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Mississippi Blufflands State Trail Master Plan

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Mississippi Blufflands State Trail Master Plan This document is made available electronically by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library as part of an ongoing digital archiving project. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/lrl.asp Mississippi Blufflands State Trail Master Plan Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Trails September 2016 Mississippi Blufflands State Trail Master Plan The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Parks and Trails Division would like to thank all who participated in this master planning process. Individuals and groups in local communities have been working for years to support this trail. Many DNR staff, city, county and state officials, trail committee members, and local citizens contributed their time and energy to the planning process. Project Team: • Craig Blommer, area supervisor • Andrew Grinstead, planning specialist, Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa • Kevin Hemmingsen, regional trails specialist • Caleb Jensen, manager, Frontenac State Park • Darin Newman, planner Copyright 2016 State of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources For more information on this management plan, please contact the DNR Parks and Trails Division at (651) 259-5600. This information can be made available in alternative formats such as large print, braille or audio tape by emailing [email protected] or by calling 651-259-5016. The Minnesota DNR prohibits discrimination in its programs and services based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, public assistance status, age, sexual orientation or disability. Persons with disabilities may request reasonable modifications to access or participate in DNR programs and services by contacting the DNR ADA Title II Coordinator at [email protected] or 651- 259-5488. Discrimination inquiries should be sent to Minnesota DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4049; or Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C. Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20240. Mississippi Blufflands State Trail Master Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................ i 1. Planning Process, Context and Goals ........................................................................................................ 1 Planning Process ................................................................................................................................... 1 Statewide Context ................................................................................................................................. 2 Regional Context ................................................................................................................................... 6 Guiding Principles for Sustainable Trails ............................................................................................... 7 Vision and Goals .................................................................................................................................... 8 2. Recommended Trail Uses ......................................................................................................................... 9 3. Trail Routes ............................................................................................................................................. 12 Segment 1: Red Wing to Wacouta ...................................................................................................... 15 Segment 2: Wacouta to Frontenac ..................................................................................................... 16 Segment 3: Frontenac to Lake City ..................................................................................................... 19 4. Community and Recreational Connections ............................................................................................ 21 Segment 1: Red Wing to Wacouta ...................................................................................................... 21 Segment 2: Wacouta to Frontenac ..................................................................................................... 25 Segment 3: Frontenac to Lake City ..................................................................................................... 30 5. Trail Management ................................................................................................................................... 32 Projected Trail Use .............................................................................................................................. 32 Trail Maintenance ............................................................................................................................... 33 Information and Education ................................................................................................................. 34 Enforcement ....................................................................................................................................... 37 6. Trail Corridor Resources .......................................................................................................................... 38 Ecological Classification System .......................................................................................................... 38 Blufflands Ecological Subsection ......................................................................................................... 38 Climate Change ................................................................................................................................... 40 Vegetation ........................................................................................................................................... 41 Water Resources, Recreation and Fisheries ....................................................................................... 47 Wildlife and Habitat ............................................................................................................................ 51 Historical and Cultural Resources ....................................................................................................... 53 Mississippi Blufflands State Trail Master Plan 7. Implementation: What Happens after the Master Plan is Finished? ..................................................... 56 References .................................................................................................................................................. 60 Appendix A: Legislative Authorization and Outdoor Recreation Act .......................................................... 62 Appendix B: Summary of Public Participation ............................................................................................ 65 Appendix C: Special Concern, Threatened or Endangered Species, and Natural Features ........................ 69 FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1: Trail Planning Process .................................................................................................................... 3 Figure 2: Authorized and Developed State Trails ......................................................................................... 4 Figure 3: Regional Context ............................................................................................................................ 5 Figure 4: State Trail Search Corridor ........................................................................................................... 13 Figure 5: Segment 1, Red Wing to Wacouta ............................................................................................... 14 Figure 6: Segment 2, Wacouta to Frontenac .............................................................................................. 18 Figure 7: Segment 3, Frontenac to Lake City .............................................................................................. 20 Figure 8: Frontenac State Park .................................................................................................................... 27 Figure 9: Wildlife Management Areas ........................................................................................................ 29 Table 1: Visits to Area Recreational Facilities ............................................................................................. 32 Table 2: Estimated and Projected County Population ................................................................................ 33 Figure 10: Ecological Subsections ............................................................................................................... 39 Figure 11: Presettlement Vegetation .......................................................................................................... 45 Figure 12: Native Plant Communities ......................................................................................................... 46 Table 3: Vulnerability Factors for Species in Greatest Conservation Need ................................................ 52 Table 4: National Register of Historic Places .............................................................................................. 55 Table 5: Summary of Public Review ............................................................................................................ 66 Mississippi Blufflands State Trail Master Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Mississippi Blufflands State Trail was authorized in 2015 to extend from the Cannon Valley Regional
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