Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 04/08/2021

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Conservation Management Plan for the City of Ramsey's Rivers' Bend Park is designed to advise the City of Ramsey Parks and Recreation Board, land managers, and interested park users in managing and conserving the ecological resources and aesthetic beauty of Rivers' Bend Park and its enjoyment by visitors. Conservation values and prioritized goals are established that guide the proposals for management with a focus on ecological restoration and didactic potential. Through the strategies laid out within this plan, park managers, partner organizations, and volunteer groups can collaboratively preserve the natural and recreational features of the site. Rivers' Bend Park was established in 1989 and contains about 60 acres of land. This includes a significant amount of undisturbed riparian forest along the Rum River as well as 6 to 7 acres of restored prairie, both of which are of vital ecological importance. Of Minnesota's original prairie, which covered a third of the state, less than two percent remains as remnants across the landscape.' The habitat corridor created by the restored tallgrass prairie on site and nearby native prairie remnants is an invaluable resource for a wide range of prairie -dependent organisms. Along with the riparian forest, the land cover of the site is vital to the continued health of the surrounding wetlands. Furthermore, up to 20 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) have validated records of occurrences within the township that the park resides resides in.' One such species is the rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), whose primary dispersal zone includes the site.' With so much urbanization and development in the surrounding area, the park holds many resources that could be protected to help combat habitat fragmentation and degradation. Overall, there is vast potential value in committing to ecologically restoring the site and using it as a means to educate the general public about these natural systems.''''' DESIRED MANAGEMENT OUTCOMES • Maximize biodiversity of native Big Woods Big Rivers species while improving ecological health and productivity o Contribute to habitat connectivity by providing habitat and increasing habitat value for native species, especially Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and native pollinators o Restore some of the native land cover (prairie, river bottom forest, wetland) by reducing the amount of land being maintained and removing invasive species to encourage natives to further populate the area • Increase the park's usability for recreational, didactic, scientific and interpretive purposes (birders, students, researchers, those looking to connect with nature, etc.) o Foster increased appreciation for the natural environment in visitors of the park SITE DESCRIPTION Historical climate, geology, hydrology and human activity are critical determining factors of the distribution and abundance of particular resource elements in an area as well as the organisms 3