Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 05/08/2003

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2). Wetland Restoration and Creation. As described in Item 12, the combination of existing wetlands and created wetlands will provide more diverse habitat than is generality available now. Most of the e~sting wetlands have either been cropped or have very low vegetative diversity (primarily reed canary grass). These wetlands will be restored to native wet prairie, wet meadow and shallow emergent marsh. Wetlands within the RTC pardon of the ~eenway will be planted to shorter species of grass and forbs, but will be un-mown, and will provide habitat for many of the wetland species currently found on the 1KTC site. Additional areas of riparian buffer will be established to provide some upland habitat. 3). Culverts and R.oad Crossinzs. To the extent possible, all culverts and road crossings will be designed to enable upstream or downstream passage ofwildlife as they move though the greenway.. During dry conditions, most of the culverts are expected to be available for terrestrial species to_move though.. During wet conditions, these culverts may ordy enable species that s,Mm or move through water to pass through. Fences at major road crossing will be designed and placed so as to funnel wildlife though these crossing areas. These same fences may aisc be used to discourage larger species, such as white-tailed deer, from crossing roads where they may become a traffic hazard. $~rate~es outlined for Wildlife M. idgadon generally apply to Blandm~ s mr*des. AppendLx C is the DN'R. Fact Sheet and Hand-out on Blanding's Turtles. Several additional recommendations applying to Blanding's turtles follow: 1). The system of infiltration ponds and wetlands proposed south oft. he R. TC site between TH 10 and the Mississippi River c~ be designed to provide additional turtle habitat. This system, if developed, should incorporate some deep, over-winter pond area along with a good diversity of wetland cornmun~ty types. Some excavated material should be retained on-site to create sandy, dune-like areas planted to sand gravel prairies. These are~ could provide excellent nesting habitat for Btanding's turtles: 2). Culvert crossings should be designed so that water (when flowing) flows continuously thoug_h the pipe, with no physical bamers such as weirs or gates blocking upstream or downstream travel. 3). Fencing may be used to guide or block movement. Depending on the final design of the ~eenway/stormwater conveyance.system, access to the site by turtles should be blocked to reduce the possibility that the site will become a sink to ne-orby turtle populations. 12 D-3 -