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Home My WebLink About10.08.14 meeting packet1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W.. ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304 • (763) 755 -5100 FAX (763) 755 -8923 • WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US Andover Open Space Advisory Commission Meeting Agenda October 8, 2014 Andover City Hall Conference Room A &B 5.30 p.m. 1. Tour of North Woods Preserve 2. Return to City Hall for regular meeting 7.00 p.m. 1. Call to Order 2. Resident Forum 3. Approval of Minutes: September 10, 2014 Regular Meeting 4. Open Space Acquisition Update 5. North Woods Preserve Management Plan Review 6. Other Business a. Next meeting: November 12, 2014 7. Adjournment ND OVE: 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. • ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304 . (763) 755 -5100 FAX (763) 755 -8923 • WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US TO: Andover Open Space Advisory Commission FROM: David L. Carlberg, Community Development Director SUBJECT: Approval of Minutes — September 10, 2014 DATE: October 8, 2014 INTRODUCTION The Open Space Advisory Commission is asked to review and approve the minutes from the September 10, 2014 regular meeting. DISCUSSION Please share any changes to the minutes at the meeting. ACTION REQUESTED A motion, second and vote are necessary to approve the minutes. Attachment September 10, 2014 meeting minutes Respectfully submitted, a 4-, 2- David L. Carlberg ,r REGULAR ANDOVER OPEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMISSIONMEETING SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 MINUTES The Regular Meeting of the Andover Open Space Advisory Commission was called to order by Chairperson Gretchen Sabel at 7:18 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Commissioners present: Aaron Jarson, Kim Kovich, Jim Myers, Bruce Perry and Suzanne Van Hecke Commissioner absent: Jim Olson Also present: David Carlberg, Community Development Director RESIDENT FORUM No one wished to address the Commission. APPROVAL OF MINUTES —August 13, 2014 Motion by Commissioner Kovich, Second by Commissioner Perry, to approve the minutes of August 13, 2014. Motion passed 6 -0. OPEN SPACE ACQ UISITION UPDATE Mr. Carlberg reported that Mr. Selmer signed the purchase agreement today in the amount of $345,000 for approximately 39.5 acres of property. He referenced the issue of an access road from the Country Oaks North development out to Hanson Boulevard and provided some land sale options for the future. He provided the total balance of the open space account and the amount that would be left if the entire 39.5 acres were purchased for open space, as well as options if less than the 39.5 acres were purchased. He noted that the Commission had previously discussed re- approaching Dennis Kuiken in attempt to acquire land as well as the City had a purchase agreement to buy 10 acres from him in 2012. He stated that the Selmer purchase agreement will move forward to the City Council for approval at their September 16'h meeting with a closing date of no later than November 21, 2014. He stated that after the purchase agreement is approved staff will approach Mr. Kuiken. MARTIN'S MEADOWS MANAGEMENT PLAN REVIEW Mr. Carlberg advised that the 2011 Management Plan was included in the Commission packet, along with a draft version with updates from staff. He asked the Commission to review the material at their leisure and provide input if the Commissioners feel amendments or additions would be needed. Commissioner Kovich confinned that there is $117,000 available for management of this area and that the fiends could be used in both the open space and park areas. Mr. Carlberg stated that perhaps he would ask a representative from Great River Greening to attend a meeting in the future to provide input on their recommendations. Commissioner Kovich stated that he would want to ensure that there are sufficient funds to provide maintenance. Regular Open Space Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes — September 10, 2014 Page 2 Mr. Carlberg asked the Commission to review the information and be prepared with any comments at a future meeting, perhaps when a representative from Great River Greening is available. He stated that over the winter staff will continue to work on the Martin's Meadows as well as the North Woods Preserve management plans, including the addition of the newly acquired Aasness property into the North Woods Preserve Plan. He advised that the Commission will meet on October 8th to tour the newly acquired portion of North Woods Preserve (the Aasness portion) and provided an update of recent staff activity on the site. He noted that staff is hoping to install boundary signage in the near future. He confirmed that he will provide copies of the trail map to the Commissioners once staff is able to update those. Commissioner Myers stated that brush piles are beneficial for wildlife. OTHER BUSINESS Commissioner Van Hecke stated that perhaps the Commission could sponsor a photo contest where residents can submit photographs taken in the open space areas, which would encourage use of the open space areas. a. Next Meeting: October 8, 2014 Noted. