Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 04/10/1997

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RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation: Management action in Mississippi West Regional Park should focus on maintaining the native vegetative communities. This goal is of importance because it is closely tied to the identified goals of the Anok* Coumy Board of Parks and Recreation. This goal will help to: I) represent the native communities of the Anok* sand plain, and 2) prevent erosion of soils throughout the park These goals serve as the foundation for other recommendations in this section, Wildlife Refuge Zones Foster's Island (wildlife refuge management zone 1) and Cloquet Island (wildlife refuge management zone 2) are the park's only wildlife refuge zones. Wildlife Refuge Management Zone 1 Recommendation: Access should be Bmited onto Foster's Island. Foster's Island represents a declining floodplain forest community native to the Amok, sand plain. Very little human dimarbance has occurred on this island, Limited access onto this island will help preserve its ecological integrity as a wildlife management zone, Recommendation: Foster's Island wetlands shouM be managed for the waterfowl populations passing through the area, Foster's Island contains wetland habitat. Because the Mississippi River is part of many migratory waterfowl flyways, the island and other habitat along the river attract migrating birds, This represents an important ecological community in Minnesota that the park visitors would benefit from by being able to watch the birds in the park. Recommendation: Foster's Island wetlands should be classified as DNR wetlands. Currently these wetlands are not in the DNR's state wetlands inventory. Classifying these wetlands as state wetlands would give Foster's Island state protection. This would add legal power to enforcement efforts towards the preservation of these wetlands. 24