Agenda - Council Work Session - 11/13/2007

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Executive Summary The city of Ramsey is a vibrant small town located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Rum Rivers, in southern Anoka County. The scenic environment, proximity to the urban centers of Minneapolis and St Paul, and location along Highway 10 are contributing to strong growth pressures in the city. I.n an effort to plan effectively for natural resources, the city requires accurate information about the type and quality of open space and natural areas within the city. The Anoka Conservation District (ACD) completed Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS) mapping of Anoka County in 2001, using aerial photos and a very limited field review. In spring of 2007 the city retained Bonestroo to update and field verify the MLCCS data for natural areas and other open space as . part of the Natural Resource Inventory (NRI). Property owners were notified by letter and postcard about the NRI, and in May, over 60 residents attended an informational public open house about the project. Field work began in late May and was largely complete by mid-July of 2007. Nearly 3,710 acres of natural areas were documented. These represent a variety of distinct natural community types including forest, woodland, shrubland, herbaceous wetlands, and grasslands, as well as areas of open water (lakes and ponds). The most common upland cover type in Ramsey is oak forest and oak woodland/brushland (941 combined acres) while the most common lowland cover type is cattail marsh (874acres). The most unique plant communities identified during the NRI include a poor fen site and a mesic oak savannah site (1.3 acres and 0.8 acres respectively). Forty-nine sites met th~ high standards necessary to be mapped as exceptional or high quality, meaning that the sites had little or no evidence of past disturbance, or had largely recovered from the effects of past disturbance. One hU!1dred eighty sites were mapped as moderate quality, indicating moderate past or current disturbance, and 19 sites mapped as low quality, or marginal. Natural areas are concen~rated along the corridors defined by Trott Brook and its tributaries. Other natural areas can be found around the lakes, along the rivers, and in scattered locations around the city. These areas form the backbone of a proposed greenway/open space corridor through the city. Recommendations include a process for refining the greenway corridor, possible tools and strategies for use of the data in the city's planning process and ordinance, and some possible ideas for funding implementation of the NRI. In addition, the NRI provides some general guidelines and information for management of the natural areas within the city. 11