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~i Minnesota DNR Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program Environmental Review Fact Sheet Series. Blanding'S Turtle. 3 f Culverts behveen \vetland areas, or benveen \vetIand areas and nesting areas, should be 36 inches or greater in diameter, and elliptical or flat-bottomed. \\T etland crossings should be bridged, or include raised roadways with culverts which are 36 in or ~eater in diameter and flat-bottomed or elliptical (raIsed roadways discourage turtles from leaving the wetland to bask on roads) . Culverts under roads crossing streams should be oversized (at least hvice as \vide as the normal \vidth of open \vater) and flat-bottomed or elliptical. Utility access and maintenance roads should be kept to a minimum (this reduces road-kill potential). Belo\v-ground utility construction sites should be returned to original grade (trenches can trap turtles). ROpJ)S cont. Road placement should avoid separating wetlands from adjacent upland nesting. sites, or these roads should be fenced to prevent turtles from atte~ting to cross them (contact your DNR Nongame Specialist for details). Road placement should avoid bisecting \vetlands, or these roads should be fenced to prevent turtles from atterripting to cross them (contact your DNR Nongame Specialist for details). This 15 especially important for roads ,vith more than 2 lanes. Roads crossing streams should be bridged. UTILiTIES LANDSCAPING AND y"EGET.A.TION MANAGEMENT - Terrain should be left with as much natural contour as possible. Graded areas should be revegetated vlith native grasses and forbs (some non-natives form dense patches through \vhich it is difficult for turtles to travel). \7 egetation management in infrequently mo\ved areas __ such as in ditches~ along utility access roads~ and under po\\rer lines - should be done mechanically (chemicals should not be used). \"Vark should occur fall through spring (after October 1 st and before Jlll1e 1 st ). As much natural landscape as possible should be preserved (installation of sod or wood chips, paving~ and planting of trees within nesting habitat can make that habitat unusable to nesting Blanding's turtles). Open space should include some areas at higher elevations for nesting. These areas should be retained in native vegetation: and should be connected to \vetlands by a \vide corridor of native vegetation. Ditches and utility. access roads should not be mo\ved or managed through'" use of chemicals. If vegetation management is required, it should be done mechanically~ as infrequently as possible, and fall through spring (mo\ving can kill turtles present during mo\\ring, and makes it easier for predators to locate turtles crossing roads). Protecting Blanding's Turtle Nests: Most predation on turtle nests occurs within 48 hours after the eggs are laid. After this time, the scent is gone from the nest and it is more difficult for predators to locate the nest. Nests more than a week old probably do not need additional protection, unless they are in a particularly vulnerable spot, such as a yard where pets may disturb the nest. Turtle nests can be protected from predators and other disturbance by covering them with a piece of wire fencing (such as chicken wire), secured to the ground with stakes or rocks. The piece offencing should measure at least 2 ft. x 2 ft., and should be of medium sized mesh (openings should be about 2 in. x 2 in.). It is vel}' important that the fencing be removed before August 1 st so the young turtles can escape from the nest when they hatch! REFERENCES iAssociatiol1 for Biodiversity Information. "Heritage Status: Global, National, and Subnational Conservation Status Ranks." N atureServe. Version 1.3 (9 April 2001). htto://ww'N.natureserve.onr/ranking.htm (15 .A_pri 1 200 1). Coffin, B., and L. Pfannmuller. 1988. fv1innesota's Endangered Flora and Fauna. University' of Minnesota Press, Ivfinneapolis~ 473 pp.