8.1. SR 10-06-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Draft 9-3-14 PLANNING FOR HOULTON PROPERTY There are a number of ways that planning for the Houlton Property could be done, but here are some suggestions. There are a number of planning needs for this property: • A restoration/natural resource management plan • A hunting plan • A plan for other recreational activities (e.g.,fishing, hiking,wildlife observation, canoeing/boating, etc.) • An improvement plan • A funding plan • A general management plan (signage, hours open, trash, rules and enforcement, etc.) These components could all be put together in one master plan, or it might make sense to have some of them be separate and be incorporated into an overarching master plan. For example, Friends of the Mississippi intends to prepare a detailed natural resource management plan that will be a stand-alone document. The hunting plan to be approved by DNR also may make sense to be a separate document. Note that the overall plan does not need to be long or complicated. See the Anoka County Conservation Stewardship Plan for Cedar Creek Conservation Area. The appointment of a small committee to develop this plan will likely make the process more manageable and proceed more quickly. At an appropriate time, some public input would also be advisable. All of this planning should be able to be completed in less than a year. Given all of the things that need to happen in connection with the acquisition of the property, it probably makes sense to really start the planning after closing in October or November. Given the public resources invested in this land, it should probably be open to the public by the spring of 2016 and open for hunting the fall of 2016. Restoration activities on buckthorn removal should start by the summer/fall of 2015. A rough timeline of how this could proceed in on the following page.