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BONESTROO AND ASSOCIATES ©612 6361311 02/18/97 14:55 0 :02/02 N0:887 <br />I <br />Mr. Ronald Moorse, <br />City of Orono <br />Page -2- <br />February 19, 1997 <br />The study docs not indicate the level of heavy commercial vehicles that will be associated with the golf <br />course. The structural integrity of Spring Hill Road and East Long Lake Road are suspect and any <br />increase in traffic will have an adverse effect on the roadway. The increased intensity of use associated <br />with the golf course will likely require complete structural improvements to Spring Hill Road in the near <br />term. The current condition of East Long Lake Road should be included in the study. <br />Big Woods: A significant portion of the site contains good quality Maple-Basswood Forest (Big Woods <br />Subtype). Much of the ecological value of this forest community is derived from the high diversity of <br />plant and animal species associated with it. Many of these species require large, unbroken tracts of forest <br />to n --<1 their specialized habitat needs. Any impact which increases fragmentation (e.g., construction of <br />fairwt yO has the potential to reduce the quality of this forest community by reducing species diversity <br />and er. .uraging introduction of exotic plant species. In addition to Maple-Basswood Forest, this site <br />also contains a number of wetland communitie.s. Transition areas between wetland and forest <br />communities are particularly valuable from an ecological standpoint. This is due to the high diversity of <br />plants and animals which tend to occur along the gradient between wetland and upland areas. For this <br />reason, Maple-Basswood Forest areas adjacent to wetlands are panicularly imponant and should be <br />avoided if possible. Maintaining a buffer around these wetlands has the added benefit of protecting the <br />quality of the wetlands communities. With these concepts in mind we offer the following specific <br />comments: <br />1. Reduce fragmentation of the Maple-Basswood forest to the extent possible. It would be more <br />desirable to preserve 307c or 40^ of the site in one contiguous block and concentrate impacts on the <br />balance of the site rather than routing fairways through the entire site and trying to pre.serve thin .strips of <br />Maple-Basswood Forest in between. <br />2. Avoid routing fairways along the wetland edges. These areas should be protected as wetland buffer <br />areas. <br />3. Do not "weed out" native shrubs and understory trees within remaining Maple-Basswood areas. Doing <br />so will encourage mortality to remaining trees through such factors as wind and increased susceptibility to <br />insects and disease. <br />Please contact me at this office if you have any questions regarding this matter. <br />Yours very truly. <br />BONESTROO, ROSENE, ANDERLIK, & ASSOCIATES, INC. <br />Shawn D. Gustafson, P.E. <br />cc: Mr. Loren Kohnen, City of Medina