July 21, 2005
THE DNR IS AGAIN UNABLE TO HELP BIRCH ISLAND WOODS
For the second year in a row, the DNR will not recommend to the legislature that it be authorized to provide a matching Scenic and Natural Areas grant to the City of Eden Prairie for the expansion of the Birch Island Woods Conservation Area. Eden Prairie is not alone - 71 other requests for local initiative matching grants were also denied.

An electronic letter dated July 14, 2005 to EP City Parks and Recreation Official Laurie Obiazor, from DNR Local Grants supervisor Wayne Sames noted that only 14 applicants of 86 applications are being recommended for approval by the legislature.

Mr. Sames wrote that about $2.4 million for Local Grants was available this year from federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LAWCON) dollars, State Bonding dollars and State Environmental Trust Fund dollars.

The City and Friends of Birch Island Woods had hoped that this year’s smaller-by-half S&NA grant request (compared to last year’s request) would help its chances. “That might have happened, we don’t know.” says FBIW’s Jeff Strate. “What we do know,” he said, “is that continuing lack of adequate legislative support for land conservation programs in the face of increasing local needs must end beginning now.”

”The Birch Island Woods proposal is certainly eligible and would make an excellent project,” explained DNR Community Development Director Joe Hiller in an email message to FBIW secretary Vicky Miller. “Due to the weight attached to larger, intact parcels that can offer a viable area of native habitat,” he wrote, “it would be difficult for this project to compete given recent levels of funding.”

The 2-acres that the Eden Prairie grant request was for, is part of a 40-acre forest and wetland complex popularly called Birch Island Woods (which includes the 32-acre conservation area and 8 acres of private land. Next to the woods, separated by the Twin Cities and Western Railroad track, are the 28.3 acre Birch Island Park, Birch Island Lake and an extensive wetland owned by Hennepin County. The whole forms the southern end of a green corridor stretching into the Glen Lake area and the County Home School. Development of any part of the woods would fragment its ecosystem and possibly eliminate public access to the main trail from the south west.

Note: At the legislature, Scenic and Natural Areas grants are grouped with other conservation and park programs as “local initiative grants”.

July 6, 2005
EP COUNCIL AUTHORIZES CITY STAFF TO PREPARE FOR
$16.7 MILLION DOLLAR PARKS REFERENDUM
If all goes well, Eden Prairie voters will be weighing in on a $16.7 million parks referendum in November. During its July 5th meeting, the City Council unanimously voted to proceed with a four question referendum -- giving voters an opportunity to vote “yes” or “no” on each of a total of four bundles of parks projects. Land acquisition funds, which includes the beginning of the expansion of Birch Island Woods, is bundled together with projects to upgrade a number of older neighborhood parks and the athletic fields at Flying Cloud Airport. When asked by Council Member Ron Case if any provision for buying land for trails was in the land acquisition item, Parks Director Bob Lambert explained that of the parcels the city officially wants to acquire, the parcel near the woods is the only one with owners willing to sell.

The referendum now includes -

1) $4.69 million for parks development (improvements for older parks), improvements of soccer fields at Flying Cloud Airport and land acquisitions including Birch Island Woods Conservation Area.
2) $6.55 million for Eden Prairie Community Center Improvements
3) $3.3 million for a shallow, warm-water zero-depth entry pool at the Community Center and for deepening the existing pool.
4) $2 million for trails including the widening and resurfacing of existing trails and construction of new trails on property already owned by the city.

If a majority of voters approve a question, they are in effect authorizing city government to borrow money through the issuing of bonds for the project when and if that project proceeds.

Earlier during their discussion on the referendum, the City Council denied on a 3 to 2 vote a Parks Commission recommendation that the referendum present voters with just three questions. Council Members Ron Case and Sherry Butcher said that the Commission’s recommendation (based on an 8 to 2 vote) represented good thought and analysis and that the three question referendum the panel had proposed would reflect voter sentiment to have more choices and be more understandable than a one question or a four or five question referendum. (See related news story below).

During the discussion, Council Member Brad Aho noted that he had heard from a number of individuals that told him that they feel very differently about park acquisition than they do about the development of current park property including trails. Mr. Aho did not specify how many people he had heard from, but Mr. Case advised that park acquisition and trails are closely intertwined and that it is important that voters be given an opportunity to appreciate this before November. Mr. Case seemed to be supporting Mr. Lambert’s counsel over the past few years that the city would be wise to acquire such lands when and if they become available and before they become unaffordable.

After the council’s rejection of the parks commission recommendation for a three question referendum, Mr. Aho proposed that the 4th question be the land acquisition component rather than the trail component. But Mr. Aho’s recommendation had a short life. Council member Phil Young said he still favored the 4 question referendum concept that the council had sent to the Parks Commission for review; the one that bundled land acquisition and park improvements into one question. When Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Mr. Case and Ms. Butcher agreed with Mr. Young, Mr. Aho dropped his proposal and joined the others to approve the 4 question menu.

The city is still waiting to hear if its application for a matching grant from the DNR’s Scenic and Natural Areas program will be approved. Friends of Birch Island Woods has agreed to raise $100,000 from the private sector toward the purchase of two acres of the four acres under consideration.

June 29, 2005
EP COUNCIL TO MAKE CALL ON NOVEMBER PARKS REFERENDUM ON JULY 5th
PARKS PANEL RECOMMENDS 3 QUESTIONS
The June 29th online version of the Eden Prairie News reported that the EP Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission is recommending three rather than 4 questions on the proposed November 8th parks referendum. The City Council will make its final decision on whether or not go go forward with the referendum during its regular meeting on Tuesday July 5th at 7 p.m., City Hall, 8080 Mitchell Road.

Earlier this week, only two of the parks commissioners favored a four question referendum after a thoughtful discussion of the matter.

If the city council follows the commissions recommendation, the November referendum ballot will break down as follows:

1) Eden Prairie Community Center improvements and including a multi-use gym; walking track; and expanded entrances, lobby, seating, locker rooms and team rooms. $6.65 million

2) A swimming-pool addition. $3.33 million.

3) Park/trail development and re-building and land acquisition including a 4 acre expansion of Birch Island Woods Conservation and major improvements to Edenvale, Forest Hills, Prairie View and improvements to other parks, and Flying Cloud athletic fields. $6.695 million.

Visit http:www.edenprairienews.com for more on the referendum. The EP News and EP Sun Current can be bought at a number of local stores.

June 21, 2005
PROSPECT TO USE FEDERAL LAWCON FUNDS FOR BI WOODS EXPANSION WITHERS Possible action on one of the funding possibilities for the expansion of Birch Island Woods Conservation Area was virtually suspended on June 7th when the Eden Prairie City Council chose to delay plans to lease the city-owned Cummins-Grill House in Staring Lake Park. The 1879-built, brick, farm house on Pioneer Trail next to Flying Cloud Airport sits on land which was acquired in 1976 for Staring Lake Park using a Land and Water Conservation (LAWCON) grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior. The grant requires that the land be used for recreation.

The City has been exploring options to lease or sell the historic house under an adaptive re-use scenario. Adaptive re-use would permit the house to be renovated and restored for commercial use with three caveats that the City Council identified in November: preserve the house's historic nature, increase public access to the property, and minimize the city's future costs.

If the council wants to change the use for the house and property, it must first get approval from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Interior per terms of the LAWCON grant. In the case of adaptive re-use or sale of the house and property for commercial purposes, it is likely that the city would have to either return the LAWCON money or request that it be used for another qualifying project such as the expansion of BIW Conservation Area.

This strategy was championed by Council Member Ron Case and former Council Member Jan Mosman. But the City has decided to take the Cummins-Grill House off the market until sewer and water and improvements to Pioneer Trail (County Road 1) are under way. Commercial ventures in the house would need sewer and water and would be better off with an improved street. Utilities and road improvements, which are now expected to begin in 2007 and to be completed near the end of 2008, involve the Metropolitan Airports Commission, Hennepin County and the City.

The Eden Prairie news reported in its June 16 edition, that Dave Lindahl, the city's economic development manager, has received 17 inquiries about the house since December.

A health food coop, coffee shop, bookstore, tearoom, bridal shop, restaurants, and an ice cream shop businesses have exhibited interest although no actual proposals have been submitted. The City is expected to put the house back on the market in 2007.

Other funding options for the expansion of BIW Conservation Area include funds from a new park referendum slated for November 8, 2005; a re-application for a smaller Scenic and Natural Areas Grant from the DNR and private sector donations. Stay tuned.

June 17, 2005
NOVEMBER 8, 2005 PARKS REFERENDUM TAKES SHAPE, WOULD INCLUDE FUNDS FOR BI WOODS EXPANSION
During its Tuesday June 14 meeting, the Eden Prairie City Council agreed to move forward with a November 8, parks referendum. The proposed $16.7 million cost is $5.7 million less than the May 2004 parks referendum which was defeated by a vote of 3,078 to 2,357. The new referendum would not include an outdoor water park item but will ask for more money than the 2004 referendum did for trails and open space including the expansion of Birch Island Woods. It is also likely voters will have an opportunity to vote up or down on two or three sets of items.

Park acquisition (open space) and recreational/athletic facilities totaling $4.695 million, would include improvements at Forest Hills, Edenvale and Prairie View neighborhood parks and expansion of Flying Cloud Fields. $2 million for trail improvements are also slated for the referendum.

EP Community Center improvements including a multi-use gym, walking track, expanded entrances, lobby, seating, and team rooms, will total about $6.65 million. A $3.3 million indoor pool with wading, youth and senior citizen features to be installed at the community center site, would also be on the ballot.

Throughout this spring, Eden Prairie Parks Director Bob Lambert’s staff has been assembling a scenario and estimated dollar amount for a possible November 2005 Parks referendum. The City team has collected public feedback on items such as proposed renovations of Edenvale, Forest Hills and Prairie View Parks and projects of interest to a number of athletic associations. The City has also gathered estimates on the costs.

The City Council and the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission reportedly discussed the proposed referendum jointly on Tuesday June 14 at the Staring Lake Outdoor Center.

JUNE & JULY PUBLIC MEETINGS ON THE REFERENDUM
Scheduled at City Hall, 8080 Mitchell Road.

Wednesday, June 22. 7 p.m.
A “Town Hall” informational meeting on the referendum with a Q & A session.
Monday June 27, 7 p.m.
The Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission, an advisory board, will draw up its final referendum recommendations for consideration by the City Council. The public is invited.
Tuesday July 5, 7 p.m.
The City Council is slated to make its official decision to move forward with the referendum during its July 5th meeting. The public is invited.

For more coverage read the Eden Prairie News at http://www.edenprairienews.org or
the Eden Prairie Sun Current http://www.mnsun.com/paper.asp?city=Eden_Prairie
Both newspapers are available at various stores.

June 5, 2005
OPEN SPACE GROUPS IN EAGAN FORM COALITION TO BOOST CITIZEN LEVERAGE AT CITY HALL AND WITH DEVELOPERS
The Eagan Open Space Coalition was formed on May 19th by seven local open space protection groups with the signing of a statement of understanding that generally calls for more unified lobbying in efforts in support the city’s open spaces assets.

Jack Conrad, a leader of the Friends of the Eagan Core Green-way, one of the state’s most effective open space advocates, was quoted in Thisweek, a community newspaper, as saying, “Clearly there is strength in unity through a common voice, and there is strength in numbers. The [Eagan City Council] will listen to 1,000 people more than they will five or 10.”

Conrad’s group formed several years ago as Friends of Patrick Eagan Park when then Eagan Mayor Pat Anderson (now the State Auditor) and the City Council were considering adapting a large publicly-owned, wilderness-like area with hills and a lake for a golf course. As disfavor with the golf course proposal grew and was rejected, Conrad’s group enlarged its focus on protecting nearby, undeveloped properties including a farm and an art park to form a greenway. They found support in this initiative from their City, voters, Dakota County, the Trust for Public Land and the DNR and garnered encouragement from the North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club and Friends of Birch Island Woods.

But other Eagan land conservationists have suffered two recent setbacks with the approval of a residential development on the former Diamond T Ranch and a court order that could allow the rezoning and development of Carriage Hills Golf Course.

According to a May 27 story in Thisweek, coalition members hold that too many “unscrupulous outside developers” have been given free reign in the community, and that too many controversial development proposals have been given a green light.

Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway have posted more information on their website at http://www.friendsoftheeagancoregreenway.org.

Click here to read the Pioneer Press account of the Eagan Open Space Coalition.

May 22, 2005
A NEW WOOD CHIP TRAIL IN BI WOODS IS A BOY SCOUT PROJECT
The last of Birch Island Woods new wood chip trails was completed on Saturday May 7th thanks to Ryan Wolhowe, a Troop 347 Eagle Scout candidate seen in the picture. Ryan had liked what he had seen of Birch Island Woods. Late last October he had helped his brother Aaron and a team of volunteers remove buckthorn from the north east corner of the conservation area.

That too was an Eagle Scout project; one that followed on the heels of the good works of volunteer buckthorn pullers from the International School of Minnesota, Microsoft Corporation and participants in Friends of Birch Island Woods workshops. Ryan appreciated the progress of the buckthorn removals but wondered about finishing off a small loop trail that had been planned for the area. Last winter Ryan and his mother Susan walked through that section of the conservation area with FBIW co-leader Jeff Strate. The Eagle Scout candidate subsequently submitted a proposal to the City Parks department that led to a review, approval and the actual construction of the trail.

As intermittent rain doused a band of friends, fellow scouts and assorted parents, the new trail above Indian Chief Road took form. While one team installed steps up a bank another team, equipped with wheel barrows, shovels and rakes, laid a narrow ribbon of wood chips on a route that seems to have been engineered by deer but altered with design tweaks contributed by Eden Prairie Parks Manager Stu Fox.

A bald eagle, seen from the nearby Picha Heritage Farm by Birch Island Woods Plant Sale customers, flew over the woods during a sunny interlude. But the majestic raptor went un-noticed by Wolhowe and company; they were focused on hauling wood chips from huge piles of the stuff set along Indian Chief Road up a knoll and along a ridge so that they could be raked into place among old growth trees, sumac, flowering honeysuckle and buckthorn. It was tiring but satisfying work.

“The new path passes right through one of the areas that we’ve had volunteer-driven buckthorn removals target,” said Eden Prairie forestry technician Jeff Cordes. “The new loop makes it easy to see what a Minnesota woods ought to look like and how it is meant to function sans buckthorn.” Cordes views the scenic area with its new trail as a kind of a habitat restoration demonstration lab. He has found the saplings of sugar maple, bitternut, black cherry, choke cherry and other native trees which for years had been unable to germinate or grow in the area because of the dense buckthorn mantel. “We’re delighted that the scouts helped in this area of the woods,” Said Friends of Birch Island Woods organizer Vicky Miller.

In its current, preliminary phase, the referendum proposal developed by EP Parks Director Bob Lambert and his staff has provisions for the land expansion of Birch Island Woods, Prairie View Park, Flying Cloud athletic fields and uncompleted trail corridors. Also included would be funds for the reconfiguration of Edenvale, Forest Hills and Prairie View parks in northern Eden Prairie and trail improvements.

During its April 12 meeting at the new Hennepin County Library on Prairie Center Drive, the Council authorized parks staff to flesh out the preliminary proposal including improvements to and site expansion of the 23-year-old Eden Prairie Community Center; An indoor, zero-depth warm-water pool with two water slides; the deepening of lap lanes of the existing indoor pool and possibly lengthening its six competition lanes from 25 meters to 50 meters.

The Eden Prairie Sun Current reports that the potential total for the proposed referendum could be as high as $20.27 million. If a less expensive pool option is chosen, and if the community center site work is paid for by revenue bonds or some other way, the referendum total would be about $17.7 million.

Friends of Birch Island Woods efforts to raise $100,000 from the private sector will continue. FBIW remains committed to expanding the conservation area,” says FBIW co-leader Jeff Strate. “We have assisted the city in preparing its request to the DNR’s Natural and Scenic Areas program for a matching grant for a 1.8 acre expansion.”

During the April 12th city council meeting, City Manager Scott Neal said that "It was good to remind ourselves [through the survey] what we are doing is really consistent with what the voters told us. And people voting ‘yes’ and ‘no’ both said they wish they could have another crack at this."

The evolving proposal now stands at about 60 percent of the total dollar amount of last May’s failed question. Absent from the new proposal is the $7 million-plus outdoor water park; an indoor play area for young children and a third ice rink at the Community Center- items which could be paid for with revenue bonds instead of referendum dollars. Revenue bonds are paid off from dollars generated from users of a particular service.
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"We have a lot to do in this community that will cost a lot of money, and we can't do it all," Council member Ron Case said after Mr. Lambert's presentation. "But we live in a community where people would like us to do a lot. I feel real comfortable with all these things. … we would be somewhat doing a disservice if we don't proceed on all fronts at least to go on to the next step. There are lots of places to stop it along the way ...”

