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"Guidelines for Managing and Restoring Natural Plant Communities Along Trails <br />and Waterways" will be used as part of the long term management plan for this <br />park. <br />Considering that ecosystems are dynamic and continually changing over time and space, an <br />adaptive management approach and framework fits very well with the County's practice of <br />ecological restoration and stewardship. In the context of ecological restoration, the <br />following adaptive management principles will guide the stewardship plan for Mississippi <br />West Regional Park; <br />1. Problem Assessment: <br />Define the scope of degradation to the site, synthesize the existing knowledge <br />about it, and explore the potential outcomes of alternative restoration actions. <br />2. Design: <br />Design a restoration plan and monitoring program that will provide reliable <br />feedback and information about the effectiveness of restoration methods. <br />3. Implementation: <br />Effective restoration is usually a multi -step process, requiring not only installation, <br />but many years of maintenance and monitoring. Anoka County's Natural Resources <br />Unit has begun restoring natural plant communities within Mississippi West <br />Regional Park. At the time of acquisition, 121 acres of the property consisted of <br />agricultural fields and pasture land. Since acquisition, Anoka County's Natural <br />Resources Unit has restored 49.9 acres to native prairie with another 23.3 acres <br />scheduled for restoration in 2011. The objective of the Natural Resources Unit is to <br />restore the remaining acreage as funding becomes available. <br />4. Monitoring: <br />Biological indicators are monitored to determine how effective the restoration <br />methods are in meeting the project objectives. <br />5. Evaluation: <br />The actual outcomes are compared to the anticipated outcomes. In addition, the <br />reasons for the underlying differences are interpreted. <br />6. Adjustment: <br />Practices, objectives, and models used during the restoration process may lead to <br />reassessment of the problem, new questions, and new options to try in a continual <br />cycle of improvement for a given project. <br />Management and stewardship practices for maintenance in the park will include periodic <br />mowing, prescribed fire management, invasive species surveys, hazard tree assessments, <br />seed collection and propagation, invasive species removal, turf management, brush and <br />tree maintenance, erosion control, forest health assessments and maintenance, wildlife <br />surveys and management as needed, and interpretive signage. Maintenance and <br />stewardship practices also include regular trimming of trees and vegetation along <br />roadways, trail corridors, park facilities and structures. <br />Page 22 of 22 <br />