8.1. SR 11-05-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Protected Property is located in the City of Elk River,just south of the historic downtown and at the confluence of the Elk and Mississippi rivers. It is located within Minnesota's Anoka Sandplain Ecological Subsection. Existing improvements on the Protected Property include an unimproved field road along the northern boundary, a small garage, a small barn, a shed a three-sided horse shelter, and a tennis court. These improvements are more specifically described in the baseline property report referred to in section 6 of this Easement. The Protected Property is currently used for low impact outdoor recreational use and nature observation. The Protected Property is a unique peninsula of land situated at the confluence of the Elk and Mississippi rivers and consists of approximately 17 acres of grassland, 5 acres of floodplain forest, 3 acres of open water, and less than 1 acre of wetland. The Elk River forms the western and southern boundaries of the Protected Property, which features approximately 2,591 feet of shoreline along the River. The Mississippi River flows along the eastern boundary of the Protected Property for approximately 493 feet. The Mississippi River is a resource of vast natural, cultural, and economic importance to the state of Minnesota. The Mississippi flyway is an important migration corridor for roughly 40 percent of the country's migratory birds and waterfowl, and River backwaters provide critical nesting, spawning, and other habitat for both aquatic and terrestrial animals. In particular, the 58-mile stretch through the northwest Metro from Anoka to St. Cloud is known for its exceptional wildlife habitat and is popular for boating, canoeing, fishing, hunting, and other water-based recreational activities. While several popular game fish species are found in this stretch of the Mississippi River, it is especially prime habitat for smallmouth bass. This stretch of the Mississippi River also has been designated as a state Wild and Scenic River and state Water Trail. The natural attributes of the Protected Property include the relatively natural wildlife habitat provided by the undeveloped shoreline along the two rivers, grasslands and floodplain forest. Additionally, the grassland is a key habitat, and the Elk and Mississippi rivers are key river habitats within the Anoka Sandplain Ecological Subsection for a variety of species in greatest conservation need as established by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in Tomorrow's Habitat for the Wild and the Rare:An Action Plan for Minnesota's Wildlife, Minnesota's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2006. In particular, the Protected Property is the site of a known bald eagle nest, and trumpeter swans are known to use this stretch of the river. The Protected Property is a component of a regionally significant wildlife corridor identified by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Metropolitan Conservation Corridors Partnership, a collaboration of public and private conservation entities funded in part by the Minnesota Legislature. Protection of the Protected Property will enhance the habitat value of other nearby components of this corridor, including Mississippi River Islands Scientific and Natural Area(SNA), by providing additional natural shoreline along the 2