Council member Phil Young said the city must respect the lessons of last year's failed referendum and not rush into the process this year. "The proposed action had an unfortunate connotation of finality” Mr. Young told the Eden Prairie News. “I think that the public feedback which has yet to (but will) occur... will be critical in defining the ultimate extent of any referendum.”

To comply with legal deadlines pertaining to referenda, the city council will have to decide by July 5th if it wants to proceed with a November 2005 referendum. In the meantime much prep-work and opportunities for public scrutiny will be scheduled.

This story is based on articles appearing in the Eden Prairie News and the Eden Prairie Sun Current and briefs prepared by the City.
For the full EP News and EP Sun Current accounts.

The three "local initiative" grant programs this year have received more than $10 million in requests from cities and counties around the state. One of those requests was made by Eden Prairie to the Natural and Scenic Areas program in March. That request, for about $215,000, is to help acquire about 1.8 acres on Birch Island Road to add to the Birch Island Woods Conservation Area. If awarded, the Natural and Scenic Areas money will be matched by funds from the City of Eden Prairie and moneys raised by Friends of Birch Island Woods.

This year "local initiative" grant programs may have up to $2,390,000 in un-assigned funds to disburse statewide. In addition to the $1M in State bonding money, reports DNR Official Wayne Sames, $600,000 is recommended to be allocated from Minnesota Lottery proceeds held in the Minnesota Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund (through the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources or LCMR) and $790,000 is anticipated to be available from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LAWCON), a Federal program. While Environmental Trust Funds seem to be stable, the LCMR recommendations must be approved by the Legislature this spring. LAWCON is less certain; it was zeroed out in President Bush's recently released budget proposals.

All told, the delayed-by-a-year, capital bonding bill ($945M for a variety of construction projects) invests more than $100 million into environmental and natural resources projects including $23M for the Conservation Reserve and Enhancement Program and $10M for wildlife management areas. The latter was authored by House Leader/Eden Prairie Representative Erik Paulsen (District 42B), who also co-authored the ultimately pinched local initiative grants bill.

Why the local initiative grants programs fared so poorly compared to other land protection and environmental measures will likely be a matter of public discussion. One capitol hill insider said that factors included the lack of definite commitments to particular projects (given the program application deadline of March 31), packaging-together and juggling of the three separate programs, legislative misconception that the environmental trust fund recommendation for the program was sufficient, and the declining priority of parks grants relative to hunting and fishing areas among DNR Leadership (Note: In May 2001, when he was a House Member, Now Deputy DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten helped former Representative Tom Workman push a Birch Island Woods bill in the legislature, an effort which led to a gentlemen's agreement that Hennepin County would provide Eden Prairie with more time to raise money to acquire the 32 acres of the woods owned by the County.)

A January 31, 2005, land conservation add-on to the capital improvements bonding for just the City of Orono fared much better than the local initiative grants bills that were introduced more than a year ago. That separate Orono item stands at $2M. Orono will use the money to help buy the 58-acre Big Island Veterans Camp in Lake Minnetonka and has committed at least $3M of its own funding. As in the past, no requests for direct State bonding for the expansion of Birch Island Woods were made this year. Again, Eden Prairie is seeking State help through the DNR's Natural and Scenic Areas program, which depends significantly on State Bonding. The legislature established the local initiative grant program to facilitate state prioritization of local conservation and recreation projects and reduce the volume of single-project bills.

Friends of Birch Island Woods co-leader Jeff Strate applauds Orono's success and trusts that the Birch Island Woods expansion, being an outstanding land conservation project, will fare well in the highly competitive Natural and Scenic Areas grant program.

The program will pay into qualifying acquisition projects up to 50% of the cost of a parcel but no more than $50,000. Neighbors would contribute the balance. Once the city owns the property, a conservation easement will be placed on it so it can be maintained as passive open space for the long term. Public or private uses of the protected properties will be prohibited. The Neighborhood Match Program will only be available through March 31, 2006. For more information contact Kathy Magrew at 952-939-8218 or at kmagrew@eminnetonka.com

March 14
DISTRICT 42 LEGISLATORS BACK DNR OPEN SPACE GRANT PROGRAMS
The City of Eden Prairie is applying for a DNR matching grant through its Scenic and Natural Areas program. If aware to Eden Prairie the money would help pay for the addition of two acres to the Birch Island Woods Conservation Area. The Capital Improvements Bonding Bill which the legislature failed to pass last year and which includes funding for Local Initiative Grant Programs and hundreds of other items (highways, bridges, schools etc.) is being worked on by the Minnesota House and Senate bonding conference committee to resolve differences between SF 1 and HF 3 -- the Senate and House bonding bills. A combined bill will go back to the House and Senate for passage and then to the Governor for signature.

Eden Prairie Representative and House Leader Erik Paulsen (42B) and former Representative Peter Adolphson (42A) authorized and promoted the $5.95 Million house version of the local initiative grants bill last year. This session, new District 42A Representative Maria Ruud joins Erikson and Senator David Hann (Dist. 42) in keeping the bill at the $5.95 million dollar level. Birch Island Woods is located in District 42A.)

Currently, pre-application requests for Local Initiative Grant assistance (including Eden Prairie’s request) totals more than $20 million. Some funding for local initiatives will come from the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund. If it survives in tact through the conference committee, the bill will help a number of communities throughout the state. Competition for being awarded a grant, however, is stiff. Last year Eden Prairie’s request of $400,000 from the Scenic and Natural Areas program was rejected.

March 13, 2005
EDEN MIGHT SHIFT FEDERAL LAWCON FUNDS TO XPAND BIRCH ISLAND WOORS
A funding strategy for the city’s purchase of the 4 acre Birch Island Road parcel that has had the strong support of Council Member Ron Case, may eventually kick in. Parks Director Bob Lambert talked about this possible option with City Council Members during their March 1st meeting and again the EP Parks Commission during its March 7th meeting. The plan involves the proposed adaptive re-use of the historic Cummins Grill House on the Pioneer Trail side of Staring Lake Park. The house sits on land acquired by the city with Land and Water Conservation assistance. LAWCON is a federal grant program with strings attached to it. The Cummins Grill House has been a popular site for a variety of EP Historical Society Events including Sun Bonnet Days. If the house is renovated and adapted for rental or for sale to the private sector, the City would have to find land elsewhere in Eden Prairie that complies with LAWCON criteria or forfeit the federal money. Click here to read Lyn Jerde’s story on the situation in the March 10, 2005 Eden Prairie Sun Current.

March 2, 2005
EDEN PRAIRIE TO RE-APPLY FOR A SCENIC & NATURAL AREAS GRANT TO EXPAND BIRCH ISLAND WOODS CONSERVATION AREA, THIS TIME FOR 2 ACRES.
Eden Prairie Parks Director Bob Lambert has been authorized by the City Council to re-apply for a Natural and Scenic Areas Grant, a land acquisition assistance program managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The City’s request last year for help from the same program for the entire 4+ acre “Picha Parcel” on Birch Island Road didn’t make the cut. This time around, the request will be directed to half of the parcel, or 2 acres. The appraised price of the two acres is expected to be approximately $425,000 The amount requested of the DNR would likely be about $212,000 with the balance coming from the City and the private sector.

Under the new scenario, if the City is awarded a DNR grant and if FBIW raises $100,000, the city would be required to pay only $112,000 for the 2 acres. “To me that sounds like a good deal if all that happens,” Mr. Lambert told the Council.

Last year, Friends of Birch Island Woods agreed to raise $200,000 for the entire 4 acre parcel. But with the defeat of the City’s Parks Referendum and the failure of its request for matching money from the DNR’s Natural and Scenic Area grant program, FBIW decided to postpone its own fund raising efforts until the situation re-clarifed itself. “Wow, “ said FBIW co-leader Vicky Miller upon hearing the news, “Let’s get going!”

Referring to the 4 acre parcel, Mr Lambert told the council, “I think, there is some benefit to splitting it. At a smaller grant application you actually have a better chance of getting the money.”

During his report to the council, Mr. Lambert explained that the two sets of owners had recently agreed to split the property to help make it easier for the city to begin buying the land. If the city raises the money to acquire half of the land, it would buy Albert Picha and his son Dwight Picha’s share. The Terry Picha family would retain ownership of the remaining two acres; they have consistently opposed any development on the porperty and hope to hold their share until the City can buy from them as well. Development on the 4 acre parcel would threaten the well being of their 102 year old farm.

In referring to the list of properties that the city has identified as land it wants to acquire for its parks and trail systems (see news item below), Council Member Ron Case told his council colleagues that the “Picha Parcel” is popping up because it is again available to buy. “So I don’t have a problem at all in my mind moving Birch Island Woods to the top of the list.” Mr. Case did have a problem with agreeing to pay $850,000 dollars at this time for the entire 4 acres because the City doesn’t have the money. But Mr. Case said he was comfortable with the new scenario because it would provide a way to bring in outside dollars and to ultimately acquire the entire 4 acres in stages.

In a note sent to Mr. Lambert and Mr. Case on behalf of Friends of Birch Island Woods on Tuesday, FBIW co-leader Jeff Strate wrote: “Our main objective is to provide current and future residents in this part of town (and of course all EP residents) with a sustainable and accessible conservation area that is not pinched in on one side by dense development. Our second objective is to compensate all of the current landowners of the property as soon as possible.”

A public hearing on the matter (as required by law) will be held at the next City Council meeting on Tuesday March 15 at 7:00 p.m. The deadline for the application to the DNR is Thursday March 31.

February 27, 2005
OLD HOUSE NEXT TO WOODS FLAMES OUT
The last scene of the last act of the 90-year-old Miller Picha House next to Eden Prairie’s Birch Island Woods was its most dramatic. On Saturday February 19th the house was incinerated by a controlled fire as part of a training exercise for Eden Prairie and Edina firefighters. About 20 fully-geared men and women headed by Eden Prairie Fire Chief George Esbensen had taken over Birch Island Road west of Kara Drive. By mid-morning, several groups of neighborhood residents had gathered alongside two fire trucks (a tanker and a pumper), support vehicles and police cars to look at the show. As some firefighters checked their equipment and prepared the house and out buildings for the fire, others handed out red and gold “Junior Firefighter” stickers to some kids. Training with real fire in a controlled situation, say firefighters, can be very helpful. Last year the Eden Prairie Fire Department responded to 1200 calls, many life and property threatening fires.

The small, two story, uninhabitable stucco house sat on a 4-acre parcel that the city would like to add to the Birch Island Woods Conservation Area. The land might otherwise be developed. Either way, the house, which was built in 1915, did not seem to have a future. “It’s a sad day for me,” said Terry Picha, who operates the Picha Heritage Farm opposite the old house on Birch Island Road. “For many years, my grandparents George and Minnie lived in the house. I hate to see it go like this. The home was originally built by the Miller family when Picha’s 102-year-old farm was only 12 years old.

An aerial photograph taken in October 1953 shows a small orchard and pasture next to the house and a much larger Birch Island Lake with an open water channel behind the house leading to a 12-acre lake along what is now Edenvale Boulevard. The photograph also shows many of the raspberry patches which for decades dotted much of northern Eden Prairie and the small, nearby farmstead of Al and Abbie Picha. Their prairie-style farmhouse built in 1905 by the Boach family, was demolished in 2003 to make way for a new subdivision.
Resident Vicky Miller, who has been taking pictures of the Miller Picha house over the past several weeks, was also saddened by its demolition. “We lost Al and Abby’s place and now this one and we’re still struggling to complete the conservation area,” she said. But Miller (not related to the house’s original owners) notes that the Heritage Farm still produces flowers, raspberries, tomatoes and smiles on one side of the woods and that the Glen Lake Children’s Camp and Holasek House at Eden Wood still produce smiles on the other side. “And in between,” She adds, “are those great wooded, trails through the conservation area. “We just hate to lose any of it.”

Between eleven and noon on Saturday, the old house next to the woods was consumed in its own fire storm. The morning after, smoke lofted up from piles of rubble that had been covered with five inches of snow. Only the fireplace and chimney remained standing.

This news item appeared in the February 24th edition of the Eden Prairie News and was written by Jeff Strate who is a member of Friends of Birch Island Woods. The photo was taken by Dave Swartout.

January 19, 2005
CITY ANNOUNCES FUTURE LAND ACQUISITION NEEDS
During the January 19 Eden Prairie Council meeting, Parks Director Bob Lambert provided a list of high priority parcels of land that the City would have to acquire to complete its current parks and trails system plan. Mr. Lambert said that although approximately 95% of the land needed for EP’s parks and trails has already been acquired, relatively small but expensive, privately or publicly owned parcels, including the 4 acre Birch Island Road parcel, remain a priority.

Some of the parcels on the open space shopping list are owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation including (a) property in the Rice Marsh Lake area near the Chanhassen boundary on both sides of what will ultimately be the new Highway 212 freeway and (b) land underneath the current Highway 212 bridge which spans Purgatory Creek just north of Pioneer Trail. Purgatory Creek flows underneath the later bridge. These MnDOT lands could be protected by city ownership or trail use easement.

A number of privately-owned and public parcels along Riley and Purgatory Creeks and in the bluffs and bottomlands along the Minnesota River could be acquired by park land dedication arrangements with developers, trail use easements or outright acquisition. The City could partner with relevant watershed districts to help fund trail construction costs.

Mr. Lambert anticipated that the further development of the John Anderson property 1/3 mile southwest of Birch Island Woods in north central Eden Prairie could generate additional developer land dedications to the Edenvale Conservation Area. Although most of this land, once thought of as a private nature preserve, is wetland which embraces Purgatory Creek, some of it, Mr. Lambert anticipates would be upland suitable for trails. The Edenvale Conservation was enlarged several years ago with the addition of the 11 acre “Glenshire Outlot A” This parcel on Edenvale Boulevard between Sunshine Drive and Woodland Road was used as a wetland mitigation project and is protected with a conservation easement held by the Minnesota Land Trust.

Other parcels on the park director’s priority list for consideration include the Schuldheiss properties surrounded by Lake Riley Park near the boat ramp, Mitchell Lake Marsh and the Rosemount Corporation’s 10-acre “park” on Lake Idelwild along Eden Road.

The City of Eden Prairie currently has no funds to purchase any of these properties. Friends of Birch Island Woods remains committed to raising at least $200,000 from the private sector for any additions to the Birch Island Woods Conservation Area. Stay tuned.

December 11, 2004
CONSERVATION AREAS, INCLUDING BIW, WILL NOT BECOME OFF-LEASH DOG PARKS
After hearing testimony from dog park proponents and conservationists that frowned on the use of conservation areas for off-leash recreational uses, the EP Parks and Recreation Commission and Director Bob Lambert decided to look else where for suitable land. During the December 6 hearing, Libby Hargrove and Dana Brewer, who had served on the city’s Off-Leash Area Study Committee, spoke of the need to find an off-leash area or areas which would work and help meet growing demands. FBIW member Geri Napuck provided the panel with a laundry list of legal and liability considerations that could come into play if dogs were permitted to run free in areas designated for conservation.

FBIW colleague Jeff Strate read a letter from Margaret Schuster and Linda Kelm of Eden Wood Center in Birch Island Park. Their agency, Friendship Ventures, opposes off-leash use of the woods because it is used for their programs for special needs kids. Strate also mentioned that the woods has become the beneficiary of an ongoing, volunteer based buckthorn removal project. Opening the woods for off-leash use would be a denial of the management plan for the woods; a plan which calls for habitat restoration.

Strate also read a letter from Rick Schultz, the manager of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, part of which lies along the southern boundary of Eden Prairie along the Minnesota River. Refuge policy prohibits off-leash dog running to protect habitat and wildlife. The national refuge and a city conservation area have the same purpose, Mr. Strate argued. Both are best served by the same management principals one of which prohibits dogs to run unleashed. Friends of Birch Island Woods (many of whom are dog owners) will work with Hargrove, Brewer, the City and other off-leash park proponents to find suitable land.

Click here to read the letter submitted by Friendship Ventures and The MN Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Click here to read Lyn Jerde’s EP Sun Current story about the action.

