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<br />Project Methodology <br />This Land Cover Classification and Natural Areas Inventory project was conducted for <br />the entire land area within the City of Elk River, approximately 44 square miles. A brief <br />summary of each of the Project methodology steps is included on the following pages. <br /> <br />Gather and Review Background Information <br />To provide a more detailed understanding of the study area, available information on <br />natural resource features was gathered and reviewed by ecologists. These <br />information resources included presettlement vegetation, biological survey information <br />for Sherburne County, wetland and water resource information, and the Sherburne <br />County soil survey. <br /> <br />Minnesota County Biological Survey <br />The Minnesota County Siological Survey (MCSS) conducted an inventory of select <br />remaining natural communities within Sherburne County (MCSS, 1998). Although <br />much of the remnant natural vegetation within the City of Elk River was reviewed <br />through aerial photography and cursory ground surveys, only a small subset of these <br />remnants were of high enough quality to be surveyed in detail and included in the <br />county biological survey. Other remnants where either too degraded or too small in <br />size to be considered of high enough quality for inclusion in the survey. <br /> <br />Aerial Photo Interpretation <br />Sonestroo Natural Resources staff plotted 2003 FSA true-color low altitude aerial <br />photographs for each section (square mile) of land within the City of Elk River's base <br />maps. These were printed at a scale of 1"=300'. Available electronic data layers such <br />as the National Wetlands Inventory, the Sherburne County Soil Survey, geopolitical <br />boundaries; parcel boundaries, transportation information, and DNR Natural Heritage <br />(MCSS) data were also printed on these plotted photos to aid in remote interpretation <br />of land cover. In addition, 2002 MN DNR 1 :15,840 scale, color infrared aerial <br />photographs were also used as an aid to remotely sense vegetation type and natural <br />community structure <br /> <br />The boundaries of natural communities and semi-natural areas were delineated on the <br />plotted aerial photos. The potentia1 natural community boundaries, as well as any <br />other relevant information were recorded by hand onto these plotted maps. <br /> <br />City of Elk River, MN - Natural Resouce Inventory <br />Bonestroo Natural Resources, September 2004 <br /> <br />7 <br />