THE DECIDUOUS TRANSITION CONSERVATION REGION 50 Year Vision

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1 THE DECIDUOUS TRANSITION CONSERVATION REGION 50 Year Vision Nerstrand Big Woods has an important role to play in the state park system: that of a botanic reserve where the ecology of the Big Woods can be studied better than elsewhere because the area is larger than in other parks where bits of the hardwood forest have been preserved. ROY W. MEYER EVERYONE S COUNTRY ESTATE: A HISTORY OF THE MINNESOTA STATE PARK SYSTEM 49

2 One of the most common trees in Minnesota, the bur oak is also a signature tree of this region. It usually grows singly in open stands and in fields. The bur oak is the major tree of oak savannas, which once extended across much of this region s landscape. Less than one percent of the original oak savanna habitat remains. The Big Woods was at the western edge of the great deciduous forest that swept over the middle United States from the Atlantic coast to the Great Plains. In Minnesota the deciduous belt ran from the northwest to the southeast, thickening in the middle to form the Big Woods. There, elm, basswood, sugar maple, and red oak covered more than 3,000 square miles, rising high in the air to form a vast canopy that nearly obliterated the sun during the leafy summer months. Fire played a large part in determining the boundaries of the Big Woods. Prairie fires, started by lightning or by Indians for hunting purposes, kept the broadleaf trees from invading the grasslands. At the same time, natural firebreaks - lakes, rivers, and rough terrain - prevented these fires from spreading into the forest itself. Fertile soil lay beneath the Big Woods, and, inevitably, much of the land was cleared for farming during the last half of the nineteenth century. Only a few remnants of the great forest remain today. MINNESOTA HISTORICAL MARKER 50

3 The Deciduous Transition Region offers an appealing mix of remnant forests, prairies, savannas, and wetlands set in an agricultural landscape. The headwaters of many of southeast Minnesota s coldwater trout streams are located here. This rural farm countryside offers wideopen spaces broken by river valleys and bluffs where woodlands still are common. The pastoral nature of the region is balanced by a close proximity to urban amenities of the rapidly growing southern Twin Cities and Rochester. The overall result is a landscape of small towns where it is still possible to make a living off the land and regional growth centers that offer rapidly expanding economic opportunities. The water quality of this region is uniquely threatened by agricultural runoff and sprawling urban low-density development. Coordinating water cleanup plans with high-growth pressures will form the foundation of future conservation efforts. Concurrently, important natural communities of oak savannah and remnant prairies must continue to serve as critical wildlife habitats. 50 Year Conservation Vision This region includes the area known as Minnesota s Big Woods, a temperate hardwood forest that once covered thousands of square miles. Common trees are American elm, basswood, sugar maple, and red oak with an understory of ironwood, green ash, and aspen. Development pressures from the Twin Cities and Rochester as well as a long agricultural history have destroyed much of the original forest cover and created water quality problems. The focus of conservation in this region is to restore natural vegetation cover on 15% of the region s landscape, including a forest cover increase of 3%. Both water quality and native forest species will benefit. 51

4 The Setting Rapid population growth and urbanization characterizes this region. All counties will continue to see increases through Particularly rapid growth is expected in Olmsted County, where the population is expected to increase 200 percent from 2000 to 2030, and in surrounding areas where bedroom communities spring up. The same phenomenon is occurring, although to a lesser extent, around Austin, Owatonna, Faribault, and Northfield. The Rochester area alone added more than 20,000 new residents between 1990 and 2000, and is expected to add another 60,000 by Growth in the Rochester area is largely the result of Mayo Clinic, IBM, and supporting businesses. Agriculture largely drives the overall economy of the region. According to the 2002 Census of Agriculture, 10,800 farms in the nine core counties totaled 2,947,000 acres. The cropland constitutes about 11 percent of the total cropland in Minnesota. Total gross sales for 2002 amounted to $1,173,719,000. In contrast to northern Minnesota, forest products accounted for very little of the region s total economy. Wildlife Habitat This region contains parts of three ecological subsections, all originally characterized by deciduous forest interlaced with extensive prairie and oak savanna. The three subsections are Minnesota s original Big Woods, which extended through much of the present-day Metro area from Wright to Rice counties; the Oak Savanna subsection in the south central part of the state; and the Rochester Plateau. The Big Woods subsection in this region includes parts of Le Sueur, Rice, Waseca, and Blue Earth Counties. Seventeenth century French explorers encountered vast stretches of basswood, maple, oak, and elm forests in the lands between present-day St. Cloud and Mankato. French explorers traveling through Minnesota in the 1700s designated it the bois fort or bois grand, which English-speaking inhabitants later translated as big woods. The Big Woods included a large number of lakes. These lakes, as well as topographical differences, prevented the fire disturbance typical of the prairie to the west, resulting in the establishment of the dense forest. The wild turkey, a frequent sight in this region today, had disappeared from the state by 1900 due to habitat changes and other factors. The population was restored beginning in the 1960 s when adult wild turkeys were trapped from Missouri and Arkansas and transplanted into Minnesota. In exchange, the other states were given Minnesota ruffed grouse and black bear for their attempts at wildlife restoration. Successfully reestablished, the state s wild turkey population now tops 30,000. An annual hunting season results in a statewide harvest of about 5,000 turkeys. 52

