9.C.1. PRSR 02-11-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Narur~l Communities Inventory Goodhue County, MN Situated between [he continually growing areas of the Twin Cities and Rochester, Goodhue County set out to protect its natural resources in the face of impending development. The County chose Bonestroo to conduct an inventory of the natural communities in the Lower Wells Creek Watershed. • Report preparation that includes individual community descriptions • Natural areas management/restoration recommendations • Opportunities for additional farm income that would be compatible with maintaining quality natural communities This project came with an extremely aggressive schedule. Bonestroo also helped write [he Conservation Partners Grant that helped fund the inventory. The Lower Wells Creek Watershed inventory became the first phase of a much larger project that Bonestroo began. In the second phase, the natural communities for all of Goodhue County -more than 488,000 acres of land -have been inventoried. This is one of the largest inventories ever to be conducted in the Upper Midwest by a private company. Bonestroo's services included: Infrared aerial photo delineation On-the-ground inventory of natural communities and rare species The inventory provides the Goodhue County Land Use Management Office with the technically sound information it needs to proactively identify and address potential concerns related to zoning, land use, and protection of sensitive natural resources that include rare species, high quality bluff prairies and large tracts of forest. The inventory also provides the Wells Creek Watershed Partnership and the Mn/DNR with information to identify potential land uses that will help [o diversify [he local agricultural economy and strengthen the integrity of existing natural communities. Bonestroo Rosene Anderlik & ~,. Associates - _e. d.vrcmus Inventory Guides Land Use Planning, Zoning and Natural Resources Protection Efforts