Minnesota Army National Guard Camp Ripley Training Center and Arden Hills Army Training Site
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MINNESOTA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD CAMP RIPLEY TRAINING CENTER AND ARDEN HILLS ARMY TRAINING SITE 2014 CONSERVATION PROGRAM REPORT Cover Photography: Radio-transmittered, female northern long-eared myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), Camp Ripley Training Center, 2014. Photography by Chris Smith, MNDNR Nongame Region 3. Minnesota Army National Guard Camp Ripley Training Center and Arden Hills Army Training Site 2014 Conservation Program Report January 1 – December 31, 2014 Division of Ecological and Water Resources Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the Minnesota Army National Guard Compiled by Nancy J. Dietz, Animal Survey Assistant Brian J. Dirks, Animal Survey Coordinator MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES CAMP RIPLEY SERIES REPORT NO. 24 ©2015, State of Minnesota Contact Information: MNDNR Information Center 500 Lafayette Road St. Paul, MN 55155-4040 (651) 296-6157 1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367) Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (651) 296-5484 1-800-657-3929 www.dnr.state.mn.us This report should be cited as follows: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Army National Guard. 2015. Minnesota Army National Guard, Camp Ripley Training Center and Arden Hills Army Training Site, 2014 Conservation Program Report, January 1-December 31, 2014. Compiled by Nancy J. Dietz and Brian J. Dirks, Camp Ripley Series Report No. 24, Little Falls, MN, USA. 208 pp. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................................... I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ IV INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 1 RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................................................................ 1 PARTNERSHIPS .................................................................................................................................................. 1 CLIMATE CHANGE ............................................................................................................................................ 2 PROGRAM AREAS .............................................................................................................................................. 4 CAMP RIPLEY TRAINING CENTER .......................................................................................................... 4 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................................... 6 Program Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Field Survey ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Partnerships .................................................................................................................................................. 7 Archaeology Day .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Submittals ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 Geographic Information System and Data Management .............................................................................. 9 Native American Tribal Consultations ....................................................................................................... 10 Natural Resources .......................................................................................................................... 10 Forestry ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 Forest Inventory .................................................................................................................................... 10 Forest Inventory and Analysis – Northern Research Station ................................................................. 11 Reforestation ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Timber Sales .......................................................................................................................................... 11 Fuel Wood Permits ................................................................................................................................ 17 Insects and Diseases .............................................................................................................................. 17 Land Fund ............................................................................................................................................. 17 Vegetation Management ............................................................................................................................. 22 Prescribed Fire ....................................................................................................................................... 22 Hazard Reduction ............................................................................................................................. 22 Training Enhancement ...................................................................................................................... 24 Invasive Species .................................................................................................................................... 25 Large Scale Invasive Plant Management .......................................................................................... 27 Selective Invasive Plant Management .............................................................................................. 27 Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) Survey ................................................................................ 29 Water Resources ......................................................................................................................................... 29 Wetland Resources ................................................................................................................................ 29 Wetland Mitigation ........................................................................................................................... 29 Miller Lake ....................................................................................................................................... 29 Wildlife ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 Species in Greatest Conservation Need ................................................................................................. 30 Birds ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 Christmas Bird Count ....................................................................................................................... 30 Breeding Bird Monitoring ................................................................................................................ 32 Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) .............................................................................................. 35 Osprey (Pandion haleaetus) ............................................................................................................. 35 Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) ............................................................................................ 35 Population Survey ........................................................................................................................ 35 Telemetry Study ........................................................................................................................... 38 Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) ............................................................................................ 40 Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) .......................................................................................................... 42 Owl Surveys ..................................................................................................................................... 42 Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) Nest Boxes ...................................................................................... 45 Page i 2014 Conservation Program Report Mammals ............................................................................................................................................... 47 Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)................................................................................................................... 47 Federal Court Decision ................................................................................................................ 47 Wolf Monitoring Background ...................................................................................................... 47 Radio-collared Wolves................................................................................................................