Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 10/15/2018

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adjacent to this area and could have some iliipau'i upon it as development proceeds. The reach of River covered is classified as -+ecreational", which indicates it is a river that — . may have adjacent lands which are considerably developed, but that are still capable of being managed so as to further the purposes of ..." the State act. The established State policy is that it is in the interest of present and future generations to preserve and protect the outstanding scenic, recreational, natural, historical, and scientific values of certain Minnesota rivers and their adjacent lands. All state, local, and special governmental units, councils, commissions, boards, districts, agencies, departments, and other authorities shall exercise their powers so as to further the purpose of the Minnesota Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and adopted management plans for the preservation, protection, and management of designated rivers. State Rules pertaining to River management under this program are contained within Chapter 6105.08. The Environmental Protection/Resource Management element of the LCP and its supporting ordinances fulfill these requirements. The Ramsey Town Center site is also adjacent to the state -designated Mississippi River Critical Area Corridor (Corridor) established in 1976 and the federal Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA), a unit of the National Park System, established in 1988. The purposes of designating the Mississippi River as a Critical Area include protecting and preserving a unique and valuable state and regional resource; preventing and mitigating irreversible damage to this resource; preserving and enhancing its natural, aesthetic, cultural, and historical value for public use; protecting and preserving the river as an essential element in the national, state and regional transportation, sewer and water and recreational systems; and protecting and preserving the biological and ecological functions of the corridor. Under the Critical Area program, Executive Order 79-19 requires that the Standards and Guidelines provided in the Executive Order shall be followed by local units of government when preparing plans and regulations, and followed by State and regional agencies for permit regulation and in developing plans within their jurisdiction affecting lands within the Corridor. Once plans and regulations have been approved by DNR, local units of government shall permit development only in aceui dataue with those adopted plans and regulations and approval. All capital improvement programs or public facilities programs of local units of government, regional agencies, and State agencies which affect lands within the Corridor are required to be consistent with the standards and guidelines in the Critical Area Executive Order 79-19. The City of Ramsey Critical Area Plan has been approved by the DNR as part of the City's LCP. Summary of Environmental Impact. The RTC site borders management districts, but does not include them. The mitigation element addresses the planning efforts that will be used to assure compatibility. Mitigation element, The Ramsey 2001 Comprehensive Plan was amended in 2002 and contains the measures needed to effectively implement resource protection for all of the resource protection zones adjacent to the RTC site. 14-2