5 Extending south from the Big Woods is the Oak Savanna subsection, where fires from the surrounding prairies to the south, west, and east were periodically intense enough to maintain oak openings rather than forest. Farther east is the Rochester Plateau, a gently rolling plateau that contains few lakes but is the headwaters of the Root, Whitewater, Zumbro, and Cannon Rivers. Tallgrass prairie and bur oak savanna were major vegetation communities on the Plateau. Oak savannas are one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Only small examples of prairie and oak savannas (less than 1 percent) still exist in the region and none are large enough to maintain their original ecological function. Many of the natural resources in the region have persisted due to conservation efforts on privately owned lands. Many conservation practices such as buffering streams, strip farming and no-till were adopted early in this region and some of their best examples are found here. Although fairly small and widely separated, high quality examples of the region s natural heritage still exist. Among the most notable are Scientific and Natural Areas such as Cannon River Trout Lily, Kasota Prairie, Iron Horse, Wild Indigo, Shooting Star, Oronoco Prairie, Racine Prairie, and Cherry Grove Blind Valley. All of these areas have natural communities of high biodiversity significance. They offer vestiges of undisturbed natural Minnesota and contain native plants that are adapted to the local environment. They can serve as sources of local ecotypes for natural community restoration in surrounding areas. Sakatah Lake, Myre-Big Island, Rice Lake and Nerstrand Woods, Carley, and Forestville Mystery Cave are state parks that also have important native plant communities. Some lands within the statutory boundaries of Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest capture important biological diversity as well. 53

6 The vast majority of land in the region is privately owned. The state is the largest public landowner with 37,339 acres, while the federal government owns 1,279 acres and local governments own a total of 2,070 acres. This relatively low level of public land ownership (1.1 percent) puts high demands on lands that are open to the public. The region s farmers have set aside nearly 14,000 acres as habitat through Minnesota s Re-Invest in Minnesota program. Patterns of private landownership are changing within the region. Large areas of agricultural and undeveloped land are being subdivided for rural residential development and other uses. Countering this fragmentation is a trend toward increased size in the remaining commercial agricultural operations. Due to the rural nature of much of this region, hunting remains a popular pastime and cultural tradition. Among the chief game species are deer, pheasant, turkey, waterfowl, and other small game. Furbearers are another source of recreational opportunities and income for the region s trappers. Fishing focuses on brown and brook trout in cold-water streams and warm water species in the rest of the region. Small and large mouth bass, sunfish, crappie, catfish, and walleye are popular targets for anglers. A variety of forest, wetlands and grasslands provide habitat to a wide range of wildlife species. There are 94 Species in Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) recorded from the Rochester Plateau ecological subsection, 93 species from the Oak Savanna subsection, and 121 species from the Big Woods subsection. During spring migration, this region draws bird watchers from around the state and surrounding areas. The Big Woods and riparian areas across the region attract large numbers of warblers and other song birds as they move northward. Most of the songbirds are in their brightest breeding plumage and more visible than when the trees have fully leafed out later in the year. Although fall migration is not as much of a draw, committed birders find the more challenging fall plumages rewarding as well. Most of the hunting opportunities in the Deciduous Forest Region occur with permission on private land. According to the WMA Citizens Report, less than 3 percent of the land in this zone is open for public hunting, although the region includes 104 Wildlife Management Areas consisting of 19,324 acres. Existing hunting lands suffer from overcrowding. Additional wildlife habitat has been protected through 451 permanent RIM reserve easements covering 13,641 acres, but many of these easements do not offer public access. The WMA Citizens report calls for the acquisition of an estimated 15,053 acres of inholdings within existing WMAs and adding an estimated additional 19,208 acres of new WMAs. The newly created WMAs should be focused on increasing grassland habitat for pheasant and creating larger core forest blocks (1,700 acres and larger) needed for sustainable breeding populations of forestdependent species such as cerulean warbler, wood thrush, and red-headed woodpecker. The Minnesota Pheasant Plan calls for the protection or restoration of 254,592 acres of additional pheasant habitat in this region to meet the statewide goal of 1.56 million additional acres. An increase of this magnitude would increase the statewide pheasant harvest by 750,000 roosters. Recent statewide harvests have been about 361,000 roosters. The Minnesota Duck Plan did not cover the entire Deciduous Transition region and as a result it is difficult to estimate the total number of acres needed to reach a statewide total duck population of 2 million. Based on available figures, an estimate of about 100,000 acres for this region is probably close. 54

