery and to develop strategies and solutions to address the problem. Mr. Perry stated in January 2002 the Peltier Island Rookery Task Force, comprised of representatives from the City of Lino Lakes, City of Centerville, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (Conservation Officer, Nongame Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquatic Plan Management), Anoka County (Parks and Recreation Department and Sheriff's Department), University of Minnesota, Peltier Lake Citizen, Anoka County Citizen at large, Rice Creek Watershed District and the Saint Paul Water utility, met to examine the following: 17