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additional protective measures for areas known to be of statewide importance to this species. Because the proposed project is within one of these areas, please refer to both lists of recommendations. In addition, if erosion control mesh will be used, I recommend that the mesh be limited to wildlife-friendly materials(see enclosed fact sheet). • The Minnesota Biological Survey(MBS) has identified two Sites of Biodiversity Significance within the project boundary. Sites of Biodiversity Significance have varying levels of native biodiversity and are ranked based on the relative significance of this biodiversity at a statewide level. Factors taken into account during the ranking process include the number of rare species documented within the site, the quality of the native plant communities in the site, the size of the site, and the context of the site within the landscape. These particular Sites contains several high quality native plant communities and, as noted above,several rare plants. (Please see attached map; GIS shapefiles of MBS Sites of Biodiversity Significance and MBS Native Plant Communities can be downloaded from the DNR Data Deli at http://deli.dnr.state.mn.us.) The Natural Heritage Information System (NHIS), a collection of databases that contains information about Minnesota's rare natural features, is maintained by the Division of Ecological and Water Resources, Department of Natural Resources. The NHIS is continually updated as new information becomes available, and is the most complete source of data on Minnesota's rare or otherwise significant species, native plant communities, and other natural features. However,the NHIS is not an exhaustive inventory and thus does not represent all of the occurrences of rare features within the state. Therefore,ecologically significant features for which we have no records may exist within the project area. If additional information becomes available regarding rare features in the vicinity of the project,further review may be necessary. The enclosed results include an Index Report and a Detailed Report of records in the Rare Features Database, the main database of the NHIS. To control the release of specific location information,which might result in the destruction of a rare feature,both reports are copyrighted. The Index Report provides rare feature locations only to the nearest section, and may be reprinted, unaltered, in an environmental review document (e.g., EAW or EIS), municipal natural resource plan, or report compiled by your company for the project listed above. If you wish to reproduce the index report for any other purpose, please contact me to request written permission. The Detailed Report is for your personal use only as it may include specific location information that is considered nonpublic data under Minnesota Statutes,section 84.0872, subd. 2. If you wish to reprint or publish the Detailed Report for any purpose,please contact me to request written permission. For environmental review purposes,the results of this Natural Heritage Review are valid for one year; the results are only valid for the project location (noted above) and the project description provided on the NHIS Data Request Form. Please contact me if project details change or for an updated review if construction has not occurred within one year. The Natural Heritage Review does not constitute review or approval by the Department of Natural Resources as a whole. Instead, it identifies issues regarding known occurrences of rare features and potential effects to these rare features. To determine whether there are other natural resource concerns associated with the proposed project, please contact your DNR Regional Environmental Assessment Ecologist (contact information available at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/ereview/erp resioncontacts.html). Please be aware that additional site assessments or review may be required. Thank you for consulting us on this matter, and for your interest in preserving Minnesota's rare natural resources. An invoice will be mailed to you under separate cover. Page 2 of 3 45