November 17, 2004
If the Cummins-Grill Homestead and its associated property on Pioneer Trail in Starling Lake Park are reclassified for adaptive re-use purposes, the t federal funds that were used to acquire the land would have to be directed for park purchases elsewhere in Eden Prairie. Council members Ron Case and Jan Mosman, among others, see Birch Island Woods as a benefactor. But iniating the process would be complex. Click here for Stuart Sudak's story in the November 18, 2004 edition of the Eden Prairie News

November 7, 2004
HABITAT RESTORATION OF BIRCH ISLAND WOODS
Volunteer driven buckthorn removal programs coordinated by Friends of Birch Island Woods (FBIW) have cleared approximately 3 acres of Birch Island Woods Conservation Area of buckthorn since last April. A group of more than 20, headed by Eagle Scout candidate Aaron Wolhowe, removed buckthorn thickets along Indian Chief Road on October 30th. Red Rock Lake resident Karen Rylander has been donating her super-cool, weed wrench for recent buckthorn pulls. The tool provides helpful leverage in gripping and removing buckthorn and honeysuckle roots from the soil.

Beginning this winter, FBIW will increase and broaden its habitat restoration and woodland education programs with a variety of programs that will include nature photography, wild plant seed collecting and buckthorn pulls and workshops.

NEW THREAT TO WOODS
The Eden Prairie News reported on November 4th that City Parks Director Bob Lambert has said that Birch Island Woods is among the 3 conservation areas and a park that are being considered as an off-leash dog area. The other areas include Edenbrook Conservation Area, Westgate Conservation Area and Staring Lake Park. Currently off-leash dogs are allowed in 4 community park hockey rinks 7 months a year. A 21/2 acre year-round, off-leash area on Flying Cloud Drive south of Shady Oak Road will open in a few weeks. Three Rivers Park District is apparently considering a 10 acre leash-free area for dogs at Bryant Regional Park.

Eden Prairie currently requires dogs to be leashed.

Council Member Jan Mosman, who has prompted the city to look for unleashed areas, says that more needs to be done for the dog owners. Mr. Lambert was quoted as saying that he thinks that such a plan would not have a significant impact on neighbors, claiming that those sites “are used that way right now and have been for years.” Mosman says lots of people break the law.

Vicky Miller, a dog owner who has lived near Birch Island Woods for nearly 18 years, strongly disagrees. A very large percentage of those who walk their dogs through the woods do so with them leashed. Leashed dogs are always welcome in the woods. Many of us who fought to protect this natural sanctuary from development own dogs and know why they need to be leashed. Free running dogs will trample the native woodland plants and wildflowers and spook out the wild animals and birds. (Read Miller’s November 11th commentary.)

Katy Eagan-Benck says that after dogs were permitted by the City of Minnetonka to roam unleashed in the center of Minnetonka’s Purgatory Park, birds which live in wetlands, bushy and tall grass areas suffered. For example, she says, the woodcocks are now gone. Note: Purgatory Park is located between Excelsior Boulevard and the Crosstown Highway a bit east of Highway 101.

Parks Commission Chair Rob Barrett says that the environmental issues will be discussed more fully as the process continues. It appears, however, that environmental issues never occurred to the parks commissioners or Mr. Lambert.

The leash-free dog area proposal marks the second recent expression of disrespect for the BIW for its intended purpose as a conservation area by a few officials at city hall. Click here for an October 29th, Eden Prairie News article on the City’s expired purchase option to acquire a 4-acre parcel to add for the conservation area.

October 4, 2004
PURCHASE OPTION ON 4 ACRE PARCEL EXPIRES
The City of Eden Prairie's option to buy a 4.04-acre parcel on Birch Island Road expired at the end of September. Whether or not the land can be folded into Birch Island Woods Conservation Area remains as unsure as it did a year ago. The failure of the City's $22.5 million Parks Referendum in May (which could have provided $200,000 towards the purchase of the land) and lack of sufficient funds at the DNR to meet the City's $400,000 matching grant request for the purchase, sunk efforts to raise the $800,000 price of the option.

The City would still like to fold the mostly wooded parcel into Birch Island Woods Conservation Area, but prospects for public moneys generated in Eden Prairie or the State remain slim. City Parks Director Bob Lambert, who along with the Parks Commission and City Council have been criticized for formulating an unpopular referendum question, has told Birch Island Woods co-leader Jeff Strate that the city will consider a new parks referendum in November 2005 if the Eden Prairie School District referendum next month passes. The November 2005 parks referendum, if it happens, would most likely not include a water slide park but would ask for bonding moneys for park improvements including open space acquisition and trail improvements.

"Our goal of protecting the 4 acres from development remains paramount," said Strate. "Our City Council, land conservation leaders and urban planners around the region agree that the Birch Island area is special and should be kept in tact, especially in view of burgeoning populations." Speaking on behalf of FBIW, Vicky Miller says that her group is very thankful to the city and to Terry Picha's family and Albert Picha's family for entering into the option and deeply regrets not that the public sector could not deliver this year.

VOLUNTEERS CONTINUE TO HELP THE WOODS
The Birch Island area has been buzzing with more than insects since May. "Keep It Going! Keep It Growing!" is has become the mantra of folks who have invested some needed TLC into the area's natural amenities.

Television.
On October 3rd, FBIW's Jeff Strate appeared in a television special broadcast on TPT's Channel 17. Produced by the Embrace Open Space Campaign, the "The Last 6%: Treasuring Our Open Spaces" featured a number of open space and urban planning experts. Ron Schara's Minnesota Bound Show on Channel 11 has been lensing Birch Island Woods and Minneapolis Farmer Market settings for an upcoming feature story on the long campaign to protect the entire woods and the Picha Heritage Farm.

Buckthorn
The International School Buckthorn Pull on September 9th marked the 4th Friends of Birch Island Woods buckthorn event in the woods this year. A fifth buckthorn event for employess of Microsoft, Inc. on October 18th, is being coordinated by FBIW and Friendship Ventures.

Nature Savvy Landscaping
FBIW Vicky Miller teamed with native plant consultant Janet Larson to recommend the use of more native trees, shrubs and plants for Birch Island Villas. As a result, the new Brenshell Development project accross from the woods on Birch Island Road has attractive but more natural and hardier buffers between the new town homes and houses on Kara and Harlan Drives. Ms. Miller worked with city staff which worked with the project's desiger. Brenshell Development, however, is reportedly eager to develop the 4 acre parcel that FBIW and the City want for the conservation area.

Heritage Farm
In May more than 1300 visitors were drawn to the area by the 4th Annual BIW plant sale at the Picha Heritage Farm and in July a few lucky others were able to buy freshly-picked raspberries at the farm. The one-time-only opportunity was prompted by an over-abundant, bumper crop of the fruit which is normally sold at farmers' markets.

Trail Tales
In May, Eagle Scout candidate Mackenzie Morris commanded a band of friends and family members to build a wood chip trail in the conservation area. More than 45 people including 42A legislative candidate Maria Ruud (DFL) took FBIW hikes on the new trail during the July 4th holiday. A few weeks later, Dorian Grilley of the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota and Dave Simpkins of Minnesota Bike Trails visited the woods with FBIW's Jeff Strate. In mid-August the group's informational table resumed weekend operations on the South West Regional Trail at Edenvale Boulevard.

Wetlands
A team of volunteers, headed this year by Lisa McDonald, waded through the main wetland of the conservation area in late spring to survey plant life and collect macroinvertebrates (small critters without backbones). As participants in the Wetland Health Evaluation Program managed by Hennepin County's Environmental Services Department, team members also collected samples from ponds near Duck Lake, Bearpath and in Nesbitt Preserve Park.

Birch Island Lake, EP Lions and Lake Levels
In July, a new dock donated by the Eden Prairie Lions was installed on Birch Island Lake for the special needs campers at Eden Wood Center. The Lions' August 4th, Charity Golf Tournament generated an $11,000 donation to Friendship Ventures, the agency which operates Eden Wood.
Also during the summer, the 9 Mile Creek Watershed District Board of Managers learned that more data is continuing to be collected from subterranean aquifers in an effort to learn why the level of Birch Island Lake has declined since the early 1990's. The study was prompted by a request of the Friends of Birch Island Woods.

July 26, 2004
CITY OF EDEN PRAIRIE’S MnDNR GRANT PROPOSAL FOR WOODS EXPANSION FAILS TO MAKE THE CUT.

The City of Eden Prairie has informed the City Council and Friends of Birch Island Woods that its request for a $400,000 matching grant from the DNR’s Scenic and Natural Area’s program has failed in the current round. The $400,000 in land conservation money was to have been matched by $200,000 from the City’s $22.5 million dollar parks referendum in May and $200,000 in private contributions raised by the Friends of Birch Island Woods. The referendum was defeated (see news items below) The City’s option to buy 4.04-acre parcel on Birch Island Road, unless renewed by the City and a number of landowners, will expire at the end of September. The mostly wooded parcel would be folded into Birch Island Woods Conservation Area. Friends of Birch Island Woods is working to raise money from both the private and public sectors. “Our goal,” said FBIW co-leader Vicky Miller, “is to fold the property into the conservation area and satisfy the current owners as soon as possible.” See Lyn Jerde’s related story in the July 21, EP Sun Current

July 7, 2004
EDEN PRAIRIE FOUNDATION WILL BE FUND RAISING CAMPAIGN’S FISCAL AGENT.
The Eden Prairie Foundation, during a special meeting on June 24th, agreed the it could and would serve as the fiscal agent for the funding campaign to help the City of Eden Prairie acquire 4, privately owned acres of Birch Island Woods for the conservation area. The Friends of Birch Island Woods will be the chief fund raising mechanism but the EP Foundation will over see the contributions. The City has an option to buy the mostly timbered property that will be in effect through the end of September 2004. The appraised price of the land is $800,000.

The City had hoped to fund the purchase with moneys from a parks improvement referendum, a matching grant from the DNR and private donations raised by Friends of Birch Island Woods. The referendum, however, failed and the prospects for DNR assistance will continue to decline the longer the Minnesota Legislature waits to hold a special session. A special legislative session is required to pass a capital improvements bonding bill which includes money for DNR programs.

The Foundation’s special meeting was called by new president Jean Myers on recommendation by outgoing President Dean Edstrom. The foundation had intended to act on the matter earlier this year but needed first to elect and orient its new board members. The Foundation normally takes a recess during the summer months. Representing Friends of Birch Island Woods, Inc. (FBIW) were Jeff Strate and Geri Napuck. FBIW is in the process of organizing its campaign to help raise $800,000. Stay tuned.

June 21, 2004
POST REFERENDUM DEFEAT UPDATE
With the defeat of Eden Prairie’s Parks referendum and the stalled status of a capital bonding bill in the Minnesota Legislature, the challenge of acquiring the 4 acre Birch Island Road parcel for the conservation area increases. If passed and signed by the Governor, the bonding bill would help fund the DNR’s Natural and Scenic Areas land acquisition program. Eden Prairie has applied to that program for a matching grant for the woods parcel. Had it passed, the Parks referendum would have helped make that match.

Friends of Birch Island Woods has worked hard to make both funding tracks happen but is now looking for significantly higher levels of help from the private sector and other public funding sources. Stay tuned.

BI WOODS BENEFITS FROM PROJECTS
A variety of volunteer projects have recently benefited the Birch Island Woods Conservation Area. These are listed below:

BUCKTHORN
Janet Larson headed well attended FBIW Buckthorn seminars on February 28 and April 3 and a “buckthorn pull” on June 5 which cleared a half acre of smallish buckthorn plants near Indian Chief Road. Larson, a noted buckthorn abatement expert, was assisted in sequence by Jeff Strate, Sandy McCartney, Kathy Colla and Jeff Cordes. (See guest register for photos.)

WOODS CLEAN-UP
Woods Spring Clean Up: Cub Scouts from Den 3, Pack 597 (Eden Prairie) picked up litter, old tires, a kitchen counter and other debris from the conservation area’s perimeter roads on April 17 as part of the City’s Annual Earth Day Week Park Clean Up event. (See Guest Register for photos).

BIRCH ISLAND WOODS PLANT SALE
This past May’s benefit plant sale attracted an estimated 1300 visitors to the Picha Heritage Farm and woods area; of these 592 bought trees, shrubs and plants. Approximately 65 grown-ups and kids volunteered in one way or another to help make the sale a success. Proceeds from plant sales dedicated to Friends of Birch Island Woods totaled around $2,100 with another $868.00 raised from direct donations and ice cream sales. The estimated total donated revenue of the event therefore amounted to around $2,968. The money is being used by FBIW for the effort to raise $200,000 towards the purchase of the 4 acre, Birch Island Road Parcel.

Local newspapers published a well-deserved thank you to Terry Picha’s family by Vicky Miller on behalf of FBIW. Terry and Kathy Picha remain steadfast stewards of the historic and natural legacy that they have in common with Eden Prairie and Minnetonka. (See guest register for photos.)

WETLAND EVALUATION CONTINUES
The large wetland in BIW Conservation Area is in its third year of being monitored by the Wetland Health Evaluation Program (WHEP) now being managed by Hennepin County’s Environmental Services Department in Eden Prairie, Minneapolis, Plymouth, Bloomington and Minnetonka. In addition to the BIW wetland, the local team of 8 WHEP volunteers headed by Lisa McDonald, is also looking at wetlands near Duck Lake, the east side of Dell Road near Bearpath, and Nesbit Preserve Park.

WHEP volunteers went into the wetland to collect samples of macroinvertebrates (spineless critters) and perform a vegetation survey following protocols developed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for data analysis. For more information call EP Environmental Coordinator Leslie Stovring at 952-949-8327.

NEW WOOD CHIP TRAIL:
Eagle Scout candidate Mackenzie Morris, family and friends on May 8th and May 22nd, constructed a new wood chip trail in the conservation area. The new trail head is located on Birch Island Road opposite Harlan Drive. The trail transverses and descends a slope through a tall tree area before crossing low land to a wood chip trail loop installed a year and a half ago by another Eagle Scout. This loop connects to the main trail which follows the 1880 right-of-way of the Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul RR (“Milwaukee Road).

Morris, an Eden Prairie resident who is a member of Troop 102 at Our Lady of Grace Church in Edina, received high praise from EP Parks Manager Stu Fox,“ He and his scout crew did an excellent job!” Frequent woods walkers Doug Mahre, Vicky Miller and Dave Boe have told FBIW that they agree. FBIW co-leader Jeff Strate couldn’t be happier, “The new trail opens up a tall tree portion of the conservation area with a lovely natural fern garden, jack-in-the-pulpits and other forest plants.” Strate points out that the new trail will make Eden Prairie’s most frequently visited conservation area even more appealing to parents with kids in tow. “Folks, and that includes Eden Wood campers, now have more ways to visit the sanctuary.”

Assisting MacKenzie were his brother Matt (already an Eagle Scout), his sisters Mariah and Mallory, his parents Steve and Candy and an assortment of friends and neighbors. Fox oversaw the final design of the trail; the city provided truck loads of wood chips. Organized groups who may want to contribute to EP Park projects should call Stuart Fox at 952-949-8300. (See guest register for photos.)

May 12, 2004
PARKS REFERENDUM IS DEFEATED
The City of Eden Prairie announced on its web site late Tuesday May 11th that the $22.5 million Parks Improvement Referendum held on May 11th was been defeated by a majority of voters earlier the same day. The unofficial tally shows 3,078 voting against and 2,357 voting for the referendum question.

If it had passed, the referendum would have authorized the city to sell bonds to finance an array of park and recreation improvements ranging from an aqua park, to a new ice rink, athletic fields and community center improvements. The referendum would have provided a comparatively small amount of money for land acquisitions for trails and open space. A 4 acre,
privately owned parcel of Birch Island Woods would have been a leading candidate for some of these acquisition funds if the referendum had passed.

Commenting on the defeat, Friends of Birch Island Woods co-leader Jeff Strate said that the open space and trail corridor provisions in the referendum, although comparatively small, were also, in a sense, the most critical because if financing is not found for their acquisition soon, they will be permanently lost. "The City is still $800,000 shy of being able to pay for the Birch Island Woods parcel," he said. The City's option to buy the 4 acre parcel expires around the end of September.

Check the Eden Prairie News and Eden Prairie Sun Current for more complete coverage.

May 8, 2004
DNR LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAMS STALL WITH REST OF CAPITAL BONDING BILL IN SENATE.

The Minnesota Senate failed to pass its Capital Investment bill on
Thursday May 6. The bonding bill contains provisions for Local Initiative Grants for $1M. The City of Eden Prairie and other communities have applied for matching grants from the DNR’s Scenic and Natural Areas program, which is one of two local initiative grant programs designed to secure open space for parks and open space protection; the other is a non-metro regional parks program.

The MN House version of the bill (which was approved the previous week) earmarks $2M (minus $750K in riders for projects in St. Paul and Minneapolis) for local grants and $3M for regional non metro grants.