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Kovich, Second by Commissioner Perry, to adjourn the meeting at 8:02 p.m. Motion passed 6 -0. Respectfully submitted, David Carlberg Community Development Director Drafted by: Amanda Staple, Recording Secretary 6 W jo! '� 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. • ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304 . (763) 755 -5100 FAX (763) 755 -6923 • WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US TO: Andover Open Space Advisory Commission FROM: David L. Carlberg, Community Development Director SUBJECT: Open Space Acquisition of Property Update DATE: October 8, 2014 INTRODUCTION Staff has continued to work with property owners to pursue acquisition of open space property east of Hanson Boulevard NW and north of 161St Avenue NW. DISCUSSION An update will be provided at the meeting. ACTION REQUESTED A discussion will be held at the meeting. Respectfully submitted, David L. Carlberg C I T Y O F NDOVE 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. • ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304 • (763) 755 -5100 FAX (763) 755 -8923 • WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN,US TO: Andover Open Space Advisory Commission FROM: David L. Carlberg, Community Development Director SUBJECT: North Woods Preserve Management Plan Review DATE: October 81 2014 REQUEST The Commission is asked to review the attached North Woods Preserve Management Plan that was developed in 2011 and advise staff on changes the Commission deems necessary to update the plan. Staff has also prepared a draft revised plan to assist the Commission on possible updates to the plan. Respectfully submitted, David L. Carlberg AN T Y -6 a C North Woods Preserve Open Space Management Plan CITY OF ANDOVER 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD NW ANDOVER, MINNESOTA, 55304 (763) 755 -5100 mAiN (763) 755 -8923 FAX W W W.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US North Woods Preserve Management Plan Table of Contents SiteHistory .................................................... ............................... 1 Plantings and Features Map .................................. ..............................3 Land Cover Types Map ........................................ ............................... 4 Management Tasks Summary ............................ ............................... 5 Site Recommendations Description .................. ............................... 6 VisitorsMap ............................................................ ............................... 8 Potential Future City Park ..................................... ............................... 9 PropertySurvey ....................................................... .............................10 North Woods Preserve Management Plan North Woods Preserve Tree and Planting History Based on discussion with Larry Emmerich September 28, 2010 Recorded by Gretchen Sabel and Jody Keppers Larry Emmerich purchased this 80 acre parcel in 1991. At that time, the parcel was farmed with the majority of the land in corn. The existing home was toward the west end of the parcel, this was subsequently removed. Mr. Emmerich built his home on the property in 1993 and raised his family here. He planted many trees on the property since that time. Mr. Emmerich's home will remain when the remaining property is developed, Just south of Mr. Emmerich's driveway he planted a line of balsams. Some have grown considerably while others remain quite small. South of the balsams are hybrid poplars. The woods surrounding the pond include oak trees that were there when the land was farmed; these now are dying or dead from oak wilt, The silver maples and river birch were planted in 1994. Mr. Emmerich offered his services in helping to remove the dead oaks if the city decides to include this in the management plan. He would use his front end loader to fell the trees in a way that avoids damaging the smaller silver maples and river birch that he planted among the oaks a few years ago. He suggested the work should be done in the winter to minimize damage to the ground. He also discussed the trails on the property and suggested a loop trail through the area that he sketched on the 2009 aerial photo. He has been maintaining existing trails by mowing and said he would still be around to help with this if they were in the city's maintenance plan. Compensation for Mr. Emmerich's work was not discussed. One Interesting feature of the White Pine Wilderness plantings is the apple trees on the upland west of the wetland. Mr. Emmerich planted these trees in 1993; deer predation has taken its toll and he's replanted several of the trees since that time. Beginning at the north end of this line of trees and working to the south end; trees 1 -7 are Haralsons, trees 8 -12 are Macintosh and trees 13 -14 are State Fair. Mr. Emmerich fertilizes the apple trees every year in March with fertilizer spikes to boost yields. The sandy soil of Andover isn't rich enough for apple trees to thrive without this help. At the north end of the apple tree line are some crabapple trees, the native kind with maroon blossoms. Along the east edge of apple trees 11 -12, about ! way down the slope to the wetland, Mr. Emmerich planted wild plums. He also planted silver maple and tamarack along the wetland. He noted that bucks took some of the tamaracks, but he took some of the bucks. Deer are a significant factor on this property. When