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 CAMP RIPLEY AND ARDEN HILLS MINNESOTA ARMY Monarch NATIONAL GUARD TRAINING SITES CONSERVATION Common tansy PROGRAM REPORT 2008 ANNUAL REPORT Blanding’s turtle Cover Photography: Upper, monarch (Danaus plexippus) courtesy John J. Mosesso, public domain, National Biological Information Infrastructure at < http://images.nbii.gov/insects/nbii_t00455.jpg >, accessed 26 November, 2008; Center, common tansy (Centaurea maculosa), courtesy of Michael Shephard, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org, accessed 26 November, 2008; Lower, Blanding’s turtle (Emys blandingii) courtesy of Jeremy Maslowski, Camp Ripley Intern, June 2008. Camp Ripley and Arden Hills Minnesota Army National Guard Training Sites Conservation Program Report 2008 Annual Report January 1 – December 31, 2008 Brian J. Dirks, Animal Survey Coordinator Nancy J. Dietz, Animal Survey Assistant Division of Ecological Resources Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the Minnesota Army National Guard MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES CAMP RIPLEY SERIES REPORT NO. 18 ©2009, State of Minnesota This report should be cited as follows: Dirks, B. J. and N. J. Dietz. 2009. Camp Ripley and Arden Hills Minnesota Army National Guard Training Sites Conservation Program Report – 2008 Annual Report, January 1-December 31, 2008. Camp Ripley Series Report No. 18, St. Paul, USA. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................... I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. V INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 1 CAMP RIPLEY TRAINING SITE ..................................................................................................................... 1 ARDEN HILLS ARMY TRAINING SITE ........................................................................................................ 3 RESPONSIBILITIES........................................................................................................................................... 3 PARTNERSHIPS ................................................................................................................................................. 4 PROGRAM AREAS ............................................................................................................................................ 4 CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................. 4 NATURAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................ 7 FORESTRY .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Forest Inventory ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Forest Inventory and Analysis – Northern Research Station ...................................................................................... 7 Timber Sales ............................................................................................................................................................. 10 Fuelwood Permits ..................................................................................................................................................... 12 Tree Planting ............................................................................................................................................................ 12 Insects and Disease ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Land Fund ................................................................................................................................................................ 16 VEGETATION MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................................. 16 Prescribed Fire .......................................................................................................................................................... 16 Camp Ripley and Arden Hills Army Training Site Invasive Plants.......................................................................... 18 Chemical Herbicide Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 19 Controlling Common Tansy: Integration of Prescribed Burn and Chemical Herbicide ....................................... 19 Biological Control ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Website ................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Future Plans ......................................................................................................................................................... 25 Arden Hills Army Training Site Natural Resource Damage Assessment ................................................................. 26 WATER RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................. 26 Wetland Permits ....................................................................................................................................................... 26 Water Quality Trend Analysis Program (WQTAP) .................................................................................................. 27 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 27 Monitoring Year Sampling Locations ................................................................................................................. 29 Lakes............................................................................................................................................................... 30 Streams ........................................................................................................................................................... 32 Wetlands ......................................................................................................................................................... 33 Wells (Groundwater) ...................................................................................................................................... 33 Extended Data Interpretation and Conclusions .................................................................................................... 33 WILDLIFE ................................................................................................................................................... 33 Species in Greatest Conservation Need .................................................................................................................... 33 Camp Ripley Birds ................................................................................................................................................... 34 Christmas Bird Count .......................................................................................................................................... 34 Page i 2008 Conservation Program Report Songbirds ............................................................................................................................................................. 35 Totals and Trends ........................................................................................................................................... 35 Eastern Bluebird (Sialis sialis) Nest Box Route .................................................................................................. 40 Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) Nest Box Route........................................................................................................... 41 Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) ............................................................................................................... 43 Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) ....................................................................................................................... 46 Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) .................................................................................................................... 49 Camp Ripley Mammals ............................................................................................................................................ 50 Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) ..................................................................................................................................... 50 Federal Court Decision 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