According to Trust for Public Land lobbyist Cordelia Pierson, historically, the state usually finds enough funding for 20-25% of the grant requests that are received by the DNR. $2.5M would allow the state to continue that level of support. One DNR official says that other sources of funding for local initiative grant programs would have to come from re-allocating resources already in place.

Because Local Initiative Grants were not in the Governor's budget, the risk of a veto looms if the House and the Senate do come to an agreement on the Capitol Investment Bonding bill. If the House and Senate reach an accord, changes will still occur, reports Pierson, because many of the Governor's priorities are not in the House bill at all. The Governor has set a strict $760M limit on the bill, and the Senate has not fully funded the Governor’s priorities (like Northstar Commuter Rail and the Minnesota Zoo but has pledged to make room for Northstar at least - so something is going to have to give, and it will be those items that legislators are not hearing about.

Note: Check the Pioneer Press and Star Tribune for regular capitol hill updates.

APRIL 27, 2004
REPRESENTATIVES PAULSEN AND ADOLPHSON RESTORE
$2,000,000 TO LOCAL INITIATIVE GRANTS BILL

District 42A Representative Peter Adolphson reported that $2,000,000 for the DNR's Local Initiative Grants program was restored to a capitol bonding bill by the Ways and Means Committee. Funding for that program had been diverted elsewhere by Rep. Jim Knoblach of St. Cloud, chair of Ways and Means. Adolphson and Rep. Erik Paulsen, Dist. 42B, worked with Trust For Public Land lobbyist Cordelia Pierson and metro area Ways and Means Committee members to get most of the money restored.

(Note: The local Initiative grants bill includes funding for the Natural and Scenic Areas land acquisition program. Eden Prairie has applied for $400,000 in Natural and Scenic Area matching funds to help buy a 4 acre parcel on Birch Island Road for the conservation area.)

The local initiative grants provision was one of a number of items that benefited from a sweeping amendment to the $699 million, House capital bonding bill. That amendment removed $37.5 million in funding from the North Star Commuter line, re-directing it to an array of other, mostly local projects. Despite its name, local initiative grants program is administered by the DNR for communities throughout the state.

“It’s still $500,000 dollars short of what was there originally,' Mr. Adolphson told Friends of Birch Island Woods co-leader Jeff Strate late Tuesday night. But Adolphson feels that this is a lot better than where it was heading. The house will, will most likely now go to the full House and if different than the Senate version will be amended in a conference committee. Restoration of the full $2,500,000 is still theoretically possible but so too is a reduction of that amount. Stay tuned.

An email and phone campaign mounted by Friends of Birch Island Woods, Friends of Eagan Core Greenway and others helped Twin Cities area legislators work for the restoration of the program.

April 26 2004
CITY OF EP APPROVES PURCHASE OPTION FOR 4 ACRE PARCEL. NOW THE REALLY HARD PART

On April 13, the Eden Prairie City Council approved a 195-day option agreement on the four acres with its owners, consisting of two sets of owners one headed by farmer and conservationist Terry Picha and the other head by his cousin Dwight Picha who is a senior planner with the City of Woodbury. During the same meeting, The council also approved going forward with a grant application for $400,000 from the DNR’s Scenic and Natural Areas matching grant program.

According to newspaper accounts of the discussion, Council Member Phil Young wondered if potential park land elsewhere in Eden Prairie might be acquired for a cheaper price. Council Member Jan Mosman successfully requested that the purchase option language be cleaned up so the agreement would remain in force through its full term even if the DNR grant request fails. Council Members Sherry Butcher, Ron Case and Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens supported the language Change. Click here to read the Eden Prairie News account of the purchase option and grant proposal.

REP. JIM KNOBLACH ATTEMPTING TO ROB FUNDING OF DNR GRANT PROGRAM
Trust for Public Land legislature specialist Cordelia Pierson reports that on Wednesday April 21 Rep. Jim Knoblach (Republican, St. Cloud) presented an amendment to divert $1.5M of the $2.5M from the Local Initiatives Grant program (Including Scenic And Natural Areas) to a non-metro parks fund. Eden Prairie (for Birch Island Woods), Eagan and Lakeville have applied for assistance to Scenic and Natural Areas, a matching grant program.

Of the remaining $1M, $750K is already dedicated to two specific projects, one in South St. Paul and one in Minneapolis. That leaves only $250,000 for Eden Prairie’s and other suburban city request which total $1.423M. That does not include the $2.8M in metro requests for the Outdoor Recreation grant program, which will also compete for those funds. Republican House majority leader Erik Paulsen of Eden Prairie is co-author of the bill that Rep. Knoblack is attempting to, in the words of one open space advocate, “plunder.”

BIRCH ISLAND ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
The widening of Birch Island Road from Harlan Drive to Kara Drive began APRI 19. The widening was prompted by the construction of the new subdivision (Edenvale ne, Birch Island Villas) which now occupies the former site of Al and Abby Picha’s 5 acre farmstead. According to approved plans, a number of trees were removed on the north side of the road; the side occupied by BIW Conservation Area and by the 4 acre parcel co-owned by two sets of owners (see above). Until 3 years ago, most of Birch Island Road was what many considered to be an appealing, gravel road, one of the last unpaved streets in Eden Prairie; one that complemented the woods and Picha Heritage Farm; one that discouraged speeding. Friends of Birch Island Woods (FBIW) and nearby residents had petitioned and lobbied the City to keep the road narrow and minimally improved; a proven design technique to discourage fast traffic and preserve a nieghborhood’s character. FBIW will soon make curb alignment recommendations as another way of discouraging speeding cars, encouraging pedestrian traffic and keeping as much of the rural appeal of the road as possible.

As Minnesota legislators debated funding and bonding for a wide range of programs including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Scenic and Natural Areas and Regional Non-Metro matching grant programs and Metro Greenways program; EP Park’s staff put the final touches on its proposal for the Scenic and Natural Areas program. The city Is seeking partial funding from the program; private donations and money which needs to be approved by a May 11th referendum to acquire 4 acres on Birch Island Road for inclusion into the conservation area. That property will cost $800,000.

Friends of the Eagan Corps Greenway, Friends of Birch Island Woods and others including the City of Eden Prairie will re-contact their legislators over the next few weeks to restore funding for these programs. Republican House Leader Representative Erik Paulsen, (Dist 42B, Eden Prairie) is co-author of the bill to fund Scenic and Natural Areas. (See earlier stories below.)

March 24, 2004
ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONS AND FBIW PREPARE FOR EDEN PRAIRIE PARKS IMPROVEMENT REFERENDUM. CITY COUNCIL & STAFF STAY WITH MODEST $1 MILLION OPEN SPACE PROVISION IN $22.5 VOTE IN FACE REQUEST LARGER FOR OPEN SPACE OPEN SPACE PROVISION.

REFERENDUM PREPARATIONS: Now that the details of the $22.5 million, May 11 Eden Prairie Parks Improvement Referendum are in place, preparations for it are in full swing. The City (which can only provide information on the vote) is updating its website and printing and distributing informational flyers, sponsoring two informational meetings and has a slide show made up for smaller meetings. Coordinated by community leader Mike Boland and Parks Commission Chair Robb Barrett and Vice Chair Jeff Gerst, EP’s athletic associations and Friends of Birch Island Woods are also mounting campaigns.

Click here for FBIW’s Referendum section and links.

March 13, 2003
REQUEST FOR MORE $$ FOR OPEN SPACE POLITELY IGNORED.
On March 13 the EP City Council opted to not provide more money for open space acquisitions in the $22.5 May 11 parks referendum. This inspite of a letter co-signed by community leaders including former city council members David Luse and Dean Edstrom, former EP school board members Claire Hilgeman and Norbert Gernes and others including Les Ellis. (Click here to read the letter) Authored by FBIW co-leader and retired Minnesota Land Trust board member Jeff Strate, the request to provide at least $2 million dollars for open space was sent to Parks Director Bob Lambret who passed it on to the current City Council. Although the letter had been delivered to city hall on Febraury 24th and redelivered with additional signatures on March 3, the Council did not discuss the matter during its March 13 meeting, the date they had set to approve the referendum’s final amount.

The upshot is that the City is saying it is hoping to leverage the $1 million dollars for open space with grants from the state and watershed districts, donations and future cash park fees and density transfer deals with development projects. “In the face of escalating land costs, high demand for developable land near and in remaining natural areas and rising populations, the prudent action,” says Strate, “would have been to take care of open space in less risky fashion..” “That’s what, Minnetonka and Dakota County are doing with their referenda,” he’s been telling council members for the past several months.

Council Member Jan Mosman requested during the March 13 meeting that the city’s website and flyers about the referendum more clearly identify the 4 acre Birch Island Road parcel (next to the conservation area) as one of the parcels that the million dollars would help acquire. The city is taking steps to acquire that land but to a number of people, including Mosman, clarity would be prudent so that supporters of the woods and open space clearly know that they have a stake in the referendum. According to the Eden Prairie News, Mosman said the issue is about sending a message to those wanting to save land.”

March 13, 2004
SEPARATE RESOLUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF DNR GRANT PROGRAM SENT TO MN LEGISLATURE
During it’s March 13 meeting the Eden Prairie City Council approved a resolution supporting a bill co-authored by Representative Erik Paulson (Dist 42 B-Eden Prairie) which would provide funding for DNR matching grant programs for acquiring scenic and natural areas. The action follows the March 4 dispatch of a similar Friends of Birch Island Woods resolution. (Click here to read the FBIW resolution.) The city’s resolution requests more than the amount that is being considered by MN House and Senate bills. Passage of the bill would not gaurantee that the City would receive a grant; the City’s proposal would be evaluated by the DNR along with other grant applicants. Governor Pawlenty has requested no funding for the local initiative grant programs.

Click here for the Eden Prairie Sun’s story on the Council’s discussion of the resolution including Council Member Phil Young’s reservations about these kinds of resolutions.

March 12, 2004
BIG WOODS REMNANTS IN WAYZATA AND LONG LAKE ARE SAVED

Two remnant swaths of big woods have recently been protected from development in the Wayzata-Long Lake area. The first, a 21 acre, privately owned tract adjoining the Wood-Rill Scientific and Natural Area has been protected by a Minnesota Land Trust conservation easement; the second, a 15 acre tract of veteran trees wedged between County Road 101 and Interstate 394 will become a public park.

The Friends of the Wayzata Big Woods (FWBW) and the Trust for Public Land announced on March 12 the completion of a difficult campaign to save a rare, remnant of big woods between Interstate 394 and County Road 101. The citizen driven effort prevailed over several development proposals and in the end was made possible by a funding strategy crafted by the Trust for Public Land.

Approximately 15 wooded acres of the 22 acre “Cenacle” property will become a Wayzata Park with trails. The rest of the site, a compound operated by Our Lady of the Family, a Catholic order, is being purchased by a non-profit organization to be refitted as a chemical dependency treatment center.

The FWBW lobbied against various development proposals, developed and distributed informational materials, prompted a successful parks referendum - in the face of sometimes intense opposition - and raised $1,800,000 in donations. The Trust for Public Land was hired as a consultant and negotiator to craft what ended up to be, despite onerous deadlines, a successful deal. At $330,000 per acre, the Wayzata Big Woods has been described as the most expensive land preservation purchase to date in Minnesota on a per acre basis. Click here for the full story.

During its February 17th meeting, the Eden Prairie City Council approved a single question $22.5 million bonding referendum in support of the city’s aging but growing parks, recreation and natural resources system. Of that amount only $1 million would be targeted for open space acquisitions including the 4 acre Birch Island Road parcel and other pockets of land needed for trail corridors and other needs elsewhere in the city. The Eden Prairie News reported On February 19, 2004 that Parks Director Bob Lambert told the City Council that the city could leverage that $1 million, possibly doubling the amount, with grants and donations. Although Friends of Birch Island Woods, for example, informed the city in a February 10, 2004 letter that it would raise $200,000 to help acquire the Birch Island Road property, MN DNR local initiative (matching) grants for park land acquisition are under funded this year and competition for them is intense.

The bulk of the referendum would provide for the issue of bonds to pay for a $7.3 million outdoor aquatic center; $7.1 million for EP Community Center improvements (associated with the new aquatic center); $1.8 million for Community Center repairs; $1.3 million for site preparation and new parking lots near the Community Center and aquatic center; $1.3 million to expand Flying Cloud athletic fields; $600,000 for trail construction; $1 million in reserve for a new indoor ice rink and the $1 million for open space.

KIM VOHS REQUESTS MORE CITY SUPPORT FOR OPEN SPACE; MN LEGISLATURE MAY ALSO HELP
Prior to the City Council’s February 17th action, during its forum, Hillcrest Neighborhood resident Kim Vohs requested that the open space acquisition provision be increased to $3 million. Mr. Vohs’ request was discussed by the City Council during its regular meeting. The council, however, seemed satisfied with Park Director Lambert’s $1 million recommendation. Others agree with Mr. Vohs that future open space acquisitions need more support. (See Marcus Johnson’s letter to the Eden Prairie News on this subject in the OP ED Section.) Eden Prairie residents recently ranked open space as the highest of their park system priorities in a recent survey commissioned by the City.

FBIW co-leader Jeff Strate and Sierra Club Sprawl Committee co-chair Sharon Stephens (also a resident of Eden Prairie) point to escalating land costs and intense development pressures on land next to parks and within proposed trail corridors as reason enough to provide the kind of adequate reserve funding that Minnetonka voters provided their City in a September 2001 parks bonding referendum.

On February 17th at the State Capitol, Mr. Strate told The House Environment and Natural Resources Committee that “Time is running out for suburbs like Eagan and Eden Prairie to secure land for their green infrastructures.” Referring to Blue Earth County’s acquisition of land near the Rapidan Dam on the Blue Earth River, southwest of Mankato, Mr. Strate also noted that such programs were critical in helping revenue short cities and counties to acquire land for the greater public good for recreational, environmental, scenic and tourism industry purposes.

The Trust for Public Land reports that Minnesota House Leader Erik Paulsen (District 42 B, Eden Prairie) will be co-authoring a bill to provide bonding money for DNR local initiative grant programs for land acquisition. The City of Eden Prairie is applying a Natural and Scenic Area matching grant to help acquire the Birch Island Road parcel. Representative Paulsen is also authoring a $20 million bonding bill which would help the DNR acquire wildlife managment areas in out state Minnesota.

For fuller coverage on the current state of the upcoming referendum, check the Eden Prairie News at http://www.edenprairienews.com/ and Eden Prairie Sun Current http://www.mnsun.com/paper.asp?city=Eden_Prairie/

PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS NOT INCLUDED IN REFERENDUM
A capitol investment that was not brought to the fore for inclusion into the referendum is a pedestrian walkway beneath the Twin Cities and Western Railroad right-of-way. The underpass would connect the woods -- Eden Prairie’s smallest, but most frequently visited conservation area -- to Eden Wood Center in Birch Island Park. The concept has the support of area residents and Friendship Ventures which runs Eden Wood as an outdoors oriented retreat for special needs kids and as a conference center for the general public. The underpass was first discussed two years ago by the City’s Birch Island Woods Management Plan Task Force that helped develop a management plan for the conservation area.

February 23, 2004
MINNETONKA ACQUIRES 30 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE
The Minnetonka City Council has approved the purchase of approximately 30 acres of land from long time resident Ann Cullen Smith for open space and parks purposes. Located northwest of the Oakland and Stone Roads crossing, the land will cost $2.6 million dollars. The area on Minnetonka’s Loop Trail system opposite the west end of Meadow Park on Oakland. The acquisition is being cited by City officials as only made possible with a strong philanthropicspirt of Ann Cullen Smith; they estimate that the appraised price of the land is between $5 million and $6 million dollars.

According to Minnetonka City Manager John Gunyou, the Smith property was earmarked at the top of Minnetonka’s wish list of open spaces for protection and park purposes. Funding for the purchase will come from the sale of bonds authorized by Minnetonka voters on September 11, 2001. About half of the $15 million dollar parks bonding referendum was reserved for land acquisition. The property will be further protected with a Minnesota Land Trust conservation easement.

“I remember this beautiful land from my teenage days.” says Minnetonka native Judy Reinehr. “I can remember riding a horse there maybe in the early 60’s or late 50’s. In 2001 I campaigned for Minnetonka’s parks referendum. The City’s fund for open space which came out of that referendum has proven to be the very best way to go,” she says. “Congratulations to John Gunyou and our city council.”

February 12, 2004
CHANHASSEN’S SEMINARY FEN AGAIN IN HARMS WAY
According to the Chanhassen Villager, a group of public and non-profit agencies including Friends of Minnesota Valley, the Conservation Fund, the City of Chanhassen and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource no longer have a deal to buy and protect land in and near Seminary Fen. The cold water, calcareous wetland is among the nation’s very rarest and most endangered ecosystems.