Mr. Emmerich first acquired the property, there was a herd of about 25 living on his 80 acres. He tried to keep them away from his young trees with fences, blood trails, dogs kennels —with little effect. But the disappearance of red oaks has also been hard on 1 White Pine Wilderness Tree and Planting History the deer. Acorns from the oaks have been a prime source of food to fatten themselves for winter survival, West of the row of apple trees there is a planting of pines —Mr. Emmerich put in a planting of Scotch pines in 1995. However, he removed many of them after learning that they were not native to Anoka County and were susceptible to mold. He also planted white pines in this area in 1995 and white spruce in 2000, and red pines in 1995. In 1997 he put in blue spruce in this area. He observed that the blue spruce are now planted too close to one another and suggested that the city could raise money for maintenance of the property by thinning the trees and selling them. After some trees are removed, the remaining trees will be fuller, prettier, and more effective windbreaks. Mr. Emmerich also had some recommendations for the open area toward the north of the site. If left as it is, he said, it will be full of 6 -foot high popple trees in three years. He suggested some alternate species; white pine, white spruce, tamarack, or white cedar. River birch or jack pine would be other options. He said that red squirrels love the seeds produced by jack pines. He noted that the wetland is much wetter this fall than it has been since he purchased the property. The wetland area is typically quite dry except right up front near the road, but recently there was two inches of water in some of the normally dry areas. The borrow area on the north end of the Open Space property is now growing up with popple. Something will need to be done with this; one idea would be to plant trees that do well in wetter soils. Perhaps there are some trees that could be moved into this area from other places on the site to help with this. We talked about stormwater management and how it affects new development. Grade changes required to manage runoff from homes and streets often results in destruction of trees and habitat, it's possible that employing some concepts of low impact development might help minimize some of this. s Low Area ShrubTrees 1 (Borrow Pit) (Poplar) F� r +A • 4Y .f C. HighArea "O Red Pine Tamarack 2001 �>� & Silver Maple Pines 1995 a_ White Cedar { White Pine 1995-96 i Blue Spruce Plum 1997 r + Apple Trees199 White4� ruce• 3 .' " 2000�� Haralson E- Crabapples *� 4 � �. Macintosh .•� a« �t�� State Fair Scotch ioe •.» .rt�_ � fir. Blue Sp4 99T z M ir{ x vp7'iq ;L Trail Loop" + lilsams Oakwilt x' Access &Trail �4 LI < < Ptpd Map i ,--- -� App�rox. Future Park Location +BllverM� l —!� NormalWater Location e r r. P In Wetland 1 R �- A "''NX° on forest Wet meadow Alder swamp a rand aoi a, Oak forest dry subtype Iaitb0' .+ ma ; ttgd'�rad es' sonaliy flooded i iredlnon•na�ve inated emergent Y' vegetation !� Aspen forest Upland solys with planted, maintained, > " or cultivateq coniferous trees art gr trees { Ith 44 rn' V4, Oak forest dry subtype , r . i Aspen forest �,... -, •., .w . +. <• «� Seasonably (l oaded a teredlnon•nativ`e.: pak forest ,k dominated emergent vegetation I I a. _ Management Tasks Summary North Woods Preserve Task Description Time Frame Approximate cost Site Access /Trails a. Maintain trail through site On -going $250 Signage a. Maintain signage and add signs as needed On -going $500 Manage invasive species a. Clear buckthorn, prickly ash, and honeysuckle from wooded areas Fall 2011 $2,000 Manage Native Species a. Manage wetland on north side of property On -going $5,000 b. Manage wooded areas On -going $5,000 c. Establish prairie on open upland areas On- going $5,000 d. Manage adjacent wetlands On -going $2,500 North Woods Preserve Management Plan Site Recommendations Description Access Access to the site is presently provided from 161" Avenue NW to the south as well as from a trail easement at the end of 161'r Lane NW. These access points connect with a natural trail that loops through the site. Trails The established natural trail consists of a mowed path from the end of 161" Avenue NW into the wooded area south of the Emmerich Home. Some small trees and brush were removed in the wooded area to allow a mower to navigate through this area of the site. The heavily shaded portions of the wooded area may require wood chips if a more natural groundcover cannot be successfully maintained. The mowed path continues through an open upland area between the easterly wetland and the planted coniferous trees to the west. A route around the northerly wetland was selected during site visits and will be mowed periodically to extend the trail back to the wooded area in the central portion of the site where multiple options exist for walking paths to connect with the established route along the easterly wetland. Additional trail connections will be evaluated as the site becomes more frequently visited by residents . Signage Entrance and boundary signage will be installed in the Spring of 2011. An entrance sign will be at the end of 161" Lane NW . The entrance sign summarizes the regulations for open space properties established by City Code 8 -4. Boundary signage will be installed along the perimeter of the