7 Most of this region is part of what is known as the Driftless Area. It is a part of Minnesota that was not heavily impacted by the last glacial advance ending about 14,000 years ago. As a result, much of the landscape is dissected with streams and there are few deep-water lakes. Most of the fishing opportunities occur in reservoirs and ponds, shallow lakes or within streams and rivers. There are miles of designated trout streams in the region. Maintained river and stream accesses are somewhat limited with only 21 in the region, although unofficial access is sometimes available at road crossings. Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCNs) will have healthy and sustainable population levels. Habitat protection and restoration work should focus on key habitats of: Upland Forest (Hardwood, Aspen, and Oak) and Brush Prairies, Prairies, Grasslands and Wetlands. Some of the region s distinctive species that will benefit include: Red-headed woodpecker Sandy stream tiger beetle Eastern racer Loggerhead shrike Eastern fox snake Protect and establish wildlife corridors and connect existing conservation areas where possible. Coordinate the habitat plans listed below to ensure maximum gains for habitat that benefits Species of Greatest Conservation Need. 254,592 acres of grassland will be protected or restored as called for in the Pheasant Plan. Strategy: Diversify agriculture with perennial crops and mixed row crop/livestock operations. 100,000 acres of wetland and nesting habitat will be protected or restored as called for in the Duck Plan. Native game populations such as sharp-tailed grouse, prairie chicken, bobwhite quail, and jackrabbits will be sufficient to support hunting and trapping. An additional 15,000 acres of Wildlife Management Area (WMA) inholdings and 19,200 acres of new WMAs will be acquired focusing on habitat that benefits pheasants, deer, waterfowl and wild turkey. Native plant communities will cover 15 percent of the landscape, including an increase in forest cover by 3 percent. 55

8 Remaining high priority natural areas such as prairie and oak savannah will be protected. Identify and target critical areas that need to be protected and/or restored. Note: the County Biological Survey is only 58 percent completed in this region. Increase focus on areas buffering existing protected areas. Focus priorities on already inventoried sites such as: 54,353 acres with biodiversity significance identified by the County Biological Survey; 52,690 acres by the Nature Conservancy within terrestrial portfolio sites; 4,702 acres of Important Bird Areas identified by the Audubon Society. Existing natural areas will not be degraded or compromised. Concentrate residential and commercial development in community centers and near existing infrastructure. Provide assistance to local governments for land use planning. Restore fire as an ecological process on forty percent of the remaining fire-dependent natural communities. Reduce the spread and dominance of non-native invasive species such as zebra mussels, purple loosestrife, buckthorn, spotted knapweed, garlic mustard, curly leaf pondweed, and others. A minimum of five percent of the region s lost wetlands will be restored. Target restoration such that forty percent or more of the surface water runoff is intercepted. Focus on protecting fens near Hayfield and wetlands along the Upper Iowa River. Lakes and Rivers The Deciduous Forest Conservation region contains the headwaters of the Cannon, Zumbro, Whitewater, Root, and Cedar Rivers. Over 9,100 miles of streams and rivers run through the region. About 14 percent of those miles have been straightened for drainage. Included in the total are miles of dedicated trout streams, although the bulk of the streams, rivers, and lakes are classified as warm-water habitat. Within the region are 69 lakes over 150 acres and many more small lakes and wetlands. Many aquatic features are threatened by the rapid growth of the region. Lakeshore and riparian areas are particularly popular locations for the rural residential development. The quality of water found in streams and rivers varies across the region. In agricultural areas, many rivers and streams are impaired by sedimentation from soil and stream-channel erosion and eutrophication from high nutrient pollution loads (phosphorous and nitrogen). Most rural streams also suffer high fecal coliform levels from livestock manure and septic and sewerage systems. In urban areas, increased runoff due to impervious surfaces and loss of undeveloped lakeshore has also impacted surface water quality. In total, 96 different stream and river segments have been labeled as impaired by the 56