The fen is located west of County Road 101 between Highway 212 and the SW Regional Trail. Land owner Sam Wetterlin of Edina has reportedly turned his back on a two year-old, $2 million dollar purchase agreement with the public-private partnership and now claims that the land is worth $3 million dollars. Renay Leone of the Conservation Fund, in describing the two year roller coaster attempt to save the fen, told The Villager, “I think there’s a great deal of frustration (from the partners) because we really did pull the deal together this time.” A $1.5 million bonding bill carried by Senator Julianne Ortman of Chanhassen and Representative Joe Hoppe of Chaska was signed by Governor Pawlenty in June 2003 was a major component of the funding.

For more information about Seminary Fen call Friends of the Minnesota Valley at 952-858-0737, email at: info@friendsofmnvalley or or check the online version of the Villager at http://www.chanvillager.com/

Challenged by increasing demands on its growing yet aging parks and recreation system, Eden Prairie Parks Commissioners and City Council Members began weighing in on a parks bonding referendum during a January 20th workshop. The referendum could be in the $20 million dollar range and could happen as early as May 2004.

A decade has passed since the previous parks referendum, a successful, but modest, $1.95 million dollar vote which helped acquire lands for what became the Prairie Bluff and Riley Creek Conservation Areas in southwest Eden Prairie.

The upcoming referendum could ask Eden Prairie voters to supply funding for a family aqua center/community center complex, expansion of Flying Cloud athletic fields, upgrading athletic field facilities, acquiring open space for trails and parks, upgrading and repairing Community Center facilities including one of the ice rinks. A baseball stadium for Miller Park, a competition level outdoor pool and a new, 3rd, indoor, ice rink are projects being pitched by respective athletic associations.

Although EP Parks Director Bob Lambert and the Parks commission favor a “one question” referendum, Although the City Council seems to be learning toward a “two question” referendum in which voters would be asked to consider the family aqua center-community center seperately from all the other items, Parks Director Bob Lambert and the Parks Commission went on record during that commission’s February 2 meeting as favoring a one question item.

Not all of the proposed items may be included in the referendum. This means that a provision for land acquisition funding (that might help protect 4 acres on Birch Island Road) could be dropped. A successful referendum with an open space component is viewed as very important to acquiring the Birch Island Road land. The $800,000 dollar parcel is seen as critical for the completion of the Birch Island Woods and Park area and its trail, recreational and ecological systems. (See related items below. and throughout this website.)

Friends of Birch Island Woods are hoping to discuss the issue with all the Eden Prairie Council members before February 17, the date they hope to provide shape and content to the referendum question(s). ( Note: That interim deadline could be pushed back to March 2nd if the council keeps an early May target for the vote.) As of February 7, Friends of Birch Island Woods (which favors an early June date for a referendum) has had discussions with Ron Case, Jan Mosman and Phil Young and Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens..

Referring to the referendum as a whole during the January 20th workshop, Council Member Ron Case advised that the City Council must craft a referendum that provides residents with clear knowledge of how the moneys would be spent but also provides the City with the flexibility to marshall the funds in creative and efficient ways.

Friends of Birch Island Woods leaders urge that the referendum have a healthy open space acquisition component. FBIW also recommends that the referendum vote be scheduled in June. Stay tuned.

For more coverage on the proposed EP Parks referendum and a proposed EP School District referendum check the online editions of the Eden Prairie News and Eden Prairie Sun Current.

Eden Prairie Sun Current -- http://www.mnsun.com/paper.asp?city=Eden_Prairie

Eden Prairie News -- http://www.edenprairienews.com/

RAIN WATER RUNOFF PIPELINE: GOOD NEWS.
The installation of a rainwater runoff pipe line through the woods into the main wetland of BIW Conservation Area was completed the week of January 19th. A 6” diameter pipe line and a temporary, larger 12” diameter pipeline had been laid out on top of the ground in December to the alarm of a number of passers by. (See related news item below.) Now, all is calm. Read on.

The method ultimately selected to release rainwater runoff from the new Edenvale Villas project across the street is not the one described during Planning Board and City Council hearings last fall. That earlier method called for runoff water to be siphoned from a rainwater collection pond (NURP pond) undernath Birch Island Road for release from a culvert to flow on top of the ground, down a wooded slope to the main wetland. The new method carries the water underground through the 6” pipe to a culvert, packed with riprap (rocks) at the edge of the wetland.

We can thank City Parks Manager Stu Fox and his team for assuring that the installation of the pipeline would have minimal impact on the conservation area. The excavation contractor, says Mr. Fox, was not permitted to cut any significant trees but was permitted to remove a few box elders and willows, two unprotected species, near the pipeline’s outlet. Additionally, installation work began only after the ground had frozen to avoid soil compaction.

The contractor was also asked to move a number of large deadfalls to clear a way for the woodchip trail which was planned by a citizens’ task force in 2002. The new trail will connect the main trail via a woodchip loop to Birch Island Road near Harlan Drive. The construction of the new trail is likely to be a joint City Parks and Eagle Scout project.

The swath of land that was disturbed has already received an application of dormant seed and been mulched. The natural vegetation that was driven over by equipment should recover with little of no ill effects. Friends of Birch Island Woods is submitting recommendations for replacement of some immature sugar maples and ironwoods that have been damaged. This section of the conservation area is on its way to becoming a mature, high canopy woods. The impacted areas will begin returning to normal following plant growth in the spring.

The alternative method of routing rainwater runoff from the new development has higher merit. Mr. Fox says that by boring the 6” pipe underground with auger equipment (that involved the 12” diameter, temporary pipeline (See news item and photos below), the excavation of a 20 foot deep, open cut and the removal of large oak and basswood trees was avoided. The water that will flow from the storm water retention pond (with reduced lawn chemicals) will more directly contribute to the levels of the wetland and the surface of the forest floor will evolve more naturally. Friends of Birch Island Woods has viewed sections of the wetland as candidates for naturally filtering runoff from surrounding neighborhoods. Long term residents remember catching sun fish in the area of the wetland which had been a small lake. Prior to the 1881 construction of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul RR right-of-way (the main trail), that small lake was part of Birch Island Lake.

The Eden Prairie City Council has authorized having an appraisal made on the 4.04 privately-owned parcel of Birch Island Woods on Birch Island Road in view of possibly acquiring the land to add to the Conservation Area.

The appraisal is a pre-requisite if the City is to apply for DNR land acquisition matching grants and make an offer to the two sets of co-owners. One set, headed by Terry Picha (who operates the Picha Heritage Farm and is a member of the Friends of Birch Island Woods), opposes development of the property. The other set of co-owners headed by Al Picha and his son Dwight Picha reportedly want the parcel developed. Dwight Picha is a planner who works for the City of Woodbury, a rapidly developing suburb east of St. Paul.

City staff estimates that the land will be valued at between $600,000 to $800,000. The final deadline for the DNR’s Scenic and Natural Areas and Outdoors Recreation matching grant programs is March 31, 2004. Awards are expected to be announced in August.

EP Park Director Bob Lambert explained before the holidays that he believes the intent of the Council during its December 16 meeting was also to consider earmarking an amount for at least part of the acquisition on a parks referendum that could be held in May. That amount would help pay off the City's match obligation for any grant it might receive. Any balance would need to be raised by volunteers. One possible funding scenario would require 1/3 of the cost to come from a parks referendum, 1/3 from a matching grant and 1/3 from contributions from the private sector.

But the trail to protection of the property has bumps. Mr. Lambert advises that If the referendum doesn’t occur or fails and the private sector couldn't raise the matching amount, the City could let the property go. If the referendum passed and the grant failed and the volunteers couldn't raise the difference (2/3rds of the total cost) the City could also let the property go.

“This makes the acquisition subject to a successful grant, a successful referendum and a successful fundraising effort,” says Mr. Lambert. “That's a lot of success to hope for. That can only happen with a lot of effort and a lot of luck.”

CHRISTMAS SHOCK: A PIPE LINE SUDDENLY APPEARS IN THE WOODS
(And we were worried about the ANWR pipeline in Alaska.)

The placement of 6 and 12 inch diameter piping in the conservation area from Birch Island Road north down to the main wetland and approximately 100 some yards over the wetland shocked Larry Peterson just before Christmas.

The piping is part of the construction of a storm water runoff sewer from a NURP (rainwater runoff pond) in the new Edenvale Villas project on the south side of Birch Island Road. The larger piping is used for underground, directional drilling for the smaller piping, the actual sewer line.

NURP pond rainwater runoff treatment and discharge in Minnesota is subject to strict regulation. Questions about the Edenvale Villas runoff system should be directed to 9 Mile Creek Watershed District consulting engineer Bob Obermeyer at Barr Engineering Co.(612-832-2600).

City Public Works Director Gene Deitz (952-949-8300) says that the six inch pipe (seen in the photo) will be buried and the 12 inch pipe removed. The only things that will be visible after completion of the work will be the catch basin in Birch Island Road and the outlet (with riprap) at the bottom of the hill at the edge of the wetland.

Friends of Birch Island Woods have retained landscape designer Janet Larson to review, comment on and recommend appropriate native plantings to restore the altered areas. Her recommendations will be presented to the City. (See related news item below.) City of EP Forestry Technician Jeff Cordes who normally makes these kinds of recommendations for EP parks, is currently on assignment with the National Guard in Bosnia.

LANDSCAPE PLAN FOR EDENVALE VILLAS BEING REVIEWED BY FBIW

Because of separate requests made to the City Council by FBIW members Jeff Strate in November and Vicky Miller in December, FBIW will be able to weigh in on the landscaping plan for Edenvale Villas, the 5 acre development on the south side of Birch Island Road across from the conservation area. The project (seen here on December 20, 2003) occupies the site of the former farmstead of Al and Abby Picha.

Ms. Miller was told during the December 2nd Council Forum that Brenshell Development is agreeable to making changes in its landscaping plan per direction of the City Council. The City could request changes to that plan based upon comments presented by FBIW

FBIW is concerned (1) that Birch Island Road retain its rural appeal, (2) that the conservation area be protected from any invasive trees, grasses and shrubs which may currently be part of the plan, (3) that existing homes along Kara Drive and Harlan Drive and the homes in the new subdivision have buffers which are sustainable, attractive to residents and complimentary to the conservation area, and (4) that damage to the conservation area caused by the installation of rainwater runoff pipes, storm and sanitary sewers and road improvements be repaired with suitable replacement vegetation. “These concerns are in the spirit of our concept for a Birch Island heritage/conservancy district and certainly of a concern of the city and developer as well,” said Strate.

On Saturday December 20, landscape designer Janet Larson walked through the newly graded, 5 acre development with Miller and Strate and Brenshell Development’s current landscaping plans. Larson, who specializes in landscaping with native Minnesota plants (and leads FBIW buckthorn control workshops) will submit comments on and recommendations for the current landscape plan as well as recommendations for the replanting of disturbed areas in the City’s conservation area. Miller and Strate were part of the City’s BIWCA Management Plan Task Force in 2002.

EP CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS HENNEPIN COUNTY TO CONVEY OWNERSHIP OF ORPHANED OUTLOT TO CITY OF EDEN PRAIRIE.

The first of 20 some orphaned outlots in the Edenvale quarter of Eden Prairie which includes Birch Island Woods) is slowly reverting back to protected open space status. On December 16, the EP City Council adopted a resolution to request Hennepin County to convey an acre-sized outlot to the City. The parcel, which is located on the east side of Edenvale Boulevard between Cedar Point Townhomes and Edgewood Court was nearly auctioned off by Hennepin County as tax forfeit land in May 2002. The property and nearly 20 other, mostly smaller, parcels like it, had been owned by a homeowners association which became defunct. Roger Person and Jeff Strate helped organize an effort to restore the original status of the outlots as protected open spaces. City official Gene Dietz has been guiding the outlot issue for the city at the state and county levels. The status of the other outlots remains tentative.

Another set of co-owners, however, reportedly wants the 4 acre parcel developed. This group includes and is currently represented by Dwight Picha, a senior planner for the City of Woodbury (a large, rapidly expanding suburb east of St. Paul). Dwight Picha has been guiding the development of the 5 acre farmstead owned by his father and mother Al and Abbie Picha into Edenvale Villas, also on Birch Island Road (see news items below).

Terry Picha reports that offers to buy his six acre Heritage Farm for development have been coming in for years. Terry Picha, however, intends to keep the century-old operation in business, possibly as a living history farm. If, however, the city fails to acquire the 4 acre parcel, the Heritage Farm would be forced out of existence by costly special assessments for utilities and road improvements. “It is darkly ironic,” Terry Picha tells people, “that Birch Island Road, which occupies land that was donated by my family to the City, now threatens our farm.”

Acquisition of the 4 acre parcel is now a high priority for City park officials and others including the Friends of Birch Island Woods, Friendship Ventures, the Sierra Club, Trails Without Rails, Edenvale Conservation Group and area residents.

If there is a parks and recreation bonding referendum in April, the parcel would likely be the only land acquisition item on a wish list which would include a major expansion of the community center, a new water slide park and conversion of Metropolitan Airports Commission land for use as soccer, football and lacrosse fields. The Birch Island Road parcel would likely carry the smallest price tag of all the bundle of items in the referendum.

Mr. Lambert has been prospecting for financial partners for most of the proposed elements in the referendum. The payment for the Birch Island Road parcel would likely have to rely on DNR land acquisition grants, private sector contributions as well as funds generated from a referendum. The City is currently surveying a random sample of city residents to determine what they are willing to spend money on. If the parcel and open space rank low, protection of it will become an even greater challenge. Stay tuned.

LAND CONSERVATION CAMPAIGNS IN WAYZATA, HOPKINS AND CHANHASSEN SHOW

On the heels of receiving the Champion of Open Space honor from the Embrace Open Space Campaign in October, the Friends of Birch Island Woods has sent congratulatory messages to the Friends of the Wayzata Big Woods, The Oaks Folks of Hopkins and supporters of the Seminary Fen in Chanhassen. Click here for the full story.

ELLINGSON WINS ELECTION

Bob Ellingson, a charter Friend of Birch Island Woods, will become the Ward 1 City of Minnetonka Council Member. Mr. Ellingson’s November 4 vote total exceeded 8 year incumbent Dick Allendorf’s count by only 5 votes. A November 14 hand re-count again favored Mr. Ellingson by 6 votes.

Both men are superb public servants and we can assume that both, in their new roles, will continue to serve the south east quarter of Minnetonka. Mr. Allendorf was one of the key figures in getting Hennepin County to convert the Glen Lake Sanitarium/Terrace Oaks Nursing Home campus into the Glen Lake Golf Course which extends into Eden Prairie to the Eden Wood Center next to Birch Island Woods. Mr. Ellingson takes his council seat in January. Our hats go off to both men.

FRIENDS OF BIW HONORED AS A “CHAMPION OF OPEN SPACE” BY THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION

With Eden Prairie Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Parks Director Bob Lambert, retired State Senator Ed Oliver, Friendship Ventures President Georgann Rumsey and others looking on, McKnight Foundation President Rip Rapson conferred the Champion of Open Space Award on the Friends of Birch Island Woods. The October 22nd proceedings occurred at the Eden Wood Lodge next to the Birch Island Woods. The Eden Prairie/Minnetonka conservation group formed in 1999 to protect public and privately-owned sections of the Birch Island Woods from development. The Champions of Open Space awards are presented to individuals and groups who have made extraordinary contributions to open space protection in the seven-county Twin Cities area. Joining the ceremony were other open space protection leaders including Sharon Stephens of the Sierra Club, John Ward of the Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway (Eagan) and Patricia and Vernon Isaak of the Oaks Folks (Hopkins).
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Click here for the Embrace Open Space announcement of the award.

COUNCIL APPROVES THROUGH ROAD NEXT TO WOODS.

In the end, only Council Member Jan Mosman voted against a proposed, short, through-street that will bifurcate Edenvale Villas, a proposed, compact subdivision next to the BIW Conservation Area. The 5 acre, 15 single-family house project will replace Al Picha’s farmstead between Birch Island Road and Edenvale Boulevard.

The project’s proponent, Brenshell Development of St. Bonafacious, Minnesota asked for and got a variance to the City’s Guide Plan and permission to develop with narrower lots than normally permitted. Until it approved the plan, the City Council and staff could have easily and legally directed the development to host fewer houses and be designed in a way that would complement rather than be at odds with Birch Island Road and the conservation area; but it did not occur to them to do so.