property at locations visible to visitors. Trimming of vegetation around the signs will be necessary to ensure that they remain visible. The signs will be evaluated periodically to ensure they remain in good condition as well as to determine if the use of the site requires additional signs to be installed. Management of Invasive Species For the most part the site contains plant communities that were established by the Emmerich family. A small amount of invasive species were Identified during site visits to the property. The highest priority is removal of the few areas of buckthorn, prickly ash and honeysuckle from wooded areas. It is anticipated that In house staff and volunteers could complete this task. Management of Native Species The highest priority is to maintain the high quality man made wetland along the north side of the site. Periodic mowing, herbicide applications, and general maintenance will ensure that the quality of the integrity of this wetland is maintained. North Woods Preserve Management Plan A second priority is to manage the wooded areas of the site. Management techniques will include ongoing monitoring and removal of invasive species and oak wilt as well as occasional removal of dead branches, particularly on the smaller fruit trees, The planted coniferous areas will also need to be managed for their health, which may include selective removal to Improve their overall health. Management activities that should be considered for the prairie include prescribed burning, mowing, weeding and spot spraying. These all fall under a category of management termed Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Overseeding the site with a pre- determined mix of native grasses and flowers would also greatly benefit the site. Prairie restoration is a long -term commitment. in order to get the prairie to be fully functional and self sustaining, it could be a 5 to 7 year process. Once it's started, it's very important to continue, as stopping efforts could cause a major setback and end up being more costly in the long run. A full - fledged effort for this site could cost between $7,000 to $15,000. A low- budget, short-term management plan for the prairie that should be strongly considered is a prescribed burn. This management technique could be done inexpensively, but still give the prairie a significant boost. A prescribed burn would most likely be contracted out. It would remove the unwanted vegetation and give the natives (warm season grasses) an advantage. The best time to perform this is In late April or early May. Staff would have to work closely with the Fire Department and DNR to secure the necessary permits prior to burning. Approximate cost of doing a burn is $1,000. Before this step is taken, project staff must do a thorough site analysis. This will determine the extent of work that would be needed to reestablish a native prairie. It can be determined if such an effort is feasible with the available resources. r , � I 1 1 I 1 � I I t 1 I 1 I 1 J 1 Fy \I V � ' .t. �. . 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Township 72, Range 24 EMMQtICH 1 0.. �12i u...w Ja1ID- ®oeF63- on 12r -sem rut ae3- .1% -aslo ,.+.x..- Ira.lwn prpka Cou Mirmasolo N/,3/10 talc eW t rxms .._- _...� - .- ...,,....,- ..,poop.._ ooma OaMO IMItwRM ulmww .smcut¢ .s DRAFT North Woods Preserve Open Space Management Plan CITY OF ANDOVER 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD NW ANDOVER, MINNESOTA, 55304 (763) 755 -5100 MAIN (763) 755 -8923 FAx WWW.AN DOVE RMN.GOV DRAFT North Woods Preserve Management Plan Table of Contents SiteHistory ....................................................... ..............................1 Plantings and Features Map .................................. ..............................3 Land Cover Types Map ........................................... ..............................4 Management Tasks Summary ............................... ..............................5 Site Recommendations Description ..................... ..............................6 VisitorsMap .............................................................. ..............................9 PropertySurveys ...................................................... .............................10 DRAFTNorth Woods Preserve Management Plan North Woods Preserve North Woods Preserve consists of two properties. The Aasness Property purchased in 2014 consisting of 25.73 acres and the Emmerich Property acquired in 2010 consisting of 20.62 acres bringing the total acreage of North Woods Preserve to 46.35 acres. Aasness Property Based on information provided by Richard Aasness via email on April 28, 2014. In the mid 1800's it became part of the Minnesota Territories. In 1956 Orville & Dorothy Aasness purchased the home (est. built 1902) and land. Richard, son of Orville and Dorothy and his wife Donna inherited the property in 2001. Since Richard and Donna have lived on the land there have been trails established throughout the property and for a brief period of time they were used for sled dog training. Richard has also enjoyed hunting and clearing away dead wood periodically throughout the years. The City closed on the property on January 10, 2014. Emmerich Property Based on a discussion with Larry Emmerich onSeptember 28, 2010 Recorded by Gretchen Sabel and Jody Keppers Larry Emmerich purchased this 80 acre