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Design for Natural Resource Conservation {BP No. 10} <br />Adopt development ordinances or processes that protect natural systems and valued community assets. <br />Best Practice Actions <br />1.Conduct a Natural Resource Inventory or Assessment (NRI or NRA);incorporate protection of priority natural <br />systems or resources such as groundwater through the subdivision or development process. <br />2.For cities outside or on the fringe of metropolitan areas,conduct a build-out analysis,fiscal impact study,or adopt <br />an urban growth boundary and a consistent capital improvement plan that provides long-term protection of natural <br />resources and natural systems, and agricultural practices outside the boundary. <br />3.For cities within metropolitan areas,incorporate woodland best management practices addressing protection of <br />wooded areas into zoning or development review. <br />4.Adopt a conservation design policy;use a conservation design tool for pre-design meetings with developers and for <br />negotiating development agreements in cities with undeveloped natural resource areas. <br />5.Preserve environmentally sensitive,community-valued land by placing a conservation easement on city lands,and <br />by encouraging/funding private landowners to place land in conservation easements. <br />6.Conserve natural,cultural,historic resources by adopting or amending city codes and ordinances to support <br />sustainable sites, including roadsides, and environmentally protective land use development. <br />7.Support and protect wildlife through habitat rehabilitation,preservation and recognition programs. <br />1 star:Report city actions that strengthen the ecology for birds,pollinators,other wildlife and for <br />native plants;for example,replacing a dam with a spillway/rapids to restore and enhance fish passage and <br />habitat. <br />2 star:Register and begin work on completing actions in the Bird City MN program,Bee City USA, <br />or/and the Community Wildlife Habitat program. <br />3 star:Be recognized as a Bird City Minnesota, Bee City USA, or/and a certified Wildlife Habitat. <br />Parks and Trails {BP No. 18} <br />Increase active lifestyles and property values by enhancing the city's green infrastructure. <br />Best Practice Actions <br />1.Make improvements within your city's system of parks, offroad trails and open spaces. <br />2.Plan and budget for a network of parks,green spaces,water features and trails for areas where new development is <br />planned. <br />3.Achieve minimum levels of city green space and maximize the percent within a ten-minute walk of community <br />members. <br />4.Adopt low-impact design standards in parks and trails that infiltrate or retain all 2 inch,24-hour stormwater events <br />on site. <br />5. Create park/city land management standards/practices that maximize at least one of the following: <br />a.Low maintenance turf management;native landscaping;organic or integrated pest management; <br />pollinator/monarch-safe policies. <br />1 star:Introduce low/no mow areas into parkland;proactively manage invasive species;collect <br />recyclables;install an environmental learning/demonstration garden/site;use compost as a soil amendment. <br />List food garden plots in city parks under BPA 27.3;report electric utility vehicles under BPA 13.2;report Lawn <br />to Legumes activity under BPA 2.6 <br />2 star:Introduce low/no mow areas into parkland AND utilize organic or integrated pest management; <br />certify through the MPCA at least one city staff person at Level 1 in turf grass BMPs;collect compostables; <br />plant a pollinator garden and/or adopt a pollinator habitat policy.