During the public hearing portion of the October 21 deliberations, area residents and the Friends of BIW (one of them presenting a 120 signature petition against a through street) laid out their case for a cul-de-sac. They said that a dead end street would be best for the conservation area, the scenic appeal of Birch Island Road, the new development’s future residents (who of course could not have been present) and Kurtz Lane families. Kurtz Lane residents said they feared that another through street and improvements to Birch Island Road would prompt more traffic and speeding on their street. One Kurtz Lane resident could cite four car crashes near her home.

The majority of the council, however, recalling a “policy” which they seemed to think now favors through streets and a “desire” to not contradict its advisory commissions (including the Planning Board), didn’t agree with the Kurtz Lane people and other Eden Prairie residents. The Mayor and council members Sherry Butcher, Phil Young and eventually Ron Case sided with the city’s road engineers in favor of cars and against, as Council Member Mosman put it , “ the green infrastructure” of the conservation area. Referring to the Council’s decision in a letter to the October 30th edition of the Eden Prairie News, cul-de-sac supporter John E. Mallo wrote , “Apparently the lesson is if you are a resident of Eden Prairie, asking for a variance in "city policy," forget it, regardless of the number of signatures in support, while a developer, a non-resident, can get "city policy" changed at whim.”

EP CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZES CITY STAFF TO IDENTIFY WAYS AND MEANS OF ADDING A 4 ACRE PARCEL TO BIW CONSERVATION AREA

Also during its October 21 meeting, the City Council authorized the city staff to identify ways and means of acquiring 4 privately-owned acres along the north side of Birch Island Road for an expansion of the Birch Island Woods Conservation Area.

Earlier in the month, the request had been reviewed by and recommended for approval by the Eden Prairie Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission. Any attempt to save this section of the woods from development will be difficult but do-able, according to the Friends of Birch Island Woods. See a related news item below.

Acting on a request by the Friends of Birch Island Woods during its regular October 6 meeting, the EP Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission decided to recommend to the City Council that it authorize city staff to look for ways of acquiring 4 privately-owned acres along the north side of Birch Island Road for expansion of the Birch Island Woods Conservation Area. Chair Rob Barrett noted during the meeting that the turn-out (32 some people) was unusually large for a parks commission meeting. Friends of FBI members Lisa Rolf and Vicky Miller were delighted that even after four and half years, people felt strongly about keeping the woods, park and lake corridor unfragmented.

The parcel is identified for acquisition in the City’s current Comprehensive Park and Open Space System Plan and is a high priority if and when it becomes available for acquisition. Because the city is likely to be holding a parks and recreation bonding referendum in the spring of 2004 for expansion of the community center, a new, outdoor water park, additional athletic fields and high priority open space acquisitions, the commission found merit in determining soon how the woods expansion would work and be paid for. Whether or not the woods expansion and other open space acquisitions will be part of the referendum has yet to be determined. The city will consider the results of an upcoming phone survey about what Eden Prairians are willing to spend money on for parks and recreation as an important factor for inclusion on the referendum. The EP City Council is expected to consider the commission’s recommendation (which is a preliminary step) during its October 21 meeting.

A plan for 15 new, $500,000 homes and a street to replace Al Picha’s farmstead was found by the Eden Prairie Planning Board on September 22 to be good enough for review by the City Council. The 1905 prairie style farm house and a field on the 5 acre parcel between Birch Island Road and Edenvale Boulevard will be demolished.

Despite the advisory approval of the planning board and city staff, important concerns remain including plans for Terrace Oaks Lane, the proposed through street from Edenvale Blvd. to Birch Island Rd, and landscaping along Birch Island Road. Vicky Miller and Jeff Strate spoke in favor of a cul-de-sac leading from Edenvale Boulevard which they believe would add appeal and value to the new homes and be the best option for the Birch Island Road viewshed and therefore residents from all over town. Birch Island Road is important to the conservation area and a heritage district proposal that is being introduced to various city commissions, businesses and community groups by the Friends of Birch Island Woods.

A public hearing for the Edenvale Villas project at the Eden Prairie City Council will likely happen on Tuesday October 21. Questions about the project should be directed to Senior Planner Mike Franzen at City Hall at 952-949-8300.

WILD MUSHROOM SEASON
Rains, cooler temperatures and blaze orange maple leaves signal the 3rd Act in our theater of seasons. Enter giant puffballs and other varieties of mushrooms Birch Island Woods stage.

Look for mushrooms on either side of the main trail and the new woodchip, loop path in the center of the conservation area.

September 16, 2003
CONCEPTS FOR A BIRCH ISLAND HERITAGE DISTRICT ARE BEING INTRODUCED TO COMMUNITY GROUPS AND CITY COMMISSIONS.

The Friends of Birch Island Woods are developing a concept which could result in the designation of the City of Eden Prairie’s first “heritage district.” The district would be located in north central Eden Prairie and include The Birch Island Woods, Park and Lake, the Picha Heritage Farm, publicly-owned wetlands and wooded areas and possibly the Kingswood neighborhood to the east of Bent Creek Golf Course.

Beginning in January, evolving versions of the concept have been presented to the Eden Prairie History Society, the EP Heritage Preservation and Parks Commissions, administrators of Friendship Ventures, (the private agency that runs the Eden Wood Center), a number of local residents and a chapter of the EP Rotary.

The district would help provide the area’s bundle of historic, natural, recreational, business and human service resources and neighborhoods with recognition that they share a unique section of the city and a more promotable branding identity.

The idea-in-progress is based upon heritage areas in Maryland and other states and models developed by the National Parks Service. For more information, click to our Heritage District section

CONSTRUCTION OF PARKING LOT IN BI WOODS DELAYED.
The construction of a small parking area for motorists visiting the Birch Island Woods Conservation Area has been delayed until 2004. The delay was prompted by a Friends of Birch Island Woods request made to and endorsed by the City of EP Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission during its August 4, 2003 meeting.

The possible expansion of the BI Woods Conservation Area (at 32 acres, the city’s smallest conservation area) may provide a more desirable site for a parking lot than the one that has been selected. The current, planned parking site is currently occupied by the crumbling concrete slab of an old hog barn about 35 yards west of the Indian Chief Road trail head. The old piggery had supplied pork for the Glen Lake Tuberculosis Sanitarium/Terrace Oaks complex which was demolished in the early 1990’s for the Glen Lake Golf and Practice Center.

JEFF CORDES IN BOSNIA WITH MN NATIONAL GUARD
City forestry technician Jeff Cordes began a 9 month, military leave-of-absence in July to serve in Bosnia with the Minnesota National Guard. Mr. Cordes encouraged, and with Janet Larson co-headed the first of the Friends of BIW ongoing series of buckthorn control seminars. A member of the Native Plant Society of Minnesota and the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture, Mr. Cordes, among other activities, oversees habitat restoration initiatives and the removal of noxious weeds for the City. He has also been a key figure in the city’s successful requests for grants in planning for the management of portions of its parks and trail systems.

Mr. Cordes, who is a Major in the MN Guard’s 34th Infantry Division, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1981 for four years of active duty. Before joining the Guard, he was in the Army Reserve. The Minnesota contingent will operate within guidelines and goals set by the United Nations to assist with the distribution of humanitarian aid and help control crime and corruption. After the Bosnia tour, Major Cordes will return to his civilian position with EP’s Park, Recreation and Natural Resources services. The Friends of Birch Island Woods wish him the best of luck on his assignment and look forward to his return.

Click here for Dan Huss’ full Eden Prairie News article on Mr. Cordes.

DON URAM IN IRAQ
City of Eden Prairie Director of Management and Finance Don Uram has joined North Carolina-based Research Triangle, Inc. as a senior public finance administrator in Iraq.

Research Triangle is under contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop a system of local government in the chaotic, post-Sadam Hussein nation. According to the September/October edition of Community News, a city newsletter, Mr. Uram will be among 250 RTI employees working on this goal.

Uram, who joined the City of EP in 1985, has the experience to make a difference; he’s overseen the city's financial, community development and personnel departments as well as the city's liquor store operation and has been a director of community development and financial services. Three years ago, Mr. Uram helped Friends of Birch Island Woods leaders understand the intricacies of regional revenue sharing programs and city, county and state financial systems as the group explored ways acquire 32 acres of the Birch Island Woods.

Before leaving for Iraq, Mr. Uram told the Eden Prairie News that he is most proud of Eden Prairie’s financial standing: "I would have to say we're in better shape than any city in the state of Minnesota."

After his Middle East assignment, Uram will return home to Eden Prairie to work in the private sector. The Friends of BIW wishes him the best of luck.

Click here for Stuart Sudak’s full Eden Prairie News story

July 14, 2003
PILEATED WOODPECKERS, BLUE BIRDS AND COYOTES SIGHTED IN BIRCH ISLAND WOODS AREA

Infrequently seen species of birds and animals have been spotted this summer in or near the BIW Conservation Area. Blue birds have made a come back along the Twin City and Western RR right-of-way. The blue bird houses installed by Eden Wood staff no doubt are a factor. Pileated Woodpecker drumming and nests have also been detected at Eden Wood and the northeast quadrant of the conservation area. In May, a bicyclist saw a coyote loping north along Indian Chief Road and a number of hikers continue to spot red foxes in and around the woods.

June 28, 2003
OPEN SPACE WORKSHOP AND BUCKTHORN PULL: A BUSY SATURDAY IN AND NEAR THE WOODS

With an open space workshop, a buckthorn pull and its normal weekend compliment of special needs campers on June 28, the Eden Wood Center buzzed like a clutch of summer wildflowers, hover flies and bees.

The Saving Open Workshop - sponsored by Friends of Birch Island Woods, Sierra Club and Friends of the Minnesota Valley (which was partially funded by the McKnight Foundation’s Embrace Open Space Campaign) registered 46 participants with another 8 or so dropping in during the morning session. Among the attendees were Seminary Fen champion, Representative Hoppe (Chanhassen) and Eden Prairie Council Member and heritage advocate Jan Mosman.

The group heard presentations on all aspects related to open space protection from Sierrans Trevor Russell, Sharron Stephens and Friends of Birch Island Woods leaders Terry Picha and Jeff Strate, Minnesota Land Trust’s Ann Thies, Friends of Minnesota Valley Director Lori Nelson and news paper advisor Frank Jossi.

Strate and Picha talked about the ongoing Birch Island Woods campaign and its grass roots and inclusionary approach to expand the conservation area and steward the Birch Island Woods district’s unique cluster of scenic, human service, recreational, environmental, historic, farming and recreational resources.

Steve Eggers, a leading authority on wetlands, also briefed the workshop’s morning workshop on Chanhassen’s Seminary Fen and took 30 of the participants on an afternoon foot tour of the rare and endangered wetland. SW Metro provided one of its buses for the trip to the Bluff Creek Road trail head.

Buckthorn Pull
While folks began arriving at the Eden Wood Center for the open space event, the Birch Island Woods buckthorn pull was underway. City of Eden Prairie forestry technician Jeff Cordes and landscape consultant Janet Larson briefed a group of seven, stout-hearted, mosquito-slapping, buckthorn fighting homeowners on woodland ecology. While in the conservation area, the group learned more native woodland plants and effective buckthorn removal techniques while pulling out with hand trowels scores of young buckthorn trees. The event was the second of an ongoing series of buckthorn removal seminars being sponsored by the Friends of Birch Island Woods. Click here for more information on these noxious plants. (link to buckthorn and garlic mustard sections).

Friends of Birch Island Woods volunteers Phil Morton, Lois Hall, Dennis Wiese, Dave Spoor, Lisa Rolf and her father and kids, Carol Grams, Marcia Eland, Bob Ellingson, The Sierra Club, Friends of Patrick Egan Park’s Jack G. Conrad and John Ward, the Edina Conservation Group and the Eden Wood’s staff helped publicize or set up the day.

June 18, 2003
STUDY OF LOW LEVELS AT BIRCH ISLAND LAKE BEGINS
9 Mile Creek Watershed District consulting engineer Bob Obermeyer reported on June 18, 2003 to the District’s Board of Managers that two new piezometers (measurement wells) will be dug in the Birch Island Lake vicinity in mid-July. In a phone conversation with Friends of Birch Island Woods hydrology consultant Leigh Harrod, Mr. Obermeyer said that although underground water levels in the area have been recorded since the early 90's, the set of 4 piezometers had proven to be too shallow to satisfactorily intercept the water table. The new 40 and 20 foot-deep wells will be located on the south side of the Crosstown near the County Road 4 off ramp.

One theory pertaining to the low lake level is that the thick granule and highly permeable base of Highway 62 (the Crosstown Highway-constructed in the early 1990’s) could possibly be intercepting underground water along its route thus wicking it away from the lake and adjacent wetlands.

Mr. Obermeyer says that data collection from the new and old piezometers and other sources could take a year or longer before any theory is tested. The new study was prompted by a request of the Friends of Birch Island Woods. Stay tuned for updates.

May 25, 2003
ALBERT PICHA FARM IS READIED FOR DEVELOPMENT

As of May 29, no development proposals are known to have been submitted to the City of Eden Prairie planning department but that will certainly happen. There is growing concern that the now unique and valued rural character of Birch Island Road will be compromised.

A 4 acre swath of the Birch Island Woods on Birch Island Road owned by a private family partnership may also be proposed for development. The City of Eden Prairie and others including Terry Picha would like to add that parcel to the conservation area or have it partially folded into a living history farm project.

Whether or not the 1905 prairie style house to which Al and Abbie moved in 1935 will remain, perhaps in a renovated form, remains to be determined. Click here for a map of the Birch Island Woods District.

May 19, 2003
PLANT SALE A SUCCESS
The Terry Picha Family and the Friends of Birch Island Woods wrapped up the third annual plant sale on May 17th. They would like to thank all the folks who came to buy plants and revisit a bit of “Old Minnesota.” That’s Terry with the Eden Prairie History Society’s Allene Hookman on opening weekend. Also greeting visitors were community leader Gerry Beckmann and a trio of musicians headed by fiddler Ken Sherman.

The plant sale netted $2000 dollars for Birch Island Woods area projects. “We did really well,” said Picha. “We stocked more trees than we needed but people seemed happy, even eager, to come to the farm,” he added. This year the sale offered a fuller array of perennials and herbs.

Most buyers came from the Eden Prairie/Minnetonka area but folks looking for heirloom tomatoes and herbs drove in from Minneapolis.

Four days after the benefit ended, people were still driving up to the gate of the 100 year old farmstead to buy plants .

“Its gratifying to know that they like what we’re trying to do with the farm and the woods,” said Picha. A number of folks were surprised by the rural character of the Birch Island Woods district. “This is really special,” said a visitor from Edina on Friday evening.

Proceeds will go to conservation and education projects and the campaign to expand the size of the 32 acre conservation area by approximately 9 acres

February 28, 2003
EDENVALE’S ORPHANED OUTLOTS TO BE RESCUED BY THE CITY
The Eden Prairie City Council agreed on February 18th to begin the process of transforming some 21 outlots south and southeast of the Birch Island Woods into city parks and open spaces. The natural parcels, wildlife habitat corridors and common areas became an issue when one of them, a wooded acre on Edenvale Boulevard, was nearly auctioned off by Hennepin County to developers last May.

Actions by nearby residents and the Friends of Birch Island Woods led to the formation of the Edenvale Conservation Group (ECG) and the temporary removal of the parcel from the auction. ECG and FBIW legal council Tom Casey and the City had determined that insufficient information about the parcel should disqualify it from the May auction.

A City team headed by Public Works Director Gene Dietz and an ECG team headed by Roger Person discovered that other Edenvale outlots had fallen into the same legal limbo when a home owners organization, the Edenvale Association, was involuntarily dissolved in 1997.

The City will now develop acquisition, management and liability plans for the parcels. “We are absolutely on the right track,” said Person. “There are problems to work out, but we’ll soon see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Click here for a press release about the Edenvale outlots.

72 PEOPLE ATTEND BUCKTHORN SEMINAR
Master gardener and horticultural consultant Janet Larson and forestry technician Jeff Cordes led a two and one half hour seminar on buckthorn and its removal on Saturday February 15th at the Eden Wood Center, next to the woods. “Wow, were we surprised and delighted by the turnout and enthusiasm, said Larson afterwards. The seminar, which drew 72 participants, was sponsored by the Friends of Birch Island Woods to drum up interest in buckthorn removal in Minnetonka and Eden Prairie and to recruit volunteers for a city certified removal program in the woods. Click here for more buckthorn info.