parcel in 1991. At that time, the parcel was farmed with the majority of the land in corn. The existing home was toward the west end of the parcel, this was subsequently removed. Mr. Emmerich built his home on the property in 1993 and raised his family here. He planted many trees on the property since that time. Just south of Mr. Emmerich's driveway he planted aline of balsams. Some have grown considerably while others remain quite small. South of the balsams are hybrid poplars. The woods surrounding the pond include oak trees that were there when the land was farmed; these now are dying or dead from oak wilt. The silver maples and river birch were planted in 1994. One interesting feature of the White Pine Wilderness plantings is the apple trees on the upland west of the wetland. Mr. Emmerich planted these trees in 1993; deer predation has taken its toll and he's replanted several of the trees since that time. Beginning at the 1 DRAFTNorth Woods Preserve Management Plan north end of this line of trees and working to the south end; trees 1 -7 are Haralsons, trees 8- 12 are Macintosh and trees 13 -14 are State Fair. Mr. Emmerich fertilizes the apple trees every year in March with fertilizer spikes to boost yields. The sandy soil of Andover isn't rich enough for apple trees to thrive without this help. At the north end of the apple tree line are some crabapple trees, the native kind with maroon blossoms. Along the east edge of apple trees 11 -12, about half way down the slope to the wetland, Mr. Emmerich planted wild plums. He also planted silver maple and tamarack along the wetland. Deer are a significant factor on this property. When Mr. Emmerich first acquired the property, there was a herd of about 25 living on his 80 acres. He tried to keep them away from his young trees with fences, blood trails, dog kennels -with little effect. But the disappearance of red oaks has also been hard on the deer. Acorns from the oaks have been a prime source of food to fatten themselves for winter survival. West of the row of apple trees there is a planting of pines -Mr. Emmerich put in a planting of Scotch pines in 1995. However, he removed many of them after learning that they were not native to Anoka County and were susceptible to mold. He also planted white pines in this area in 1995 and white spruce in 2000, and red pines in 1995. In 1997 he put in blue spruce in this area. He observed that the blue spruce are now planted too close to one another and suggested that the city could raise money for maintenance of the property by thinning the trees and selling them. After some trees are removed, the remaining trees will be fuller, prettier, and more effective windbreaks. Mr. Emmerich also had some recommendations for the open area toward the north of the site. If left as it is, he said, it will be full of 6 -foot high poplar trees in three years. He suggested some alternate species such as white pine, white spruce, tamarack, or white cedar. River birch or jack pine would be other options. He said that red squirrels love the seeds produced by jack pines. The borrow area on the north end of the Open Space property is now growing up with poplars. Something will need to be done with this; one idea would be to plant trees that do well in wetter soils. F1 �. swwliaw i J u1 t Atrial{ otography Is composite of 2oo6 $ soo9 Photos •Not to scale 16 AM MOVEx North Woods Preserve Management Plan Land Cover Types Alder swamp Area of Interest Altered /non- native deciduous woodland F-7-1 Parcels Aspen forest ` Aspen forest - saturated soils Eastern red cedar (woodland) with 26 -50% impervious cover Grassland with sparse conifer or mixed deciduous /coniferous trees - altered /non - native dominated Grassland with sparse deciduous trees - altered /non- native dominated vegetation Hayfield = - Oak (forest or woodland) with 11-25% impervious cover Oak forest Oak forest dry subtype Oak savanna with 11 -25% impervious cover Oak wood land-brushland Planted mixed coniferous /deciduous trees with 26 -50% impervious cover Saturated deciduous shrubland . Seasonally flooded altered /non - native dominated emergent vegetation Short grasses and mixed trees with 11 -25% impervious cover Upland soils with planted or maintained grasses and sparse tree cover Upland soils with planted, maintained or cultivated mixed coniferous /deciduous trees illy,flooded altered -: ,. Oak forest J iated emergent vegetation- i Upland soils with planted, maintained, or cultivated coniferous trees NWE DRAFT North Woods Preserve Management Tasks Summary Task Description Time Frame Approximate cost Site Access/Trails a. Maintain trail through site On -going $250 Signage a. Maintain signage and add signs as needed On -going $500 Manage invasive species a. Clear buckthorn, prickly ash, and honeysuckle from wooded areas Fall 2011 $2,000 Manage Native Species a. Manage wetland on north side of property On -going $5,000 b. Manage wooded areas On -going $5,000 c. Establish prairie on open upland areas On -going $5,000 d. Manage adjacent wetlands On -going $2,500 North Woods Preserve Management Plan Site Recommendations Description DRAFT Access The primary or main access to the site is a parking lot located off of Hanson Boulevard NW (Address: 16347 Hanson Boulevard NW). This minimum maintenance parking area was constructed in 2014 at an estimated cost of $15,000 and provides up