9.2.A. PRSR 12 08 2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2004 Metro Greenways Site Protection Nomination Page 3 fhe northern one-third of the site is somewhat more diverse in the variety of communities present, and in the amount of past disturbance. Scattered wetlands (primarily small rich fens and mixed emergent marsh communities) and ponds occur here, as well as several altered/non-native communities. Sand recovered during gravel washing operations was deposited in part of this area historically, and these Wash Flats have developed into a unique community of quaking aspen over scouring rushes, prairie (orbs, and native grasses. The Top of the World Addition has significant ecological merit on its own, due to its overall quality and the variety of community types represented. However, the ecological significance of this parcel is truly exceptional when its place in the landscape is considered. This parcel is a key connector within the city's greenway corridor, on several levels. One, it directly provides a critical connection between two existing Elk River City Parks: Top of the World Park and Woodland Trails Park. These existing parks are currently conservation parks used for passive recreation, and support the same MCBS mapped dry oak forest community found in the Top of the World Addition. The existing parks are currently connected by a very narrow band of forest. The Top of the World Addition is essential to connect these existing parks in an ecologically functional manner, and, when added to the park system, will help form a nearly 330 acre block of contiguous oak forest and wetland complex. Together, these sites currently contain the largest single tract of dry oak forest remaining in the city. With the purchase of the Top of the World Addition, this would become the largest protected remnant as well. Two, even more significant than the site's inherent ecological value, it provides broader corridor and ecological connectivity within the City and within the Region. It is a key component in the main hub of the City's Greenway Corridor etwork. To the north, the site forms part of the connection with another high quality dry oak forest and oak woodland mapped by the Minnesota County Biological Survey. To the west, the Greenway Corridor connects this site to an exceptionally high quality complex of Barrens Prairie and Dry Oak Savanna that is of statewide significance. In addition, this site is central in the Greenway Corridor that stretches from the Mississippi River, north along the Great Northern Trail, and eventually reaches towards the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. Acquisition of this piece by the City is key to developing a functioning network of natural communities that can make a Greenway successful, ecologically, aesthetically, and for recreational use. The location of this site within the context of other natural features and the Greenway Corridor is illustrated in the attached figures. The significance of the site is made even more apparent by the extremely rapid pace of development within Elk River. Within the past five years nearly all of the oak forest remnants within the city have been developed. The exception is sites that are slated for gravel mining. With this rate of development, land prices are increasing dramatically each year, and conservation efforts are becoming increasingly difficult to fund. This site presents one of the very few remaining opportunities to protect a large tract of forest within the City while the land remains affordable. Restoration needs at the site are minimal. Oak wilt and low amounts of European buckthorn are present, but the buckthorn levels are low enough that management and control remains feasible and cost-effective. Clly q(]ilk River %irp of the World dddilime Greenwar.v Gram Rmrertroo mal Asvnclme.r, November 2Q 100J.