February 2, 2003
UPDATES ON BIRCH ISLAND LAKE STUDY, BUCKTHORN MANAGEMENT AND OTHER INITIATIVES HIGHLIGHT FBIW WINTER MEETING
Updates on various concerns in north central Eden Prairie were presented at the Winter Meeting of The Friends of Birch Island Woods held January 20th the at the Eden Wood Center. Among to 50 plus people attending the meeting were EP City Council Member Jan Mosman and various community leaders.
The updates are as follows:

LOW LEVELS OF BIRCH ISLAND LAKE
Birch Island Lake Committee Chair Geri Napuck reported that in December 2002, the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District authorized additional and deeper piezometers (wells) to measure underground water levels along the Crosstown Highway corridor north of Birch Island Lake. The lake’s level has fallen up to 8 feet since the construction of the crosstown highway in the early 1990’s, prompting some to refer to it as Eden Prairie’s single greatest environmental disaster.

In a January 8, 2003 letter to Napuck, watershed district, consulting engineer Bob Obermeyer (Barr Engineering) reported that by early fall of this year, enough new data will have been collected to finalize conclusions and recommendations for stabilizing the lake’s level.

ENDANGERED OUTLOTS, CORRIDORS AND OPEN SPACES.
Edenvale Conservation Group (ECG) leader Roger Person reported that progress is being made in taking measure of the deed, liability, management and legal issues of nearly 30 outlots which were associated with the Edenvale Association. Formed in the mid-1970’s, the homeowners group ceased to exist in 1997. The risk of losing these highly valued open spaces, wildlife corridors and viewsheds in north central Eden Prairie came to the fore last April when an outlot near Person’s home was included in a Hennepin County tax forfeit land auction. Quick work by the newly formed ECG and the City of Eden Prairie, got the parcel temporally removed from the sale giving Person and others such as Jeff Strate and Don Opheim enough time they hope, to restore protection to the open spaces. The group will participate in a City workshop on the outlots later this month. Roger Person can be reached at 952-937-8815 or via email at < roger@citilink.com>

Kim Vohs talked about development threats to the Purgatory Creek corridor, noting that “For Sale” signs have popped up on its edges. He talked about several preservation scenarios but, given the poor economy, noted that funding for land preservation was now a long shot. On the bright side, Jeff Strate said that the City’s new Park and Open Space Plan would include language describing the area as desirable for expanding the Edenvale Conservation Area.

Bob Krocak provided an update on the wetland construction work that began in October in the 11 acre parcel at Woodland Road and Edenvale Boulevard. A wetland mitigation project, the grading of the new wetland removed many more trees than some people along Sunshine Drive had wanted. But, said Krocak, this spring the City will begin an extensive habitat restoration project providing the area with a rich variety of native Minnesota plants, shrubs, forbs and trees. Seven years ago, “Glenshire Outlot A” was removed from Hennepin County’s tax forfeit land auction because the county had failed to get legislative approval for its sale -- the land contains a pond. The Glenshire-Edenvale Conservation Group, local legislators, the Minnesota Land Trust and the city crafted a strategy to keep the area undeveloped. The parcel is protected by a Minnesota Land Trust conservation easement.

SOUTHWEST REGIONAL LRT TRAIL
Trails Without Rails leader Gary Diamond reported that he anticipates a February release of Hennepin County’s transit route options study. The Hopkins-Minnetonka-EP group opposes use of much of the SW Transit corridor for light rail or buses. The corridor from Minneapolis, through Hopkins, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Chanhassen is currently occupied by the regional bike trail managed by Three Rivers Park District. Click here for links to various transit sites and Trails Without Rails. (link to our trail page)

PLANT SALE AND BUCKTHORN REMOVAL
Terry Picha laid out plans for the 3rd annual plant sale at his heritage farm which will be held from May 9 though May 18. Jeff Strate said the city’s parks department will likely soon adopt a program, involving the Friends of Birch Island Woods to remove buckthorn from the woods and park.

HERITAGE DISTRICT CONCEPT IS UNVEILED.
A proposed “heritage district” which would earmark a portion of north central Eden Prairie as an historic and natural resources heritage district was unveiled in mid-January to several local groups. The district would include a cluster of historic structures including the century-old Picha Farm, a segment of the original road bed of the Milwaukee RR, various archaeological sites and the 1882 Holasek House and Glen Lake Children’s Camp which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Speaking to the Friends of Birch Island Woods, the Eden Prairie History Society and the EP Heritage Preservation Commission, Jeff Strate said that the 1960’s Kings Forest neighborhood east of Bent Creek Golf Course might also be part of, or form its own, district. With its rolling, oak-shaded setting and signature ranch homes from the Kennedy era, Strate views Kings Forest as one of the loveliest post World War II, suburban neighborhoods in the metro region.

On a tour of the proposed district, Farmer Terry Picha and Strate pointed out to Sun Current editor Merrily Helgeson that the sites are situated in landscapes that have changed little over the years. “A pocket of rural Minnesota is surviving in the midst of a bustling suburban area,” Strate likes to point out. Picha has plans of operating his century old farm as a living history farm.

Strate and City Historic Preservation Specialist John Gertz told the Heritage Preservation Commission on January 21 that such a district will not likely involve additional zoning, building or remodeling restrictions. Strate said that the concept will evolve over the next few years and would need support from area residents, businesses and the City Council in order to be implemented. Gertz is looking at heritage area concepts developed by Maryland and the National Parks Service as possible models for a local version. Although no official actions have yet been taken, the heritage idea is generating enthusiasm. Stay tuned. Click here for the 1/30/03 Sun Current story on the proposed district.

January 6, 2003
FRIENDS OF BIRCH ISLAND WOODS CONTRIBUTE TO PARK AND OPEN SPACE PLAN

Eden Prairie’s Draft Plan of its Park and Open Space System received preliminary approval by the City Council on December 17 after accepting a number of amendments recommended by the Friends of Birch island Woods.

Such plans, required of cities within the seven county jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Council, serve as a tools for future land use planning, managing and budgeting for park, open space, recreation and trail amenities.

The FBIW amendments included:

1. More fully detailed profiles of the Birch Island Woods, Edenvale, Prairie Bluff and Riley Creek Conservation Areas, Birch Island Park and Eden Wood Center and the Southwest Regional LRT Trail
2. Reference to Hennepin County’s bike transportation plan and the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge
3. The role of small scale agriculture and farmers markets

Speaking to the City Council, FBIW member Jeff Strate said that although the draft plan impressively documents Eden Prairie’s remarkable park, trail and open space resources, sections of it needed updating, correcting and fleshing out.

In commenting about the plan (a work-in-progress) to a newspaper reporter, Strate said it is critical that planners have at their tables the full menu of community, recreational and environmental functions of each of the city’s parks and open spaces. Pressure to develop publicly-owned open spaces will greatly increase and planners need the facts. Parks Director Bob Lambert and the City Council agreed with most of the 17 pages of recommended amendments.

BENCHMARK: Flying Cloud Airport Agreement and Zero Expansion

On December 16 and 17, 2002 the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) and the City of Eden Prairie agreed to limit harmful impacts of the planned expansion of Flying Cloud Airport. An enormous amount of time, thought and resources were invested into the crafting of the agreement by the City, MAC and grassroots activists. The agreement was approved a year after former Mayor Jean Harris and the City Council agreed to the purchase terms of the Birch Island Woods.

The Friends of Birch Island Woods salutes their Zero Expansion colleagues for their ongoing and productive vigilance of airport related environmental, quality-of-life and economic issues. Pictured during the December 17 agreement signing at City Hall are (left to right) Zero Expansion’s Mark Michaelson, Duane Klinge, Vicki Pellar-Price and Kim Vohs.

BENCHMARK: New Amenities for the SW Regional LRT Trail.
A new ribbon of asphalt from Beltine Boulevard in St. Louis Park to the Lake Street bridge near Lake Calhoun marks the end of an ornery gap in the SW Regional LRT Trail. The new link connects to the Midtown Greenway and the chain of lakes, Kenilworth and Cedar Lake Trails. It is now possible, possums, to bike on trails from the Birch Island Woods district to the Uptown district and Orchestra Hall.

Closer to the woods, the 125-year old Smith Douglas More House, 200 yards north of the trail’s Eden Prairie Road crossing, is now occupied by a Dunn Bros. Coffeehouse. The $680,000 City of EP restoration and expansion project is expected to pay for itself in about a decade. With the Depot Coffee House in Hopkins, the Glen Lake Golf Center in Minnetonka and the new Dunn Bros. operation, the south branch of the SW Regional Trail boasts some interesting pit stops. Download our free, PDF Guide to the SW Regional LRT Trail for the full story. Click here.

November 14, 2002
WORK BEGINS ON GLENSHIRE OPEN SPACE WETLAND PROJECT

Silt fences have been installed in the Glenshire open space in preparation for the slated wetland reconstruction project. The fences mark the general area within which grading will occur. On November 4, Leslie Stovring and the contstruction company walked the area to identify the trees which should be saved.

A temporary, equipment acccess road from Edenvale Boulevard and a “chipping station” for the tree removal phase is also being installed and the water outlet structure at Edenvale (a weir) will be removed to temporarily lower the pond level in preparation for grading.

Grading in the Glenshire area will begin after another grading project near the City’s Water Treatment Plant is completed and after the ground freezes sometime in December. For more information see the September 19, 2002 news item below or call EP Environmental Coordinator Leslie Stovring at 952-949-8300.

October 20, 2002
CONGRESSMAN JIM RAMSTAD ATTENDS OCTOBER 14 CANDIDATES FORUM
RESULTS OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND OPEN SPACE QUESTIONNAIRE ARE AVAILABLE
Candidates for Eden Prairie City Council and State Legislature districts tackled quality of life, open space, environmental, light rail transit and smoking issues Monday October 14 at the Voices of the Prairie: Meet the Candidates forum. Also attending was Congressman Jim Ramstad who spoke about his appropriations request for federal dollars to help expand the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge in Eden Prairie. The measure has passed the U.S. House and will be taken up by the U.S. Senate after the November 5th election.

The forum, held at Cedar Ridge Elementary School, was an adjunct of an issue questionnaire sponsored by citizen groups headed by Zero Expansion (Flying Cloud Airport) and including Friends of Birch Island Woods, Trails Without Rails, Edenvale Conservation Group and Fresh Air on the Prairie.

To learn how local candidates stand on environmental, open space, LRT, smoking, airport and recreational issues, click here for the 2002 Voters Guide.

WORK ON NEW WOOD CHIP LOOP TRAIL BEGINS, MAY POSE TEMPORARY PROBLEMS FOR BIKE RIDERS
The construction of a new, hiking-only trail in the Birch Island Woods may present temporary problems for bike riders. The southwest half of the main trail from Birch Island Road is being used to stockpile wood chips for the project and may be difficult to negotiate on a bicycle when conditions are wet.

The new loop begins at the approximate midpoint of the main trail and will eventually sprout a branch to Harlan Drive and Birch Island Road. Eden Prairie Parks is partnering on the project with Eagle Scout candidate Ian Campbell of Minnetonka. Campbell, Scout Leader and DFL State Senate Candidate Larry Piumbroeck and City Parks Manager Stu Fox were spotted working on the trail October 12.

September 28, 2002
McKNIGHT FOUNDATION OPEN SPACE CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED SEPTEMBER 30
The McKnight Foundation's yearlong Embrace Open Space campaign was launched from four endangered open spaces on September 28. From the first site, St. Paul's Indian Mounds Park, McKnight Director Rip Rapson, Met Council head Ted Mondale, Mayor Randy Kelly and others spoke of the importance of protecting open spaces in the Twin Cities region.

Perched on Mississippi River bluffs, Mounds Park overlooks the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary at Lower Phalen Creek, one of ten open spaces assigned high priority by the campaign. On behalf of the Foundation and such sponsoring organizations as the Minnesota Land Trust, the MN Center for Environmental Advocacy and the Sierra Club, Rapson called for people through out the region to make a personal commitment to rescue threatened natural areas.

McKnight Foundation head Rip Rapson, Brich Island Woods' Jeff Strate and Met Council head Ted Mondale at the kickoff for the Embrace Open Space campaign

Among the campaign's high priority areas is Chanhassen's Seminary Fen, a rare, cold-water, calcareous wetland 6 3/4 miles south west of the Birch Island Woods on the Regional LRT Trail (See our trail guide which is down-loadable from this site.) The Birch Island Woods is one of two other open space "treasures" located in Eden Prairie. Visit the Embrace Open Space site and search around to learn what the other one is and find out more about the program.

September 19, 2002
GLENSHIRE WETLAND RESTORATION TO BEGIN THIS AUTUMN.
A former, tax forfeit outlot about 3/4 of a mile south of the Birch Island Woods in Eden Prairie is about to get the make over which helped made it possible for it to become a protected open space. The 11 acre "Glenshire Outlot A" between Edenvale Boulevard, Woodland Drive and the backyards along Sunshine Drive was nearly auctioned off by Hennepin County in May 5, 1995 for partial development by the highest bidder. But concerned neighbors calling themselves the Glenshire Edenvale Conservation Group (GECG) discovered that because the tax-forfeit parcel was adjacent to "public waters wetlands," an auction of it would first require legislative approval. As a result, Outlot A was removed from the auction.

After nearly 2 years of give and take, the City of Eden Prairie and the GECG crafted a way for the city to recoup lost, future assessment revenues and to keep the parcel undeveloped. The plan required special legislation that the parcel to be used by the City as a site for wetland mitigation (newly created wetlands to replace wetlands lost elsewhere to City projects) and provided for the parcel's protection with a Minnesota Land Trust conservation easement.

It took another 5 years to dot the many i's and cross the t's: to pass the legislation, draft and approve the conservation easement and adopt a plan for the restoration.

According to EP Environmental Coordinator Leslie Stovring, construction of the new wetland will begin this September or October, seven and one half years after the outlot became an issue. Representatives from the Glenshire Edenvale Conservation Group have monitored the project and worked with the city, the legislature and the MN Land Trust from the get go. The highly regulated project will require the removal of a number of trees and noxious, exotic foliage, significant grading and re-contouring of soils. The parcel will be replanted with native wetland and upland grasses, herbs, forbs, shrubs, trees and wildflowers. Although the parcel will lose much of its visual appeal for a few years, it will be able to support more scenic and richer wildlife and bird habitats and more effectively clean rainwater runoff before it flows into the Purgatory Creek wetlands.

For more information call Environmental Coordinator Leslie Stovring at 952-949-9300.

July 8, 2002
LIVE FROM BIRCH ISLAND LAKE: MOSQUITO SWOOPS INTO REPORTERS MOUTH DURING ON-AIR, CH 9 BRIEFING ON SKEETER WARS.

From the marshy, south side of Birch Island Lake early Friday, June 28, Metro Mosquito Control's Michael McLean and CH 9 Reporter Dave Hanson were showing Good Day Show viewers how the state's most despised insect is held in check. The news crew had parked their microwave van on Birch Island Road near the Picha farm for the live video feed. Mclean and Hanson were posted among the cattails, swamp critters and swarms for that "up-close and personal" touch so beloved by TV directors.

McLean talked about seeding bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis ) in breeding areas. The Bti bacteria, which lives in soil and is otherwise harmless, disrupts mosquito larvae digestion causing them to expire. The bacteria is dispensed by hand spreader and helicopter.

Clearly irritated by the report, one mosquito darted, kamikaze-like, into Hanson's mouth causing the unflappable pro to cough and grimace -- although with good cheer. "Yeah we've got a lot em out here." Hanson explained, later in the show. "Trust me, I was feeling a little farklempt there for a moment." For info on mosquito relief call Metro Mosquito Control Hotline at 651-643-8383 or visit www.mmcd.org on the web.

CITY COUNCIL APPROVES PLAN FOR BI WOODS.
As expected, the Eden Prairie City Council approved on June 25 the BI Woods Master Plan Recommendations developed by the 11 member, Birch Island Woods Conservation Area Task Force. The plan is designed to preserve the site, allow public access and maintain natural resources. Speaking on behalf of the report were EP Parks and Natural Resources Manager Stuart Fox and Parks and Rec Services Director Bob Lambert. Also in attendance were Task Force Chair Jeff Strate and members Katy Egan-Benck of Minnetonka and Steve Hartle and George Tkach of Eden Prairie.

Strate and Tkach were invited by Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens to elaborate more fully on the "woodskeeper" concept that Strate had brought to the task force in April. The "woodskeepers" would be a qualified citizens appointed by the City and trained by natural resources management professionals to monitor and help maintain local conservation areas and parks. Birch Island Woods neighbors have long picked up litter along its periphery roads, but the "woodskeepers" positions would open the door for greater stewardship opportunities in Eden Prairie. Tkach, who participates in similar Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge program, noted that "woodskeepers" would also be on-the-trail, nature interpreters and ambassadors-at-large for Eden Prairie's parks and natural areas.

