The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2013-05-01 PACKET 04.C.REQUEST OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING ITEM # � DATE 5/1 /13 • . PREPARED BY Parks and Recreation Zac Dockter ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD ******************�*�**��**�*****�*�************ COUNCIL ACTION REQUEST Consider authorizing staff to apply for the MN Department of Natural Resources Community Partners Legacy Grant in the amount of $50,000 for prairie/woodland/shoreline restoration work in West Draw, Hidden Valley and Harwood Parks. �� _�� i Zi 7►� 1 T I:1 � 17_ � �[� 7� A Authorize staff to apply for the MN Department of Natural Resources Community Partners Legacy Grant in the amount of $50,000 for prairie/woodland/shoreline restoration work in West Draw, Hidden Valley and Harwood Parks. BUDGET IMPLICATION: $12,000 BUDGETED AMOUNT ADVISORY COMMISSION ACTION ❑ PLANNING ❑ PUB�IC SAFETY ❑ PUBLIC WORKS � PARKS AND RECREATION ❑ HUMAN SERVICES/RIGHTS ❑ ECONOMIC DEV. AUTHORITY ❑ DATE 5/13/13 REVIEWED ❑ ❑ ❑ � ❑ ❑ ❑ SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS � MEMO/LETTER: ❑ RESOLUTION: ❑ ORDINANCE: ❑ ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATION: ❑ LEGAL RECOMMENDATION: ❑ OTHER: _ � u ►lE��_�ri7:�3�i7► ni1�►�� $12„000 ACTUAL�/qMOUNT d APPROVED ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ � ; � 4 City Administrator DENIED ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ y � i.-� Date H:\Grants\West Draw-Hdwood-HV RestorationWction Form-CPL Grant.doc � Cottage � Grove � pride a�dP�osperity Meet To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Zac Dockter, Parks and Recreation Director Date: April 19, 2013 Subject: MN DNR Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Application Introduction The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) Grant program has a mission of restoring, protecting, and enhancing wetlands, prairie, forest and habitat for fish, game and wildlife. The CPL Grant is designed by the DNR to partner with regional and local organizations to achieve said mission through Legacy Grant funding. Funding for the CPL program is from the Outdoor Heritage Fund created by the people of Minnesota. This fund receives 33% of the sales tax revenues resulting from the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Constitutional Amendment passed by the voters in the November 2008 election. In referencing the 1998 Cottage Grove Natural Resources Inventory and the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, the CPL Grant program offers an excellent opportunity for the city of Cottage Grove to continue its efforts in restoring historical landscapes through the West Draw, Hidden Valley and Harwnod Parks. Background At the time of settlement, around 1840-1850, the landscape of Cottage Grove included a rich variety of plant communities including various types of wetlands in low areas and oak woodlands and prairies on drier uplands. As the city developed after mid-1800, more intense human activities such as roads, railroads, agriculture and urbanization began to change the landscape and natural communities. Today, less than 6% of Washington County remains in native communities. Urban development will certainly continue in Cottage Grove however the city possesses the opportunity to restore and preserve these historical landscapes via the park system for current and future generations to enjoy. The West Draw Highlands (areas north and west of 80� St. and Hinton Ave.) pre-settlement landscape included rolling hills with vegetation of inesic oak forests, burr oak groves, and hackberry woodlands. These plant communities were intermingled with tall-grass prairie that covered most of the upland areas in Cottage Grove. Although few, some of those true native plant communities still exist today such as the prairie bluffs along the east side of highway 61. There are also several restoration projeds that have started the process of reestablishing these historical landscapes. Those restoration projects can be seen within the Meadowgrass, Highlands Hills, Oakwood and Hardwood parks and trailway areas. The West Draw Highland areas converge on the east end of the Hidden Valley neighborhood with what is referred to as Central Cottage Grove Uplands. The character of the Central Cottage Grove uplands was more of a flat rolling landscape with high volumes of tall-grass prairies broken by random oak savannas and oak woodlands. The city has been successful in restoring native plant communities to this area with the installation of over 60 acres of prairie to the Cottage Grove Trailway Corridor in 2006. The Central Cottage Grove Uplands terminate on the east near Keats Avenue (County Road 19) where the Cottage Grove Ravine area poses more striking geographical features such as ravines, valleys and bluffs from glacial activity. Within the West Draw Highlands, Central Cottage Grove uplands and the Cottage Grove Ravine is a recreational trailway corridor that is considered a main artery in the city's trailway system. This corridor which follows the Xcel Energy power lines provides a recreational trail route from the northwestern