to 14 parking spaces for the property. The lot was constructed using in house labor (City Public Works staff) as well as material items in stock resulting in an actual out of pocket cost of $2,500 which was the cost of the Class V. The apron paving in the right of way of Hanson Boulevard NW (CSAH 78) was donated by a contractor working on a nearby Anoka County Highway project for the use of the lot for the temporary storage of a construction trailer. Access to the site is also provided from a temporary trail easement at the end of 161 st Lane NW. This access point connects with a natural trail that loops through the site. At the time the southern phase of the White Pine Wilderness development occurs (projected to occur in 2015), a permanent access point will be established and the temporary trail access from 161" Lane NW will be removed. Also, when the northern most phase of the White Pine Wilderness development occurs an access point will also be gained at the end of a permanent cul -de -sac along a permanent watermain easement. The trails in the White Pine Wilderness development will provide access opportunities for the residents that live in the adjoining neighborhoods but are not intended to serve as access points whereby visitors would park their vehicle on the adjacent city streets to access North Woods Preserve. Trails The established natural trails consist of mowed paths from the parking area and main access points indicated on the attached location map. Some small trees and brush were removed in the wooded area to allow a mower to navigate through this area of the site. The heavily shaded portions of the wooded areas may require wood chips if a more natural groundcover cannot be successfully maintained. There may also be the need to place wood chips in some of the trail areas in the low lands to provide access during unusually high water levels. A network of passive trails was also installed in 2014 linking the Aasness property to the property purchased from the Emmerich Family that was originally given the name of "North Woods Preserve ". Signage Entrance signs, an informational kiosk, and boundary signage have been installed. The N. DRAFTNorth Woods Preserve Management Plan entrance signs have been installed at each of the public access points summarizing the regulations for open space properties established by City Code 8 -4. The kiosk was installed by an Eagle Scout near the main parking lot off of Hanson Boulevard NW. This three sided kiosk is utilized to display a map of the open space property as well as other related information and points of interest. Boundary signage was installed along the perimeter of the property at locations visible to visitors. Trimming of vegetation around the signs will be necessary to ensure that they remain visible. The signs will be evaluated periodically to ensure they remain in good condition as well as to determine if the use of the site requires additional signage. Management of Invasive Species A small amount of invasive species were identified during site visits to the property. The highest priority is removal of the few areas of buckthorn, prickly ash and honeysuckle from wooded areas. It is anticipated that in house staff and volunteers could complete this task. Management of Native Species The highest priority is to maintain the high quality man made wetland located in the central area of the site. Periodic mowing, herbicide applications, and general maintenance will ensure that the quality and the integrity of this wetland is maintained. A second priority is to manage the wooded areas of the site. Management techniques will include ongoing monitoring and removal of invasive species and oak wilt as well as occasional removal of dead branches, particularly on the smaller fruit trees. The planted coniferous areas will also need to be managed for their health, which may include selective removal to improve their overall health. A third priority is to establish a prairie area in the open area identified on the attached site map. The prairie establishment in addition to a mix of prairie grasses and flowers should also include and incorporate seed mixes and plantings for pollinators. Management activities that should be considered for the prairie include prescribed burning, mowing, weeding and spot spraying. These all fall under a category of management termed Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Over seeding the site with a pre - determined mix of native grasses and flowers would also greatly benefit the site. Prairie restoration is a long -term commitment. In order to get the prairie to be fully functional 7 DRAFTNorth Woods Preserve Management Plan and self sustaining, it could be a 5 to 7 year process. Once it's started, it's very important to continue, as stopping efforts could cause a major setback and end up being more costly in the long run. A full- fledged effort for this site could cost between $7,000 to $15,000. A low - budget, short-term management plan for the prairie that should be strongly considered is a prescribed burn. This management technique could be done inexpensively, but still give the prairie a significant boost. A prescribed burn would most likely be contracted out. It would remove the unwanted vegetation and give the natives (warm season grasses) an advantage. 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