Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 02/06/2012

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Grantees can only chose from TREE listings. Shrubs are not eligible for this grant program. EXPLANATORY NOTES This report provides information on native species in Minnesota for each of six Tree Rating Zo and for 21 Subsections which occur within them (see map on cover or on page 2). It is organized into six sep to tables printed on different paper colors. Native Desi ation All species on each T Rating Zone list can be considered "native" to the planting sites in all of the Tree Rating Zone for the purpose of counting native trees and windb k shrubs within the Minnesota ReLeaf program. Site suitable cultivars and selections of the species listed may be counted as native. Minnesota ReLeaf participants are encouraged to use plants from local seed sources whenever that material is available as suitable nursery stock MnRe Purpose of this List of Native Species The Minnesota Legislature through the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) approved funding in 1995 -97 for the Minnesota ReLeaf program stipulating in the appropriation language that the program "achieve the strategic planting of predominantly native shade trees and community windb for statewide energy conse tion and carbon dioxide abatement ". Thus, this list of Trees and L , S Species Native to Mi sota's Ecological Regri developed by the Mi ota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry for pu _+ s of dete ining what may be counted as a ota "native" by communities undertaking MI ota ReLeaf projects. This list is not intended as a recommended species list because some of the plants listed have serious problems or limitations in their use. Nor should these lists be used to determine species for use in a native plant community restoration project. Species listed for each on may be very common throughout the region or may be found only in a limited number of sites with special conditions. MSA Tree Rating Zones The ecologically - defined regions called Tree Rating Zones are based upon the Ecological Classification System (ECS) in which the Mi ota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in c + ration with national efforts, subdivided the state into three provinces (which are commonly called the prairie, hard + -+ forests, and bo !forests). These further divided into Subsections based upon natural patte of geology, soils, climate and native plant communities. (Th • of the 21 original Subsections have • M ntly been subdivided, as indicated on page 2, resulting in a total of 24 Subsections). The Minnesota Society of 3, "+ riculture (MSA) worked with DNR Forestry staff to g + x p the Subsections into six Tree Rating Zo . Basically, each of the three provinces divided into two zo %.,; following the Subsection bou es. • • USDA Plant Hardin Zones The following tables also provide information on the hardiness of the species. As shown in the map above, the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 2, 3 and 4 occur in Minnesota. For each species, the tables include either the range of minimum and maximum hardi s zones, or solely the minimum hardiness zone, as derived from various sources. (In some es, zone information not available and is displayed n/a). Only shrubs integral to the design and function of windbreaks will be funded through MnReLeaf. Therefore, this list of native species only includes shrubs which may grow six feet or taller. However, not all native shrubs listed here are likely to function well in a windbreak situation. For purposes of eleaf, tree and windbreak shrub selection should take into account hardi s and site suitability as well as whether the species is native to the region. Suppl soli ental Native Range Info tdation The information in the righ side shaded columns of h following tables is supplenaen al and indicates whether the native range of each species includes all or part of the entire tree rati zone, and all, part, or none of each ecological subsection. Dete r l ration of Native Species Lists Whether the species listed here are native in any part of Minnesota determined by using two published sources of information: Elbert L. Little's Atlas ((United States Trees and bey and Morley's Vas. ? f `, A Plants of Minnesota, Little's rk consists of range maps for trees and some shrubs based upon published botanical lists, herbarium specimens, and field obse tions which are considered to represent the pre - Columbian es of vegetation. bey and Morley's work consists of state maps which show dots where specimens were collected prima ly for the University of Minnesota herbarium. All 125 woody species (except Poison Sumac) which may grow over six fee all and which occur anywhere in Minnesota according to either of these sources are included in the "Comprehensive List" on page 4 and in the following tables for each Tree Rating Zone. The tables for each Tree Rating Zone and subsection were developed by first determining if Little's range maps showed the species in all, part, or none of that ecological region. This information supplemented by adding species (primarily shrubs and additional Juneberry, hawthorn, and willow species) that are in 1 bey, but not in Little. Out of these, most of the Juneberry, hawthorn, and willow are mentioned without providing specific ranges. For the other additional species in 0 } ;bey, as well as for species with collection points shown in t bey beyond the range sh , 3 in Little, the ranges were interpreted as "part" within a Tree Rating Zone or subsection if either a) two or more collection points were sh in bey, or one point shown within about 80 miles of two points; or b) one collection point shown in =bey within about 80 miles of the Little ra * map. The Little range maps and selected t fbey maps have been digitized into computer files and are available from DNR Metro F try upon request. Several selections or subspecies (e.g., Freeman Maple and Flame Willow)that genetically derived from native species were parenthetically added to the list. e