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Natural resources corridors identify and connect the community’s natural systems and areas. These corridors provide habitat for the movement of wildlife and protection of sensitive or rare natural resources. Natural resources corridors enhance the ecological function and aesthetic quality of natural areas by interconnecting them, thereby countering habitat fragmentation and loss. Additionally, natural resources corridors can link the major natural features to the local park system and established wildlife areas.
City staff and the Environmental Advisory Committee conducted several workshops to establish and review a methodology for the natural resources corridor development process. The following is a summary of this process:
The first step in developing the natural resources corridors was collecting all available data pertaining to natural resources within the City of Shakopee. Much of the information was obtained and available in the Natural Resources Inventory of the City of Shakopee, Jackson and Louisville Townships. Other information was obtained from Scott County, the MN Department of Natural Resources, and local watershed districts.
Following the data collection process, a Natural Resources Prioritization Matrix was developed to evaluate the available data. The Natural Resources Plan guided City staff, the Environmental Advisory Committee, and the consultant to determine the sensitive natural features within the City of Shakopee, including:
• Slopes
• Lakes and Streams
• Endangered Species
• Woodland/Forested
• Non-woody Upland Vegetation
• Wetland
• Recreation Opportunities
• Infra-structure/Accessibility
• Wildlife
The natural resources analysis evaluated the natural features and put each in a Best, Better, or Good category and assigned each a numerical value i.e. 1, 2, or 3. The natural feature was assigned a score of three if it met the Best Selection Criteria, a score of two if it met the Better Selection Criteria, and a score of one if it met the Good Selection Criteria. Each area of the City and northwestern Scott County was evaluated for all nine natural features in the prioritization matrix, thus the maximum possible points an area could accumulate would be 27 (i.e. scoring Best in the Selection Criteria for all nine Natural Features).
Following the natural resources analysis, a Natural Resources Corridor Map was created to overlay the results of the numeric natural resources analysis on an aerial of Shakopee and northwestern Scott County. This map would become the map that defines the natural resources corridor areas by graphically showing important natural features.
In some areas on the map the natural features are not contiguous. To address this, existing and proposed recreation, transportation, and regional trail systems for the City of Shakopee and Scott County were included to provide connections between the natural resources corridor areas. The inclusion of these trails on the map provides corridors connecting the suitable habitats where sensitive natural resource areas may not have connections. In areas where there are no planned trail connections but connections are logical, a very general connection has been shown on the Natural Resources Corridor Map.
The implementation tool utilizing the Natural Resources Corridor Map is the Natural Resources Corridor Design Criteria (NRCDC), which is similar to the City’s Engineering Design Criteria in that it sets forth specific design techniques, criteria, and plans for specific natural features.
NRCDC Cover
NRCDC Document (no appendix)
NRCDC Map
NRCDC Summary Tables
NRCDC Appendix A - Purpose and Goals of Design Criteria
NRCDC Appendix B - Ecological Basis for Design Criteria
NRCDC Appendix C - Design Criteria Photos
NRCDC Appendix D - MnDNR Alternative Shoreland Standards
NRCDC Appendix E - MnDNR Natural Buffers and Lakescaping
NRCDC Appendix F - MnDOT Vegetation Management Plan
NRCDC Appendix G - MnDNR Prairie Restoration Handbook
NRCDC Appendix H - MnDNR Vegetation Plot Data Handbook
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