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Big Island Nature Park Management Plan November 2011 ____________________________________________________________________________ 9 Mission, Vision & Goal Statements Mission The mission of Orono‘s Big Island Nature Park is to provide safe and enjoyable passive recreational and educational opportunities for visitors while preserving the natural, cultural and physical resources of the site. Vision Big Island Nature Park on Lake Minnetonka is a serene natural refuge on an island surrounded by an intensely used recreational lake. Accessible only by water, it is characterized by open and wooded hills, wetland areas, and steep bluffs. Historically, a succession of diverse recreational uses has been accommodated on the property, and the remnants of those uses add to the character and mystique of the site. Through mutual collaboration between the City of Orono and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, Big Island Nature Park will be preserved, maintained and improved as a passive recreational, ecological and educational asset to the Lake Minnetonka community and its visitors. Overall Goal for Big Island Nature Park Achieve an appropriate and responsible balance between the recreational use, protection and interpretation of the biological, physical and cultural resources of the park. Park Planning Process Initial Planning. In February 2006 a Big Island Park Committee was appointed by the Orono City Council to assist in formulating an action plan for making the property available for public enjoyment. The Committee included three members of the City Council; a City Park Commission member; a former mayor; and a number of City staff. In initial discussions, the committee identified immediate items of concern, including: - removal of hazardous buildings; - refurbishment of remaining buildings (including two picnic pavilions, a toilet building, the entrance office building, and block storage buildings) to make them functional and vandal- proof; - assessment of ADA accessibility for these buildings as well as for docks, bathrooms, walkways, etc. - completion of site work needed to protect the natural resources, enhance aesthetics, and ensure public safety, including grading of pathways, shoreline erosion control, general debris removal, tree trimming, repair or replacement of fencing, etc.; - establishment of utility systems functionality, including the well and water system, protection of existing septic systems, locating and confirming the viability of buried and overhead lines such as electric service and telephone; and - coordination of public safety services.