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ITEM 2 -REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE <br /> To be eligible for this grant, the project must demonstrate that it is of regional or statewide <br /> significance. Describe how your project meets each of the identified criteria listed below. At a <br /> minimum,parks must meet the first two criteria described below and at least one of the criteria <br /> listed in 3-5. <br /> 1. Natural Resource Based Settings and Range of Activities Offered: The proposed Elk <br /> River Nature Preserve lies at the confluence of the Elk and Mississippi Rivers providing <br /> an unparalleled setting for a host of recreational opportunities inclu ing interpretive <br /> natural trails, picnicking, fishing, bird-watching, swimming and . The site will be <br /> managed for the preservation of its inherent natural amenities the restoration <br /> activities proposed will restore one of the largest riparian o nas in the region. <br /> 2. Use: The Elk River Nature Preserve is within 40 mil o e heart Twin Cities and <br /> its more than 3.3 million residents. Its location on sissippi is re zed as one of <br /> the best smallmouth bass fisheries in the Unite ates. There is no park arable <br /> size along the Mississippi anywhere in the a th the t closest region ark, and <br /> the only other park of size along the Upper is i, han 10 rive miles away. It <br /> is anticipated that this park will serve the resident arby cities such as Elk River, <br /> Ramsey, Otsego and Rogers, some of the fastest gro ities in the greater Twin Cities <br /> Metro area in addition to drawing ' ' rs from the enti ro rea itself. <br /> 3. Size: The acquisition of the Houlton ac res wi omplete the Elk River <br /> Nature Preserve and join two disjunct rce ed by Elk River. Elk River <br /> purchased the 2.70 acre Oxbow Park 1 rs ago w the hope of developing the <br /> adjacent Houlton ay. More r ntly, Elk River worked with the Minnesota <br /> Land Trust and ng Par d Trails Le cy money, in part, purchased the 23-acre <br /> Bailey Point e adja t and east of oulton Tract. In all, the Elk River Nature <br /> Preserve wi 1 be cre le his site will also complement the 70-acre <br /> Otsego County Par ed ac ississippi to the south as well as the 142-acre <br /> Mis ' Islan A that is comprised of the adjacent islands. <br /> 4. ecial Features: Hoult ract is situated at the confluence of the Elk and <br /> issippi Ri vers. is to tion not only provides a unique amenity with more than <br /> se iles of shor e, but the location has also made the site one of the most <br /> histo signific in the region. Archeologists have found arrow points dating back <br /> more th ye . Two major battles between the Dakota and Ojibwe took place on this <br /> site in 177 773 earning the site the Ojibwe name Me-gaud-e-win-ing, or"Battle <br /> Ground". Zebulon Pike was one of the early explorers to the area and name the Elk River <br /> in 1805. In the mid-1850s, a dam was built on the site creating Orono Lake along with a <br /> sawmill to exploit the hydropower the dam provided. The Houlton Family constructed <br /> and operating the mill and the land has been in their continuous ownership ever since. Elk <br /> River fully intends to interpret for visitors the vibrant history of the Houlton Tract that in <br /> so many ways is a microcosm of the rich history of the entire state of Minnesota. <br /> 5. Scarcity of Recreational Resources: There is no regional park with the access and <br /> amenities planned for the Elk River Nature Preserve in the area. The current boat launch <br /> near Highway 101 is slated for destruction once the highway is enlarged. The nearest <br /> Rev. July 2013 <br />