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4 <br /> 48. 01 <br /> CHAPTER 48 <br /> WETLAND ZONING ORDINANCE <br /> 48 . 01. TITLE, COUNCIL FINDINGS, POLICY, PURPOSES, AND MEANS. <br /> Subdivision 1. Citation. Section 48.01 to 48. 15 may be <br /> cited as the Wetlands Ordinance. <br /> Subdivision 2. Findings and Purposes. The Council finds <br /> critical to the present and future health, safety, and general <br /> welfare of the land, animals, and people within the City, as <br /> well as within the Rice Creek Watershed District; that existing <br /> and potential development within the City and Rice Creek <br /> Watershed possess increasing ecological and economic problems <br /> and demands, having the effect of potentially despoiling, <br /> polluting, accelerating the aging, eliminating or negatively and <br /> irretrievably altering both the wetlands and their functions <br /> (and the processes associated therewith) which, if managed <br /> will constitute important physical, educational, ecological, <br /> aesthetic, recreational, and economic assets for existing and <br /> future residents of the community and the Rice Creek Watershed <br /> District. The City Council has in mind its statutory obligation <br /> to comply with Chapters 104, 105, and 112 of Minnesota State <br /> Law, the regulations of Rice Creek Watershed District, <br /> Regulations of the Department of Natural Resources, including <br /> provisions for protected waters, Public Law 92-500 (Federal <br /> Water Pollution Control Act) , open space policies of the <br /> Metropolitan Council and its guidelines encouraging protection <br /> and enhancement of marshes, wetlands in the flood plain area, <br /> and the public interest in preventing irreparable destruction or <br /> deterioration of valuable natural resources. Therefore, <br /> recognizing the obligation to protect these assets and natural <br /> reeeurce gifts—from—destruction or deterioration and-pollution <br /> of all kinds, the purposes of this Chapter are: <br /> A. To preserve wetlands in as natural a state as possible; <br /> to serve as natural retention and detention areas for <br /> surface waters; to regulate the use of areas adjacent to <br /> the wetlands in order to protect and enhance the natural <br /> function of the wetlands; to provide for the protection, <br /> preservation, proper maintenance, use and enhancement of <br /> wetland zoning districts; to minimize the disturbance to <br /> them and to prevent or minimize damage from excessive <br /> 1 <br />