Sysliene Go walk the sanctuary main trail which is akin to seeing the bird. I bird there regularly since it is in my neighborhood, and for a while I helped Don Bolduc stock the feeders that the Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis has had there for decades. The place they are clearing is marked with orange markers. It is going to take out some of the remaining cottonwoods that survived the tornado that cleared out most of the other big trees. I understand the need for upgrading the sewer line, but they can do it with less of a footprint in a designated bird sanctuary that hosts some amazing birds and is an important migration stop over spot.
> On Feb 5, 2014, at 5:57 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > This is the response to the press release by the Minneapolis Roberts Bird > Sanctuary in Peril folks. > I wouldn't mind seeing the actual maps and plans. As a birder I know it is > one thing to hear a bird described, > much better to actually see the bird. > > Sysliene Turpin > Minneapolis, MN > I > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Re: [Mpls] PRESS RELEASE: Minneapolis Roberts Bird Sanctuary in > Peril > Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2014 16:39:36 -0500 (EST) > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > > > > I have been working on the Roberts Bird Sanctuary Management Plan and > addressing questions and concerns related to that plan so that it can move > forward in the Operations and Environment Committee. This has been a very > extensive process and is almost completed. The sewer work affects that > plan. I > would like to provide the following MPRB press release about that sewer > work to provide the context and additional details about how that work will be > done. > Thanks, > Scott Vreeland > Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board > Commissioner District # 3 > Chair Operations and Environment > (612) 721-7892 > > > MCES Sewer Rehabilitation – response to press release Minneapolis Roberts > Bird Sanctuary in Peril dated 2/3/14 > > The following information addresses some of the concerns expressed in a > recent news release issued by the Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary (FRBS). > In particular, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) would like > to take the opportunity to explain the transparent community engagement > process and the efforts the Park Board has taken to protect the sanctuary and > minimize the impacts of the sewer line project. > > Commissioners and MPRB staff take great pride in consistently providing > sound environmental management for more than 6,700 acres of parkland. Both the > MPRB and the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) have > community notification and engagement processes. Both processes were > effectively > applied to the sewer line project to ensure that concerns expressed by > neighborhood and stakeholder groups, including the FRBS, were addressed and > incorporated into the final construction plans and agreements brought forward > to the MPRB for approval last fall. > > Many public meetings were held to discuss the need for the sewer line > rehabilitation and the steps being implemented to lessen the environmental > impacts to the Sanctuary. On August 13, 2013 a public meeting was held at > Lyndale Farmstead Park to discuss the project implementation and explain how > the > investigative work by an independent arborist and wildlife biologist was > helping shape the final construction plan and schedule of the sewer work in > the Sanctuary. On August 21, 2013, FRBS spoke at the MPRB Board meeting > open time thanking the Board and MPRB staff for including them in the > process. > On September 12, MPRB and MCES staff attended an open house for the > Sanctuary to present the construction plan and the steps being taken to > minimize > the impact to the parkland and Sanctuary. On October 2, 2013 the temporary > and permanent easements were brought before the Board at a regular, > publicly advertised Board meeting, for approval. > > The MCES plan for the existing sewer line, which follows an old parkway > alignment through the bird sanctuary, has always been to rehabilitate the line > in-place and after construction leave a maintenance access following the > old parkway alignment. This access road will allow an 8 to 10 foot clear > path for maintenance vehicles to access the line for routine inspection. > Responding to staff and stakeholder groups concerns, this access path will not > be a 10 foot wide path, instead it will be constructed into two gravel > surface strips separated in the middle by vegetation. The design will allow > each tire of the maintenance vehicle to drive on the strip of gravel and > safely access the line. It will appear to park users as a path not a gravel > road. > > In addition, the MCES project will remove the old parkway surface of > Macadam, an early version of road surfacing that mixed asphalt oils with sand > to > produce a drivable surface. This Macadam material will be removed and > disposed of following State and Federal guidelines. It will not remain in > the > Sanctuary. > MPRB and MCES staffs have consistently presented at the public meetings > the need for a permanent easement and a temporary construction easement. The > 30 foot wide permanent easement is the same width requested and approved > by the Board over all the MCES sewer lines that are located and > rehabilitated within the MPRB parkland. Given the limited access into the > Sanctuary, > MCES requested a 60 foot temporary easement to allow safe access for the > type of equipment required to rehabilitate the line. After careful review, > MPRB staff allowed a 50 foot temporary easement over most of the line, > necking the easement down in areas to 40 feet along the sewer line to preserve > significant trees mapped by the project arborist. All trees that are removed > have been paid for by the MCES and funds will be used, along with other > capital improvement monies, to plant native vegetation within the Sanctuary > that will greatly improve the vegetation diversity, creating improved > wildlife habitat. > > The sewer line project through the bird sanctuary is part of the MCES’ > Southwest Minneapolis Interceptor Rehabilitation project to rehabilitate 3.5 > miles of aging and deteriorating sewer lines in the Linden Hills and East > Harriet Farmstead Neighborhoods in Minneapolis. The project is set to begin > this spring, starting along the south end of Calhoun, running south through > William Berry Park, west through Roberts Bird Sanctuary and the Peace > Garden, and ending up along Kings Highway. > > The MPRB believes the final outcome of the sewer rehab project in the bird > sanctuary is in line with the FRBS group and it will ultimately benefit the > environment, birding habitat, and accessibility of the bird sanctuary. > > > Scott Vreeland > Seward, Minneapolis > About/contact Scott Vreeland: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/scottvreeland > > View full topic: > http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/7xKfZSh2TP497GOMnmFttr > > * Shape our online redesign - http://e-democracy.org/design > * Draft design coming soon. Get out your arrows and praise. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Post: [email protected] or "Reply-to-All" to comment. > Get digest or leave: Put "digest on" or "unsubscribe" in Subject (no quotes) > Forum Home: http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Need help? http://e-democracy.org/support Hosting: http://OnlineGroups.Net > > #mpls13 - Election 2013 - http://e-democracy.org/mpls13 > > 1. Be civil! Please read the rules at http://e-democracy.org/rules. > If you think a member is in violation, contact the forum manager at > [email protected] before continuing it on the list. > > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > > > > > > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
