9.1. SR 07-21-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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River Greening GRG)will enhance over 10 acres of land at targeted sites along the northern bank of Crosby Lake. As a result,the project will improve water clarity and fish habitat in 48 acres of this important fishing lake in the City of St. Paul, Ramsey County. Crosby Lake is located within the floodplain of the Mississippi River and is part of a complex of wetland and forested areas associated with the Mississippi River Valley. When the Mississippi River floods, fish and other aquatic animals gain access to Crosby Lake and Upper Lake,which act'as nurseries for their offspring. Since 2005,water clarity has declined and chlorophyll-a has increased in Crosby Lake, negatively affecting fish habitat for one of the most popular and accessible urban fakes. Crosby Lake and the associated Mississippi River are fish habitat for , crappie, pike, perch, , carp, and . The declining quality of fish habitat in Crosby Lake has been noted as an issue in three plans developed with government and citizen involvement. GRG will utilize state-of-the-art bioengineering strategies to correct areas of erosion and protect 32 fish, 18 mollusk, 5 reptile and 4 amphibian species (identified during a 2009 BioBlitz survey). The Minnesota Land_Trust MLT will permanently protect 3DD acres through conservation easements on 2 or 3 parcels in the Northwest Metro Mississippi River corridor to protect riparian habitat and critical linkages between important areas of publicly-protected habitat, like the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. The 58-mile stretch of the Mississippi River through the northwest metropolitan area 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, it is especially prime habitat for smallmouth bass. Today, much of thisstretch of the Mississippi River remains in a natural condition, with the forested shoreline of the River and its tributaries intact. This condition is increasingly threatened, however, due to the fact that this stretch of the Mississippi Corridor parallels one of the state's highest growth areas— the Interstate 94 corridor from the Twin Cities to St. Cloud. The Minnesota Land Trust will expand its efforts in Protecting Habitat in the Northwest Metro.. Mississippi Corridor. This project will build on the more than 15 permanent conservation easements already in place within the Northwest Metro Mississippi Corridor, as well as the significant public investment in habitat protection, including several WMAs,Sand Dunes State FroreSt, Lake Maria State Park,several county parks, and Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. With this grant, MLT will: • Acquire 2 or perpetual conservation easements protecting a minimum of 300 acres of land • Document property conditions, require habitat management plans as appropriate, and direct the use of native vegetation in conjunction with any required restoration I