quadrant of Cottage Grove to the Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park in the southeastern quadrant. This one trail connects many trails, parks, neighborhoods, roadways and commercial centers. As previously mentioned, there are several areas of this corridor that have been restored to their native prairie habitat. The Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park also has several acres of restored prairie along its western border. Establishing a native landscapes "belY' through the heart of Cottage Grove should be considered a great opportunity to merge the cities goals for the Comprehensive Plan, Recreational Facility Needs Study and preservation of Cottage Grove's historical character. Further, Hidden Valley and Harwood Parks offer an opportunity to plant shoreline vegetation that will improve water quality for those ponds by reducing erosion and filtering of runoff. Considering the high visibility the ponds and the fishing opportunity at Hidden Valley Pond, this would be an excellent improvement to those sites. Hardwood Park will also benefit from a woodland-mix planted below the old oak forest off of Hardwood Avenue that was cleared of buckthorn and undergrowth in 2011 and 2012. Staff has reviewed the MN DNR's CPL grant program criteria and believes the continuation of restoring native landscapes in this recreational trailway corridor meets the criteria for funding. Staff is proposing that a CPL grant application be submitted in the amount of $50,000 to provide for a prairie/woodland/shoreline restoration project within the West Draw, Hidden Valley and Hardwood Park corridor area (refer to attached map for specific areas). The City would be responsible for up to $12,000 of the total project expense. The funds would be derived from the Public Landscapes Initiative as part of the Bike Park project. The City will also be responsible for providing in-kind services such as site preparation and mowing. Staff Recommendation Authorize staff to apply for the MN Department of Natural Resources Community Partners Legacy Grant in the amount of $50,000 for prairie/woodland/shoreline restoration work in West Draw, Hidden Valley and Harwood Parks. West Draw-Hidden Valley-Hardwood Parks CPL Grant Map �� I�',J'f9° •nms a oo a ia.mm �,��.y . �. r Fia eam v�aw ��o�r� .00� nai . _ �arc , iaa . wmaowswa eooaiamae� _ aiaMae� C� '�. � : � >�F � .� � � � , i �; � r � �� l `:° r ° � r � ,' � r �� '�r �� ' i �R • � wnaesrvaw a�ma r.�ao anor.,s �ia�aa, r.�srv sna� , u-*� . aaa sar�n-.00�-'y- ' .r FI � ' �I � s �J � � � -' . r �� . . � 1 M A �� L U't�^! )� r- r 1" � r rvY h f f f'� I�� s ,� _; r v � t + .._ f r .a�` ' -+ £-' t ' � �' � � �r- -�T � � r , I " r - � ' .� "',�w r *- � r r-�i"• .. ct , s,�� . � � F �, �r �: � m i - �4� � � � " � � ! ��. �* x � � � 1 � �� ' �Rry� 4��' '( '� � ` +' ` �'' -t-"e k1" -��• �� ,. ".� w..a r - r' r �� .r �` e�wrt,YJ T r�-,. i ft%� � (� p 2 �7h ' y` _ _ �*`- �.� � ps : a �, - �r �. � � r �s�`�°` - � ,.- _ ,... aw ta � - '^..�."r7 ut. F - Y4.""..'S' " - i v . - 7� , 7 --� ^_ i ` ." r� , : .�'t !. _-.f r 4��. � , r r'K "� '. l r � r �..��a �. � �.n-� �`...r' e� rt r-�'� � � k f�F.. �! '�'�. � T 1� �`�;'' r y, �� r �� f . �� , �.�r> R �� r r .��r _,�a r�F,� i— � i �� . � ' r , ��. i � r r e � a T r d_ �' � Y. " i / i r ' 7 '.� � ? L �'�. � �: "r ` .w�'.,��. � _ . • r}�r J � k 'i ✓ � f � �'� y�� Y•°.T� < �y,. F Y "> f'1. %V ' � � � � .�� _ r �� . � s r.- . 'ti �- �x_ • i �� r � , T �:S_ ,- ,'. ' f I �� ris �« �,7�r � ,, r` 'f�y"� vF I c � .� r r,� y� �'�' :- t- f: t�Y+ 1 ' � r , i � i r S i = � :: �`r 3J �,. r �- �� F, i �' y � _ �' � . � "*�? 4� �f . � f Ch� r � n, tr � `� h II � h� 1 � � �r � I I:, � : 1 ' f r , % ry y��%'� �h'E�}�f x � h+ ytp' �'`"1 , . . . � . * i ; , f tr . � � �� ¢4' )..' 1� � `.r��AXiL� . $G-..=e N.�: ' /r.�. � - ._ .. � �_.>�- �;; N 'ksi�i-� �a r..ss_ � �a . . oo�a �w,��x - ov, � 4 -4y� yiL_t�':.�'_ r �� .,.. ��...r.�l ,� .-..�.°�.: -- J Cottage Paine Belt 1'� L� F� F�' � t na� a oo a ia.mm . > r� Fia eam v�aw ��o�r� .00� nap _ �arc - p?seaa : wmaowswa eooaiamae� L''d - wna�srvaw a�roa r.�ao ano�� caia�aa, r.�srv sna� � ru -�;� - sie�� .. oaianaes _ ano�m _ � ..,. aa sarary- .00�- H- ' LJ1� ��L � . . .. �- !�� .. � �� -#�� ' �" x�� i''� 1 .� �, �,"��`�— `� , .�� k ; � ��'. � . .. � � ..¢�*' k � � � � e "' J ..: � � � - i�i- } �, �` ; . .; .� [ 8r �`� � i ' � Kz' „� ZiY� M �'�`""i' wk^ � :r ti�^'=' r� � < � � � F,x �� i � � � ti 4F �I(1�� g i m . ,�4n�7Z. �1! M1I E � ... � ' ��7'�, ( "�i� �`� , - � ,. `'� .��' � s L °� .�. �' -� � a� , � . � I ' i q �"��\, � � �? ; �" s� �'� �"� �w � I �` '� �_�3� ' ��. ^$ �f k�� I� •�S%ACS� �� . �� I �� '. .. �� 4 _ � F � �, � � s� � ( �{I�% � „� ��;. � �" �� . �"±` . ��",.. i i �, : .� ,. .rs: �.. .� ,., .-.�s� . �:t ,� ��- _... r; . i i � - � ; �� ; � ... �� .� 4 si x i + 3 { � a��,: �{� � ,, � �, i o i. " r� ��r��,;rs� � �� ' �� ' i r...y ' . !g � � 4 . �. _ . . .. i � ., � r. � r � . ' �.:�� _ i � � � � - �� § - � ��"-'.�. �. �v � r ,a 7 : .: i: ��.�.. _ rI ..� _ ,s��-'f e � '� '�. . � �I 1 � I�.f'� �/ ..i . .. d:.�, ., ' Y3i5. . ..: i I n N [ °/e - L l � _.( ✓ -' ..� �� f! u v��_..�:3v...1 �� UI ..��