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MDEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Ecological and Water Resource 1200 Warner Road St. Paul, MN 55106 September 15, 2017 City of Hugo 14669 Fitzgerald Ave Hugo, MN 55038 Re: Everton Avenue Neighborhood Study Area Dear Rachel Juba, Transmitted Electronically The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has reviewed the Alternative Urban Areawide Review Update for the Everton Avenue Neighborhood Study Area. We offer the following comments for your consideration. It should be noted that, as stated in the NHIS correspondence letter included in Appendix B of the AUAR Update, the proposed activities were not evaluated for their potential to adversely affect rare features identified in the Index Report. As development continues and as permits are acquired, we recommended that the City consider the potential for impacts to rare features as it pertains to the current activity, as well as to how the entire project may cumulatively affect rare features. The project area is partially within an area identified as a Central Region Regionally Significant Ecological Area that is ranked as Outstanding. As such, we continue to encourage that the City consider in project planning, ways to maintain wildlife corridors and to preserve blocks of habitat as feasible. The DNR is available to help identify which areas wildlife may benefit from this the most. This would go towards avoidance and mitigation for potential impacts to rare features. The DNR also recommends that future AUAR updates include a discussion of what mitigation has been incorporated into project planning, such as those recommendations provided and discussed within the AUAR as they pertain to Blanding's turtles (e.g.oversized culverts and wildlife -friendly erosion control mesh). Thank you for the consideration of our comments. Sincerely, /s/ Rebecca Horton Minnesota Department of Natural Resources • Ecological and Water Resources 1200 Warner Road, St. Paul, MN 55106