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MNDNR March 11, 2015 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Ecological and Water Resources, Box 25 500 Lafayette Road St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-4025 Phone: (651) 259-5091 E-mail: samantha.bump@state.mn.us Ms. Andi Moffatt WSB & Associates, Inc. 701 Xenia Avenue South, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55416 Correspondence # ERDB 20150232 RE: Natural Heritage Review of the proposed I -35E Corridor AUAR Update, T31N R22W Sections 1-3, 10-14, 24 & 25; Anoka County Dear Ms. Moffatt, The Minnesota Natural Heritage Information System has been queried to determine if any rare species or other significant natural features are known to occur within an approximate one -mile radius of the proposed project. For the results of this query, please refer to the enclosed database reports (please visit the Rare Species Guide at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/rsg/index.html for more information on the biology, habitat use, and conservation measures of these rare species). As requested per the data request form, I am providing the database reports only and have not evaluated the potential for the proposed project to adversely affect these rare features. Please note that the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) should address whether the proposed project has the potential to adversely affect these rare features and, if so, the EAW should describe any measures that will be taken to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts. Please note the following features are in the area of interested but are not represented on the reports: A portion of the area of interest is within a Central Region Regionally Significant Ecological Area (RSEA) that is ranked Outstanding. The DNR Central Region (in partnership with the Metropolitan Council for the 7 -county metro area), identified these ecologically significant terrestrial and wetland areas by conducting a landscape -scale assessment based on the size and shape of the ecological area, land cover within the ecological area, adjacent land cover/use, and connectivity to other ecological areas. The purpose of the data is to inform regional scale land use decisions, especially as it relates to balancing development and natural resource protection. A GIS shapefile of this data layer can be downloaded from the DNR Data Deli at http://deli.dnr.state.mn.us. Additional information, including pdf versions of the RSEA maps, is available at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/rsea/index.html. If you would like help interpreting the RSEA data please contact Hannah Texler, Regional Plant Ecologist for DNR's Central Region, at 651-259-5811 or hannah.texler@state.mn.us. For your information, I have attached a Blanding's turtle fact sheet that describes the habitat use and life history of this species. The fact sheet also provides two lists of recommendations for avoiding and minimizing impacts to this rare turtle. The first list is relevant for all areas inhabited by Blanding's turtles while the second list contains www.mndnr.gov AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER