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7 <br />2.b. Hazelnut Park <br />Background <br />Overview of Historic and Current <br />Site Conditions <br />Historically, the oldest aerial <br />imagery of the property, dating to <br />1937 as referenced in the <br />Minnesota Historical Aerial <br />Photographs Online (MHAPO) <br />database, shows the area as a mix <br />of wild space populated by sparse <br />stands of trees and multiple levels <br />of cultivated agricultural fields <br />(cite). By 1945, the area to the south <br />of the park had rapidly converted <br />into residential housing resembling <br />the current geographic <br />surroundings of the park. <br />Subsequent imagery indicates that <br />the park has remained in its current <br />extent since then. <br />Currently,approximately 7 acres of HazelnutPark is turf lawn and sportfields with spaced canopy trees, <br />actively managed by the city through mowing, and hand-weeding by neighborhood volunteers. The rest of <br />the park, which is not managed as lawn space, is moderately shaded woodland. These 6.9 acres receive <br />largely passive use from the public, with unofficial, public-established walking and mountain biking trails <br />used and maintained within the woodland as well. The power corridor on the western boundary of the park is <br />managed by the city as a community trail and may contribute to the native diversity of the overall park if <br />managed to promotenon-woody, native species that would survive the required intermittent mowing done <br />by or for the utility company. <br />Soils <br />The natural areas within the park predominantly consist of a mix of Zimmerman fine and loamy fine sand <br />with some sloping in areas, suggesting well drained and highly permeable soil with minimal surface runoff <br />after rain (cite andsee Appendix C for maps). This impacts the plant species that the site willsupportand <br />accounts for the low diversity in understoryplants,which are adapted to low soil saturation. Thesesoils do <br />not retain much organic or water-soluble nutrients, and the present non-native earth worms and potential of <br />invasive jumping wormsthatalso break up needed detritus layers for sustaining hardwood forests, suggest <br />that the park may facilitate a savanna habitat where it is low-diversity woodland is now. <br />Vegetation <br />Plant surveys were conducted prior to the start of contract work in fall 2024 and again in 2025 after the <br />buckthorn-targeted forestry mowing and follow-up treatments in 2024 and 2025 cleared the dominant <br />invasive shrub population in Hazelnut Park as seen in Appendix D (Figs. 1.a and 1.b). In 2025, the vegetation <br />Figure 2.2 Hazelnut Park map showing the main woodland areas <br />and the full extent of park using city parcel data.