Houlton Farm Planning Committee Meeting 2016-02-02

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restorations in and around Elk River and purchased from local ecotype (within 50-100 miles) suppliers. Local ecotype seed should be obtained following the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BOWSR) seed collection criteria, moving from ecological subsection to ecological section to a maximum distance of 175 miles. Once savanna species establish in the farm fields, seed can be collected on site and used to buffer these smaller areas. PRIORITY 2: Prairie and oak savanna restoration Prairie and oak savanna will be restored on the 168 acres of agricult ei currently in production (Unit 2) and on the neighboring field buffers and hom area. Restoration will likely commence in the fall of 2017. The field should remai p ion until restoration commences, ensuring that the city continues to e a rent ents that will go into the restoration fund for the property. j Rather than break the unit up into separate restorag&sectioqLthe entire unfTwill be restored in one shot. However, restoration will sti ult' endeavor and will include at least three years of maintenance before it ca �ssfully establish. Conducting the restoration process all at once will help ensure that co ept to a minimum and that the prairie is established by the end of th t grant peri backs include the potential lack of availability of local ecoty the risk eeding in a year when conditions are poor. However, in this case, ben igh the potential risks. With such a large restoration, reaks wil ed to be owed into Unit 2 so that the unit can be burned on a rotatin It will b iportant to rotate burns in order to provide refugia for inse and oth wildlife. 0 1, restoration can also extend into the adjacent subunits, de on t oody removal along the field edges. Site preparation Because Z68 -acre ltural FCd is currently in production, restoration is simpler than if Id was left . Agricultural weeds are often well controlled during the growing s meaning t the seedbank is usually minimal. Once the crop is harvested in the fall, sit aratio an begin immediately. The first step in site preparation will be discing/tilling t t rn over any organic material remaining on the surface and to keep the soil un -co -ted. Following the discing, the soil should be harrowed to provide a smooth and relativ uniform planting surface. The current farmer should be approached regarding completion of these steps, as it will save considerable money versus contracting the work to another company. Once the field is harrowed and left for 1-2 weeks, the field can be drill seeded with a mixed height mesic species mix; this mix will contain an abundance of pollinator species, including milkweeds and other nectar plants. Seeding in this way, often referred to as dormant seeding, benefits forb species, as many require cold stratification prior to germination. The seed will overwinter under the snowpack and germinate in the spring. The melting snow will provide the necessary moisture to fuel the seed's germination. However, because the soils have medium erosion potential, a cover Friends of the Mississippi W. H. Houlton Conservation Area NRMP .: