7A, Resolution 2008-36 - Laserfiche WebLink

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T�ie Wildlife Corridar described in the Rice Creek North Regionai Trail Master Plan Amendment (Append� A) is intended ta allow a wildlife travel connection between Rice Creek and the Arden Hills Army Training Site (AHATS.) This carridor was selected because af the existing wetland and siream connections from Rice Creek to AHATS wetiands (Figure 1.} The site wil� also allow a trail alignment along the north edge of the parcel for recreational access from Rice Creek to AIIATS. The corridor wiil be used by a wide variety aiwildli%. Common species, including white-tailed deer, raccoons, red fax a.nd resident songbirds, can use the corridor in its current state. Most smal� mammals, reptiles and amphibians, including state listed species (Blanding's Turtle, Plains Pocket Mice} are currently limited in their movements through the carridor because of the restricted creek corridar and existing raads. The increased wetlands and prairie axeas will increase the resident papulatians af the listed speciEs, as weli as, arnphibians and grassland birds. This corridor will alsa be the location of an osprey r�esting po1e, which is currently on the TCAAP property south of #he corridor. Irr�pravements, remediations, and restora�ons conducted an the corridor should enhance those connections and wildlife uses. Existing infrastructure (Figure 2.} removal should he conducted parior to any future habitat restara#ion. The US Army, in the summer 2Q07, created a six acre wetland and rerouted the drainage to enhance habitai and mitigate a contaminatian site. T�is work increased t1�e tatal wetland size to twelve acres and is part of the current vegetatian cover {Fig�zre 3,) The surrounding upland was seeded to native vegetation. Additianal wetland restoratian opportunities exist in the southwest corner of t�e corridor (Figure 4+ 5.) This would pravide ten �nare acres of wetland and establish a wide corridor adjacent to the dxainage way cannecting to Rice Creek. The current conditions include three sections of culverts totaIing 200 feet (Appendix B.) Yf a road is necessary, it must incorporate an elevated section {bridge} of sufficient height and width to accommodate �znrestricted wildli% movement and drainage under the raad. The �xisting bituminous trai] west oithe wildlife corridor pass�s over a narror�v drainage culvert that resiricts eas€-west movement of wildiife. When other site obstructions are removed, it is recommended that this culvert be replaced �vith one of sufficient height and width to accommodate unrestricted wildlife movement azzd site drainage. (Figure 4 and Appendix B, photos 4&5.) A dry section of creek shore adjacent to any watex flow is xequired. The upland habita� should be seeded to native prairie and or mixed woods. This would account for another 24 acres (Table 1) of restored habitat. Restoration projects should extend onto ei�ther the Rice Creek Regional Trail or AHATS to improve the corridor cox�nections. The sauth edge of the corridor will he waoded to create a visual hUffer with the proposed deve�opment to the south. DRAFT — April 2008