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RESOURCE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM <br /> <br /> In determining how to classify the existing areas within Mississippi West Regional Park the natural <br />resources classification system used by the Anoka County Parks and Recreation Department was <br />consulted, A copy of this system is provided in Appendix C, This classification system was further <br />modified to best suit Mississippi West Regional Park (Table 5). Within each zone a set of criteria for <br />selection are listed. These criteria are addressed and implemented in the classification below. <br /> <br />Table 5. Revised Classification System. <br /> <br />Preservation Wildlife Refuge Resource Management Development <br />Zones Zones Zones Zones <br /> <br />Areas of unique or rare <br />habitat <br /> <br />Areas with sensitive or <br />easily ertxlible soils <br /> <br />Significant areas of native <br />natural communities <br /> <br />Areas where human <br />encroachment could harm <br />or irreversibly alter a <br />natural community or <br />ecosystem <br /> <br />Wetland areas well suited <br />to the breeding and <br />production of waterfowl or <br />other desirable wildlife <br /> <br />Areas reasonably <br />accessible for wildlife <br />management activities <br /> <br />Habitat to wtfich human <br />access can be controlled <br />through geologic bart/ers <br /> <br />Areas with controlled <br />access for nature programs <br />or wildlife observation <br /> <br />Areas suitable for <br />restoration of declining <br />natural native communities <br /> <br />Natural plant communities <br />managed or established for <br />environmental education <br />uses <br /> <br />Plant communities <br />requiring applied <br />management in late <br />successional stages <br /> <br />Areas containing <br />educational or recreational <br />buildings or structures <br /> <br />Mowed or surfaced trails <br />and roads <br /> <br /> The first level of selection was the current level of impact within an area. Communities with little <br />or no impact were given priority in more restrictive categories (Figure 8). For example, the islands have <br />seen minimal human impact, so the classification and management strategy tried to preserve this aspect of <br />the community without compromising the interests of furore park users. <br /> <br /> The next level of selection looked at criteria that made a certain community a mandatory candidate <br />for a certain management zone. For example, the river beach community contains steep, dangerous, highly <br />erodible river banks. These features require the land be placed in the preservation management zone <br />because the criteria for the other zones confhct with its management (Figure 8). <br /> <br />22 <br /> <br /> <br />