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<br />K:\020552-000\Admin\Docs\Memo - 2022 Data Summary and Recommendation - 111622.docx 701 XENIA AVENUE S | SUITE 300 | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | 55416 | 763.541.4800 | WSBENG.COM Memorandum <br /> <br />To: Brian Bear, City of Hugo <br /> <br />Copy: Tony Havranek, WSB <br /> Rebecca Haug, WSB <br /> <br />From: Roxy Robertson, WSB <br /> <br />Date: November 16, 2022 <br /> <br />Re: City of Hugo <br /> Northstar Wetland Bank <br /> 2022 Data Summary and Recommendation <br /> WSB Project No. 20552 <br /> <br /> <br />1. INTRODUCTION <br />The wetland bank development and approval process requires the city (applicant) to summarize <br />the existing environmental setting, including detailed information about soils, hydrology, and <br />vegetation composition. This memorandum summarizes the results of the vegetation assessment <br />and hydrology monitoring conducted during the 2022 growing season. <br /> <br />The purpose of the vegetation assessment is to understand the existing vegetation quality <br />throughout the site, the potential functional lift from the wetland restoration, and which non-native <br />invasive species could/should be managed in the future vegetation performance plan. The <br />hydrology monitoring gives an understanding of the existing groundwater levels and provides a <br />baseline for functional lift. <br />2. VEGETATION ASSESSMENT <br />A. Methodology <br /> <br />WSB followed the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service FIREMON <br />Cover/Frequency (CF) method to assess the vegetation in the field. The CF method is used to <br />assess changes in plant species cover and frequency for a m acro plot. This method uses multiple <br />quadrats to sample within plot variation and quantify statistically valid changes in plant species <br />cover, height, and frequency over time (Caratti 2006). <br /> <br />The vegetation assessment includes Floristic Quality Assessments (FQA) for various locations <br />within the site. FQAs are measurements of either a natural area's habitat condition or quality, or a <br />natural community’s condition or quality within a specific site. FQAs are widely used by <br />government agencies and natural resource professionals to inform land management decisions. <br /> <br />This FQA method assigns plant species a rating that reflects the species’ basic conservatism <br />(hardiness and suitability) that the species exhibits for natural habitats. A native species that <br />needs very specific conditions in the environment to exist is given a high rating. A pervasive <br />species that exhibits adaptation to a broad spectrum of environmental variables is given a low <br />rating. Utilizing this method, a Floristic Quality Index (FQI) and Native Mean C are derived for <br />each wetland.