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Questions <br /> <br />Minnesota Land Cover Classification System <br /> <br />~ A~swers <br /> <br />Q: What is the Minnesota Land Cover <br /> Classification System? <br /> <br />A: A vegetation oriented classification system de- <br /> signed to identify natural and cultural land cover <br /> types using a standardized methodology. <br /> <br />Q: Why was it created? <br /> <br />A: During efforts to inventory and map remaining <br /> habitat in the Twin Cities metro Mississippi River <br /> corridor, it became evident that no existing classifi- <br /> cation system could supply the detailed land <br /> cover information needed to develop sound natural <br /> resource protection and restoration plans. The <br /> MLCCS was created to meet this specific need, <br /> then refined to make it applicable elsewhere in the <br /> metro region and Minnesota. <br /> <br />Q: What does MLCCS do that other systems <br /> don t? <br /> <br />A: The MLCCS is the only classification system in <br /> Minnesota that allows for true land cover classifi- <br /> cation of all lands within a project area. <br /> The DLLCCS provides the ability to identify all <br /> lands in ~true land cover terms (rather than land <br /> use), regardless of ecological quality or function. <br /> Built-up areas are classified according to type and <br /> <br /> amount of vegetation, as well as the percentage of <br /> the area that consists of impervious surfaces. <br /> <br />Q: What has it been used for? <br /> <br />A: The MLCCS is flexible and can be customized <br /> through the use of modifiers, leading to its use for <br /> a variety of applications, including: greenways and <br /> open space planning, municipal comprehensive <br /> plans, natural resource inventor/es, hydrological <br /> and non-point source pollution calculations. <br /> <br />Q: Who besides, the DNR is using the MLCCS? <br /> <br />A: The MLCCS is being used by a growing number <br /> of agencies and organizations, including: the U.S. <br /> Fish and Wildlife Service, soil and water conserva- <br /> tion districts, watershed distr/cts, parks depart- <br /> ments, counties, and cities. <br /> <br />Q: Is the MLCCS a state standard? <br /> <br />A: It s not currently an official state standard, but it s <br /> gaining popularity among land managers. Mini- <br /> mum mapping methodologies have been developed <br /> for applications within the seven-county metro <br /> region. <br /> <br />2000 aerial photograph <br /> <br />Land use inventory <br /> <br />Family <br />Residential Publl= ~ml.~ubllc <br /> <br />Msl/opol[tan Coundl, 199}' <br /> <br />MLCCS inventory <br /> <br />National Park Se~wce Mississippi Nabonal <br />River & Recreation Area, rlNR Metro Region <br />and Great River Greenfn§, 1999 - 2000 <br /> <br />-294- <br /> <br /> <br />