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4.3.7 High-Priority Areas for Wettand Preservation, Enhancement, & <br /> Restoration . <br /> Minnesota Rules 8420.0350, Subp. 2 states that water management plans prepared by water <br /> management organizations in the metropolitan areas under Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.231 <br /> must identify those areas that qualify as high priority areas for wetland preservation, enhancement, <br /> restoration, and establishment. These priority ar.eas shall be included in the next scheduled.water <br /> management plan update. Plans should give strong consideration to identifying as high priority areas, <br /> minor watersheds having less than 50 percent of their original wetland acreages, and intact wetlands, <br /> diminished wetlands, and the areas once occupied by wetlands that have been diminished or <br /> eliminated and could feasibly be restored taking into account the present hydrology and use of the <br /> area. Plans should give strong consideration to identifying as high priority areas all type 1 or 2 <br /> wetlands, and other wetlands at risk of being lost by permanent conversion to other uses. When <br /> individual wetlands are identified as high priority for preservation and restoration,the high priority <br /> area shall include the wetland and an adjacent buffer strip not less than 16.5 feet wide around the <br /> perimeter of the wetland and may include up to four acres of upland for each wetland acre. <br /> Plans may identify additional high priority areas where preservation, enhancement,restoration, and <br /> establishment of wetlands would have high public value by providing benefits for water quality, <br /> flood water retention,public recreation, commercial use, and other public uses. High priority areas <br /> should be delineated by minor or major watershed. (MN Rules 8420.0350, Subp. 2). • <br /> The entire District lies within counties which are designated to have lost more than 50�percent of the <br /> � original wetland areas. The eastern half of the District could be considered fully developed so <br /> wetland restoration opportunities are limited. However much of the outlying areas within the eastern <br /> half of the District remain in land uses of low-density development�and agriculture. Within those <br /> areas, wetland restoration opportunities were identified and rated during the field assessments. A <br /> total of 464 potential wetland restoration sites were identified within the District. The ratings for <br /> each wetland are included in the Wetland Functional Assessment Summary tables presented for each <br /> city in Section 5.0. The wetlands are categorized by Wetland ID within each ciTy. A total of 63 <br /> wetlands within the District are Type 1 or Type 2 wetlands with Vegetative Diversity/Integrity <br /> ratings of high or exceptional. These wetlands could be considered for high priority status based on <br /> the criteria established in MN Rules 8420.0350, Subp. 2 (Table 4.5). <br /> \\fred\wp�23�27�D06Vteports�Fina1 Report\Wetland mgmt�lan dft011503.doc 4-23 <br />