Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 08/21/2023

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DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Ecological &Water Resources 500 Lafayette Road, Box 25 St. Paul, MN 55155-4025 July 7, 2023 Correspondence# MCE 2023-00323 Cole Kiernan Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. RE: Natural Heritage Review of the proposed Lord of Life Church Campus, T32N R25W Section 25; Anoka County Dear Cole Kiernan, As requested, the Minnesota Natural Heritage Information Systerty has been reviewed to determine if the proposed project has the potential to impact any rare species or other significant natural features. Based on the project details provided with the request, the following rare features may be impacted by the proposed project: State-listed Species • Blanding's turtles (Emydoidea blandingii), a state-listed threatened species, have been documented in the vicinity of the proposed project. Blanding's turtles use upland areas up to and over a mile distant from wetlands,waterbodies, and watercourses. Uplands are used for nesting, basking, periods of dormancy, and traveling between wetlands. Factors believed to contribute to the decline of this species include collisions with vehicles,wetland drainage and degradation,and the development of upland habitat. Any added mortality can be detrimental to populations of Blanding's turtles,as these turtles have a low reproduction rate that depends upon a high survival rate to maintain population levels. This project has the potential to impact this rare turtle through direct fatalities and habitat disturbance/destruction due to excavation, fill, and other construction activities associated with the project. Minnesota's Endangered Species Statute (Minnesota Statutes, section 84.0895) and associated Rules (Minnesota Rules, part 6212.1800 to 6212.2300 and 6134) prohibit the take of threatened or endangered species without a permit. As such,the following avoidance measures are required: