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Guideline S.1: Site and Water Connections

Intent

To create sites that are resilient, healthy, and sustainable, and to ensure connections between the surrounding environment and the site through vegetation selection, provision of animal habitats, and connections to human-made systems.

Required Performance Criteria

Guidelines are required for New Construction and Major Renovation projects that include at least 1,000 square feet of land disturbance, or at least ten cubic yards or more of cut and fill of the site, excluding the land disturbance and cut and fill within or below the building footprint. Exterior scope related only to ADA improvements or utility connections may be excluded from contribution toward these amounts.

  1. Plant network connections: Establish plant selection to reinforce existing plant networks and to support and expand existing conservation, natural, and native species networks.
    1. The greater of either 25% of the project site area (excluding the building footprint), or 70% of the project site area (excluding the building footprint and code-minimum parking) shall be planted using native species listed in the class factsheet for the applicable class.
      1. Native is defined as a plant originating from within a 200-mile radius of the site prior to artificial intervention, which is considered to be 1840 in Minnesota. Cultivars (CVs) of native species may be used if they do not appear on the Minnesota Native Plant Society, the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center’s prioritized list of terrestrial invasive plants, or on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Noxious Weeds List.
      2. Ecological class shall be determined from the province, section, and subsection of the site listed under the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Ecological Classification System (ECS).
      3. The most advantageous plant species prevalent in the listed ecological class of the site shall be determined for use in revegetation.
    2. If the project site is within ten miles of a DNR Scientific and Natural Area (SNA), plant selection shall be used to match, connect, and reinforce the conservation area. If the project site is within 1 mile of a DNR Scientific and Natural Area (SNA), vegetative and plant selections shall be selected to also replicate the natural area’s conditions.
    3. Note: Other vegetation requirements are also listed under S.4: Vegetation.
  2. Animal network connections: Include in the project design-appropriate habitats, including both food and shelter, of relevant species if any of the following criteria are met. Project teams shall reference the relevant resources provided in the “Meeting the Guidelines” section if the project meets one of the following:
    1. If project is within ten miles of major bird migratory flyways, nesting habitat, or stopover feeding areas.
    2. If project site is within ten miles of a Wildlife Management Area. If project site is within ten miles of a National Wildlife Refuge or National Wetland Management District.
    3. If project site is within one mile of an existing or planned animal movement corridor.
    4. If project site is within one mile of the terrestrial habitats of rare, threatened, or endangered reptiles / amphibians of Minnesota.
    5. If project site is within one mile of the habitats of rare, threatened, or endangered insects / arthropods of Minnesota.
    6. If project site is within one mile of known important bird habitats and nesting areas of rare, threatened, or endangered birds of Minnesota.
    7. If project site is adjacent to the aquatic habitat of rare, threatened, or endangered fish of Minnesota.
    8. Note: Other animal habitat requirements are listed under S.5: Light Pollution Reduction. Food shall be of quality and quantity that would be normally found in the area created by natural food-bearing trees, shrubs, and other vegetation.
  3. Human system connections: The project design shall include appropriate connections to any of the relevant systems if any the following criteria are met:
    1. If project is within one mile of an existing or planned bike path, local government officials shall be consulted to assist in the creation of bike connections between site and existing routes.
    2. If project is within one mile of an existing or planned walking path, local governmental officials shall be consulted to assist in the creation of a safe walking connection between site and existing routes.
    3. If project is within one mile of an existing or planned future DNR water trail, local governmental officials shall be consulted to assist in the creation of a connection to existing or future water trails.
    4. If project is within one mile of an existing or planned birding trail, county and governmental officials shall be consulted to assist in the creation of a connection to existing or future planned DNR or MN Audubon birding trails.
    5. If the project is within 0.25 miles of an existing or planned transit stop, local transit officials shall be consulted to assist in the creation of a pedestrian path and waiting shelter at the stop (if none exist).
    6. Note: Systems can be considered “planned” if they are in a community master plan, small area plan, comprehensive plan, or a 5-year capital budget.

Recommended Performance Criteria

  1. Project site plans shall be coordinated with municipal, regional, county, and state planning agencies.
  2. Historical context: Available historical context shall be incorporated into the design of the project site:
    1. Historical land survey or historical maps.
    2. Landview and/or historical photos, including historical aerial photos.
    3. Historical topography, land-use, vegetation, and hydological conditions.

For vegetation-specific requirements, the determination of the Ecological Classification System (ECS) is made by referencing the DNR Ecological Classification System maps: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecs/index.html.

To determine the provinces, sections, and subsections of the site: Access the MN DNR website.

To make vegetative connection determinations for conservation and natural areas: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/map.html.

To determine the plant community of a project site, use the DNR Native Plant Community Classification, located at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/npc/classification.html.

Class fact sheets that include allowable plant selections are located at the following locations:

For determining the location of existing or planned animal corridors, the project site shall be located in reference to the following resources:

At a minimum, the proposed site location shall be checked against the applicable resources relative to major migratory flyways, nesting habitat, and stopover feeding areas:

Animal connections shall be determined by referencing, at a minimum, the following resources:

Human systems connections shall be determined by, at a minimum, referencing the following resources:

Ensure that all new impervious areas included as part of the human systems connections are included in infiltration calculations for Guideline S.2.

Historical resources available for reference include:

Predesign:

  • 1A: Documentation of the province, section, and subsection of the site, any identified conservation or natural areas within the distance specified in the guidelines, and the designated native plant communities of the site.
  • 1B: Documentation of the determination of animal communities within the listed distances.
  • 1C: Identified roads, transit, trails, and walking paths within the listed distances.

Design:

  • 1A: Narrative on the response to native and conservation areas and a list of relevant species selected for the site from the class factsheet.
  • 1B: Site plan that documents planned animal habitat, as required.
  • 1C: Site plan that documents required human network connections.
  • 1E: Site plan demonstrating incorporation of historic site information into design of site.

 

 

Final Design:

  • 1A: List of vegetation selected demonstrating compliance, including the class fact sheet; narrative on the project response to native and conservation areas; list of species selected from the class factsheets for site and area of site planted with listed species.
  • 1B: Final site plan documenting animal habitat as required.
  • 1C: Final site plan documenting required human network connections.
  • 1D: Documentation of coordination with municipal, regional, county, and state planning agencies.
  • 1E: Final site plan demonstrating incorporation of historic site information into design of site.

Ecological System Summaries and Class Fact Sheets – Upland Forests and Woodlands: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/npc/uplandforest.html; Wetland Forests: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/npc/wetforest.html; Upland Grasslands, Shrublands, and Sparse Vegetation: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/npc/uplandgrassland.html; Wetland Grasslands, Shrublands, and Marshes: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/npc/wetlandgrassland.html.

Eco-Regions for Minnesotahttps://gaftp.epa.gov/EPADataCommons/ORD/Ecoregions/mn/mn_map.pdf

Description of Eco-Regions: https://gaftp.epa.gov/EPADataCommons/ORD/Ecoregions/mn/mn_eco_desc.pdf

Ecological Classification System: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecs/index.html.

Floodplain: Elevation Requirements: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/floodplain/rfpe.html.

Flood Plan Maps by County: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/floodplain/access-flood-maps.html

Gridded Soil Survey Geographic (gSSURGO) Database: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/geo/?cid=nrcs142p2_053628.

Minnesota Department of Agriculture Noxious Weeds: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/minnesota-noxious-weed-list, PDF at https://www.mda.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/inline-files/noxiousweeds2018.pdf

Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts, Inc.: http://www.mnwatershed.org/.

Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas Find by Map: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/map.html.

Model My Watershed Technical Documentation: https://wikiwatershed.org/documentation/mmw-tech/#layers-viewable-mapped-data.

Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center Prioritized list of terrestrial invasive plants: http://www.mitppc.umn.edu/.

NOAA Atlas 14-Point Precipitation Frequency Estimates: https://hdsc.nws.noaa.gov/hdsc/pfds/pfds_map_cont.html?bkmrk=mn.

Natural Features of Minnesota: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/compass.html.

Nongame Wildlife – South Region: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame/south.html.

Nongame Wildlife – Northwest Region: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame/nw.html.

Nongame Wildlife – Northeast Region: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame/ne.html.

Nongame Wildlife – Central Region: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame/central.html.

Soil Hydrology of the United States: http://resources.arcgis.com/en/communities/soils/02ms00000008000000.htm.

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