9 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. 32 lakes covering have also received the impaired designation. The numbers of impaired waters will undoubtedly grow, however, as more waters are tested in the region. Another pollutant problem that can affect both rural and urban areas is mercury contamination. The headwaters of the Cannon River from Faribault to Lake Byllesby and the Cedar River through Mower County to Hayfield in Dodge County are impaired because of high mercury levels. Most of the wetlands that existed in this region prior to European pre-settlement times have been lost to agricultural activities. In the southern part of the region, the loss has been the highest. According to a 1984 study by Anderson and Craig, less than six percent of the original wetlands still remain in Freeborn, Mower, Fillmore, Olmsted, Dodge, Steele, and Goodhue counties. Le Sueur County has lost up to 90 percent of its wetlands while Rice County has retained slightly more. Only about three percent of the total area is currently classified as wetlands. Agricultural run-off is a major problem not only for surface waters but also for groundwater. An aggravating factor to groundwater quality in this region is geologic features that make the southern part particularly sensitive to water pollution. Limestone in this area has been riddled by infiltrating acidic rainwater, forming rapid pathways (including sinkholes or caves) from pollution release points to drinking water wells. These near-surface karst landforms result in aquifers that are highly vulnerable to contamination from activities on the surface such as run-off, of fertilizer, pesticides, and animal waste. All lakes and rivers will be tested for unhealthy levels of pollutants on a ten-year cycle, beginning with the estimated 85 percent that have yet to be tested. Cleanup plans will be prepared for the region s lakes and rivers that fail to meet water quality standards (96 river segments and 32 lakes to date), including: Rivers Lakes Cannon River Albert Lea Cedar River Cannon Goose Creek Circle Maple Creek Elysian Millican Creek Frances Minnesota River German Shell Rock River Mazaska Straight River Shields Turtle Creek Tetonka Zumbro River Upper Sakatah Cleanup plans will be implemented to restore all impaired lakes and rivers to healthy water quality. Current approved cleanup plans for this region are to clean up 39 fecal coliform impairments in the Lower Mississippi and Cedar River Basins, 21 fecal coliform impairments in the Blue Earth River subbasin and two turbidity impairments in the Lower Cannon River. Upon approval of future cleanup plans, they should be funded and implemented as soon as possible. 57

10 Sediment load will be decreased by fifty percent through the use of best management practices on residential, agricultural and commercial lands. Reduce peak flows in streams that result from excess stormwater runoff. Reduce annual discharge to surface waters by 40 percent.. Enforce regulations regarding septic and other individual sewage treatment systems. Require native buffers along lakes and rivers. Require confined livestock sewage to conform to the same standards as human sewage. Work toward 100 percent compliance with shoreline rules on all rivers and lakes. Aquatic Species of Greatest Conservation Need will have healthy and sustainable population levels. Strategies Aquatic habitat protection and restoration work should focus on key habitats of large rivers, headwater streams, and shallow lakes. Some of the region s distinctive species that will benefit include: Common mudpuppy Gravel Chub Ellipse mussel Largescale stonethrower Smooth softshell turtle Suckermouth minnow Ninety miles of critical, undeveloped lake and river shoreline will be acquired and protected for access and preservation as called for in the Aquatic Management Area Plan. There will be no net loss of riparian habitats. Establish scenic river standards for all rivers in the region and prevent additional development that is viewable from the river. Develop incentives and regulations for enhanced shoreline and stream protection. There will be no increase in groundwater contamination (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorous or pesticides) Develop groundwater flow models and identify sources of potential contamination. Direct population growth away from areas of fragile or limited groundwater supplies. 58

11 Parks and Trails While this region already contains eight state parks, including Nerstrand, Sakatah Lake, Carley, Rice Lake, Whitewater, Myre Big Island, Forestville/Mystery Cave, and Lake Louise, the State Park Land study called for an additional state park. In particular, a park focused on biological representation is needed within the Rochester Plateau ecological subsection, which currently lacks a state park. In addition to a new state park, 4,755 acres of inholdings need to be added to the 7,073 acres currently owned and managed by the Minnesota state parks system. There is also a need in the rapidly growing counties for additional county park recreational opportunities. Oxbow and Chester Woods Parks in Olmsted County, totaling 1,950 acres, are good examples of county parks in a growth area. Only 74.6 miles of miles of legislatively authorized trails have actually been developed. The Douglas trail is an excellent example of the type of trails that are needed to meet the region s growing recreational demand. Another popular form of recreation is canoeing and boating. Within the region are 321 miles of designated canoe routes focused on the Cannon, Zumbro, Root, Minnesota, and Straight Rivers. One new state park will be created in the high biodiversity area of the Rochester Plateau section. Ideally, this will be located in the high growth area north of Rochester. 4,775 acres of state park inholdings will be acquired miles of legislatively authorized trails that have not yet been completed will be developed. Additional trail needs will be identified to create a connected parks and trails system. A new trail from Whitewater State Park to Rochester will be established. 59