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David Hartley <br />City Administrator <br />Ramsey City Hall <br />15153 No~en Blvd. N.W. <br /> .530~ <br /> <br />Oct. 2, 1989 <br /> <br />Dear Mr. Hartiey, <br /> <br /> It's easy to umderstand why most people do not get upset when another <br />wetland disappears under the plows of pro~ess. A co~vmon conception of <br />wetlands would be that they are not resources; rather s~mmpland attractive <br />only to ducl~mnters. If wetlands are unimportant, then why are they designated <br />as protected areas by the DNR? Because they provide nesting sites for b%~ds <br />of all kinds, refuge for wildlife such as deer and small game mnimats, zones <br />for groundwater recharge, and area for natural p,~iflcation systems, especially <br />near l~ndfills. <br /> <br /> The issue add-eased here is the proposed connecting roadway 153 Ave. N.W. <br />T~e environmental assessment worksheet statement that only approximately 2.3 <br />acres of wetlands will be impacted, assumes only that the l~nd on wbjcb t~be <br />roadvmy is placed v.%l! be effecsed. However, acreage far in excess of 2.3 <br />acres will be changed forever by a 40 .W~H traffic zone bringing with it noise, <br />air, and ground pollution. <br /> <br /> The planned roadway also includes cutting off the nortberm tip of wetland <br />!!4P, possibly the longest stretch of continuous wetlsund in Ramsey. As a <br />result of this separation 6-8 acres of area cam be e)~ected to stagnate, even <br />if culverts were to be installed. Road runoff can only add to this problem. <br />If this separated wetland is to be last-',~g~_y d~ged, provisions should be <br />made to improve this area ~nd not some already mndistuu~bed wetland. Perhaps <br />this can be accomp!isbed by drainage and fill or a series of ponds. Additlona!ly, <br />building a roadway throug~ tanstab!e wetland basin providing no road fomndat!on <br />is sure to cause future problams. <br /> <br /> Lost wetland and pra~ie can. never be replaced. The 153rd Ave. collector <br />impacts not one but tbmee wetland areas. As a imndo~mer in the City of P~m~ey, <br />as a concerned environmentalist, and as a m~mber of American Rivers, C-reenpeace, <br />and the Union of Concerned Scientists, i feel P~m~ey's wetis_nds should be <br />preserved for the ~ ", ~ <br /> <br /> Finally, the 153rd Ave. collector issue should have been handled ten years <br />ago, not now under circumstances that are at tbe~most a~avated. Poor <br />planning is not ~n acceptable excuse to destroy some of the City of Ramsey~s <br />Oest assets its wetl.and~. <br /> <br />cc: Dept. of the <br /> USFv~ <br /> DI~ <br /> <br />Sincere!y~ <br /> <br />Geoff Bridwe] 1 <br /> <br /> <br />