For a copy of the BIW Plan call Parks and Natural Resources Manager Stuart Fox at 952-949-8300. Click here for the Eden Prairie News story on the plan.

June 6, 2002
BIW PLAN MOVES FORWARD.
With the June 2, 2002 approval of the Birch Island Woods Conservation Area Master Plan and Management Plan by the Eden Prairie Parks and Rec Citizens Advisory Commission, the EP City Council is expected to review and approve the plan on June 18. The plan was crafted by an 11 member citizen task force (see below) which also created a vision for the new conservation area:

Birch Island Woods Conservation Area should provide connectivity to nature for the citizens of Eden Prairie through the preservation and wise management of natural resources. Site development should consist of trails, connections to surrounding uses, nature study and support facilities appropriate to the scale and sanctuary character of the land.

Generally the proposed plan calls for the restoration of natural vegetation and wetlands, the construction of two pedestrian, wood chip nature trails following existing foot paths and a small parking lot with a bike rack. The city's dog leashing ordinance would be enforced and BMX bike jumps will be leveled in compliance with parks policy.

E-mail your questions and comments to BIW Task Force Chair Jeff Strate who will pass them on to the city.

CONSERVATION AREA IS LARGER THAN THOUGHT
City surveyors recently determined that the protected, city-owned portion of the Birch Island Woods is 31.6 acres, up from earlier "guesstimates" of about 29 acres. Eden Prairie's newest conservation area, however, remains its smallest preserve. 9 privately owned acres of the woods (two parcels) may in the future be added to the conservation area through purchases and/or easements. One of the parcels may be utilized by its owners as part of the Picha Heritage Farm.

HENNEPIN COUNTY WILL KEEP THE INDIAN CHIEF ROAD PARCEL FOR THE TIME BEING
With the launching of another study of the South West Light Rail Transit Corridor, Hennepin County has told Eden Prairie that it will not at this time sell the City the 4.4 acre, wooded strip along Indian Chief Road. According to EP Parks director Bob Lambert, The County now wants to first evaluate the study which is looking at the feasibility of converting the popular regional bike trail for use by light rail transit or other forms of transportation. The Indian Chief Road parcel and another, nearby county parcel between the regional trail and Edenvale Boulevard may be used for commuter parking and access. The County, however, says that it will sell the Indian Chief Road parcel to the city at the negotiated price if the study determines that the parcel is not needed. (See below.)

LARGE WETLAND IN WOODS IS PART OF STUDY
The Wetland Health Evaluation Project (WHEP) has selected the large wetland in the Birch Island Woods as one of its subjects. Team leader John Vickery and volunteers will be studying the vegetation and macro invertebrate (swamp creature) communities in the woods area as well as Moraine Pond, a Duck Lake backwater and a Dell Road wetland near Bear Path Trail elsewhere in Eden Prairie. Minnetonka sites include wetlands near Bet Shalom Synagogue, Brown Lane, Williston Lane and Stone Pond. WHEP is run by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Hennepin Conservation District with support from participating cities. For more information call Dave Phill at 763-420-2157.

BIW PLANT SALE PREVAILS OVER WIND, RAIN AND COLD WEATHER
Despite high winds, frost warnings, heavy rain and a shorter run, the Birch Island Woods plant sale in mid-May nearly equaled last year's premier. Action was slow until Saturday May 18 when spring returned. That's when Carol Grams of Minnetonka, pictured here, visited.

This year's proceeds, totaling about $1000, will help the Friends of Birch Island Woods assist the city with habitat restoration and trail projects and to search for ways to enlarge the conservation area. Plans are already being made for the 2003 plant sale which will again be held next to the woods at the Picha Heritage Farm which will be celebrating its 100th birthday.

WOODS LEADERS WELCOME NEW EP CITY MANAGER SCOTT NEAL AND THANK CARL JULLIE
On behalf of the Picha Heritage Farm and the Friends of Birch Island Woods, Terry Picha and Jeff Strate presented retiring Eden Prairie city manager Carl Jullie and incoming city manager Scott Neal with gifts which will keep giving: the new variety of morning glory developed by Mr. Picha. The presentation, laced with good natured, Don Rickles type quips, was made during the City's Annual Recognition Banquet in April. Mr. Jullie, who came out of retirement to run the city until the hiring of Mr. Neal, helped former Mayor Jean Harris, Parks Director Bob Lambert and Financial Director Don Uram expedite the City's agreement to buy the Birch Island Woods from Hennepin County.

April 20, 2002
VOLUNTEERS PREPARE FOR SPRING
Nearly 30 parents and kids picked up a half year's worth of litter along the trail and the wood's perimeter as part of the City's parks clean up day. Den 3, Cub Scout Pack 479 arrived by bicycle, peddling 3.5 along the SW LRT Regional Bike Trail which now passes safely under Highway 5. Because the woods is now an official conservation area, litter bags and rubbish were hauled off for the first time by the City. The most unusual retrieved items were a dinette set and a safe (the door was open). The Parks Clean Up Day was coordinated by Jeff Cordes and Stuart Fox and involved some 20 parks and conservation areas.

APRIL 13, 2002
POTTING PARTY PROVIDES DIRT THERAPY FOR THE WINTER WEARY AS BENEFIT PLANT SALE GEARS UP
Spring fever gripped BIW Steering Committee member Phil Morton (on left in photo) and an energetic group of kids and parents who began potting some of the many flowers, shrubs and trees being offered at the Woods benefit plant sale which starts on May 9. Among them at the Picha farm were Vicky Miller, Jackie Larson and Lois Hall of Eden Prairie and John Lindmeyer of Shakopee. Click to the Guest Register for more pictures.

April 12, 2002
BENILDE-ST. MARGARET'S CLASS AMONG FIRST GROUPS TO VISIT NEWLY DESIGNATED BIW CONSERVATION AREA
What a difference a month makes. On April 12, 34 days after the Birch Island Woods Planning Task Force trudged through snow squalls to survey the woods, seniors from Benilde-St. Margaret's High School ambled along the main trail as sunny, mid-60's temperatures prompted local frog choirs to rehearse Mozart for the May concert season. Environmental Science and Ecology teacher Keith Leiseth and St. Thomas student-teacher Elise Sheehan and their class had bused over from St. Louis Park to learn how the Picha Heritage farm produces raspberries, vegetables and garden flowers for the modern market and to walk through the little woods that roared and got saved. Thusly, they and the task force became the first groups to tour the newly designated conservation area. Benilde-St. Margaret's, like the Birch Island Woods, is located on the SW LRT Bike trail. Click to the Guest Register for more pictures.

February 24, 2002
TASK FORCE PLANS FUTURE OF WOODS
The Birch Island Woods Task Force including 10 Eden Prairie residents, a Minnetonka resident, a consultant and city forestry, history and environmental specialists will develop a plan for the management and uses of the new BIW conservation area. The panel's first meeting is February 26. Click here for the membership listing.

EP CITY COUNCIL RECONFIRMS ITS INTENT TO BUY INDIAN CHIEF ROAD'S WOODED STRIP
On Tuesday February 19, the Eden Prairie City Council reconfirmed its intent to purchase the 4+ acre wooded strip of land east of Indian Chief Road. Neighbor Midwest Asphalt had communicated to the City its interest in acquiring the land.

But the city will go forward with Hennepin County to craft the agreement for the detached part of the woods. The cost will float around the parcel's appraised value of $380,000 plus terms. During a lengthy discussion, the Council identified merits of the purchase: 1) it will prove to be a good investment when the parcel is sold for redevelopment, 2) ownership will give the City more leverage in guiding any future redevelopment of the Midwest Asphalt site and, 3) it will help assure the protection of most of the historic, wooded viewshed along Indian Chief Road and the adjacent conservation area.

City staff, however, pointed out that even if the City did not want to buy the land, Midwest Asphalt, as required by laws pertaining sales of public land to the private sector, would have enter a competitive bidding process with other interested parties.

During the City Council Forum that preceded the meeting, FBIW co-leaders Geri Napuck Westermann and Jeff Strate presented data, analysis and photographs speaking to concerns about the property including an acre+ encroachment and the role of the appraisal in determining the final cost of the land to the city.

CITY COUNCIL POSITIONS SET
Vacancies on the Eden Prairie City Council created by the death in December of former Mayor, Dr. Jean Harris, have been filled. Council Member Nancy Tyra-Lukens was appointed new Mayor on January 8, 2002 by the City Council. Then on February 5, commercial real estate developer David Luse was appointed to fill Ms. Tyra-Luken's council position. Both terms end in January 2003.

January 14, 2002
CITIZEN TASK FORCE TO HELP PLAN FUTURE OF BIRCH ISLAND WOODS AND PARK. PARTICIPANTS ARE SOUGHT
Parks Director Bob Lambert is recommending that the City of Eden Prairie form a citizens task force to plan for the future of the Birch Island Woods and Park. The task force will consider and recommend wildlife habitat and lake level restoration projects; cross country ski and hiking trails; parking; nature overlooks and other nature friendly enhancements. Call the FBIW at 952-949-8980 for information on participating on the task force.

January 8, 2002
NANCY TYRA-LUKENS BECOMES MAYOR OF EDEN PRAIRIE
Senior Council Member Nancy Tyra-Lukens was appointed Mayor on January 8 to complete the term of former Mayor Jean Harris (See below). The City Council will appoint a new council member to fill Tyra-Lukens' position.

WOODS ACTIVISTS JEFF STRATE AND SHARON STEPHENS RECEIVE DECEMBER HONORS.
The Minnesota Society of Arboriculture handed Birch Island Woods co-leader Jeff Strate its Volunteer Service Award for his efforts to conserve green space in urban areas. Strate, who was nominated by City of EP Parks staffer Jeff Cordes, became a conservation activist during the City's 1994 referendum to buy the Riley Creek Big Woods and the Prairie Bluff Conservation Area. He has been a Minnesota Land Trust board member.

The North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club honored Strate as a "Defender of Wild Places" for his volunteer work on behalf of the BIW and other conservation efforts in the Metro area. Sharon Stephens, also of Eden Prairie, received the Sierra Club's Volunteer of the Year Award. Stephens, an active FBIW supporter through the Sierra Club, chairs the North Star Chapter's sprawl and legal committees and is helping grass roots open space efforts in Chanhassen, Duluth and Eagan.

DETAILS PROVIDED ON CITY'S SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALSO BUY WOODS PARCEL EAST OF INDIAN CHIEF ROAD AND A REPORTED COUNTER OFFER BY MIDWEST ASPHALT.
During what turned out to be Mayor Jean Harris' last council meeting on 12/04/01 (see below), the council, in addition to approving the Birch Island Woods purchase agreement also directed the City to acquire the detached 4.4 acre county-owned strip of the woods along the east side of Indian Chief Road. The City would pay the $385,000 appraised value of the parcel plus interest over the period of the contract-for-deed. The City would resell the parcel for development in the future but will be able to more effectively protect its value as a wooded buffer zone. Midwest Asphalt, a recycler of highway construction materials reportedly, however, has since asked the city to not buy the strip saying that it would like to own it (apparently as an investment of its own) and would not remove any trees. Click here for a fuller discussion.

February 16, 2001
"NO TRESPASSING" SIGNS - 12 in all - were posted around the woods on Friday Feb. 16. A County official explained that for liability reasons, the posting of such signs is standard for county land that has been declared "surplus" i.e., been put up for sale. The Birch Island Woods was classified "surplus about a year and a half ago. Since then many community and government leaders, including the Mayors of Eden Prairie and Minnetonka, a State Senator and a County Commissioner have toured the woods -- unharmed. For more than a half century, Hennepin County citizens have used trails through the area for hiking, skiing, bird watching and bicycling and locals have regularly kept the area free of litter, even cleaning up an old county dump site.

Each sign reads:

No Trespassing
No Hunting
No Dumping
Hennepin County 612-348-9260

February 6, 2001
CITY NARROWS EFFORT TO LARGEST PARCEL. With the reappraisal of the Birch Island Woods coming in higher than it had expected, the City of Eden Prairie has, for now, chosen to focus on acquiring only the largest section of the woods, the area between Birch Island and Indian Chief Roads and Edenvale Boulevard. Although the new $650,000 price tag for this 31 acre parcel is still higher than what the City calculates, the price approaches the current financing options available to the City. A suspected contaminated site (from an old County dump) and industrial trespassing on an acre of the woods along Indian Chief road, may further reduce the current over all $1 million price.

February 6, 2001
WOODS LEGISLATION INTRODUCED BY REP. TOM WORKMAN.
Representative Tom Workman (Dist. 34A), assisted by FBIW member Bob Ellingson, introduced legislation which may provide a safety net in the attempt to protect all of the Hennepin County-owned parcels of the Woods.

As introduced on Feb. 2, 2001, the bill (House File 529) would require all 37 acres of the County portion of the Birch Island Woods to be transferred with a conservation easement to Eden Prairie for a to-be-determined price. Mr. Ellingson has lined up an impressive list of co-authors including Representatives Erik Paulsen, Barb Sykora, Betty Folliard and Senators Ed Oliver, Roy Terwilleger and Bill Belanger.

HF 529 can be tracked through the MN Legislature at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/

February 2, 2001
THE RECENTLY COMPLETED APPRAISAL OF THE BIRCH ISLAND WOODS BARELY REDUCES ITS MARKET VALUE but may open a way for the City to acquire the largest 32 acre chunk of it (between Birch Island and Indian Chief Roads) for $650,000 -- significantly less than the $1,230,000 the County was asking for all three of the BIW parcels a year ago. Of the two detached parcels, the 3 acre "industrial" strip east of Indian Chief Road is now appraised at $340,000 and a smaller parcel at $45K. Even though the County's new $1,035,000 package price tag is lower, Eden Prairie's assessor feels that it is too high and suspected contamination at an old dumping site could further reduce the new price. In the meantime, the Friends of Birch Island Woods is preparing its no-cost conveyance argument for the County Board and City officials are hoping to craft a land swap deal in tandem with a DNR land protection grant to acquire the 32 acre parcel. See the EP News for its February 1st coverage.

January 25, 2001
EDEN PRAIRIE NEWS article about the new appraisal being jointly under taken by the City of Eden Prairie and Hennepin County.

January 15, 2001
STAR TRIBUNE and KMSP-TV NEWS COVER THE WOODS. Reporters Mike Brunswick of the StarTribune and Lillian McDonald of KMSP-TV News filed separate reports on the woods. Mr. Brunswick's article provided a concise overview of the issues and a quote from Hennepin County Commissioner Randy Johnson: "This [Birch Island Woods] is choice property. If I could afford it, I would live there." (Note: The Birch Island Woods is bounded on the south by duplexes and triplexes and several historic farmsteads; on the east by an asphalt recycling company and auto junk yard.

Ms. McDonald's Channel 9 story took the camera to Terry Picha's historic farm on the edge of the woods and included comments by woods conservationist Jeff Strate who said, "You don't develop these few things [urban green spaces] that are left, you redevelop areas that need a little more economic push."

January 14, 2001
The City of Eden Prairie is reapplying for a DNR Metro Greenways Acquisition and Restoration Grant in addition to a DNR Natural and Scenic Areas Grant. Moneys from either program would be used to help purchase Birch Island Woods from Hennepin County if a conveyance agreement with a price tag is crafted. Although our chances are better this year for assistance from the two programs, competition for the two programs is intense.

January 11, 2001
Hennepin County and City Officials met at Eden Prairie City Hall on Thursday December 11 to discuss the new "joint" appraisal for the County-owned portion of the woods. In late 2000, the City assessor announced that the County's earlier appraisal of $1,230,000 was too high, a position supported by the Friends of Birch Island Woods. The Friends Steering Committee gathered and submitted data and testimony that may affect the new appraisal including information about a possible brown field (an abandoned County dumping site near the Indian Chief Road trailhead) and suspected industrial encroachment on the narrow wooded strip of land east of Indian Chief Road.

The FBIW Steering Committee will continue to monitor city/county negotiations and continues to find support and precedents for a no-cost conveyance. This website will post a discussion on the matter in the future.

December 19, 2000
UNCLE HENNEPIN SCROOGE SOFTENS, WILL KEEP THE BIRCH ISLAND WOODS OFF THE REAL-ESTATE MARKET FOR THE TIME BEING.
With less than two weeks before the December 31st deadline for a purchase agreement for the woods, City Manager Chris Enger announced that Hennepin County will wait for Eden Prairie to learn if it can get financial assistance from the State and other sources. Reporting to the Eden Prairie City Council, Mr. Enger also said that the County and City will do a new, joint appraisal of the commercial value of the woods. A number of people, including the City Assessor, have felt that the difficult topography and large number of wetlands in the woods supports questioning the County's current $1,230,000 appraisal.

The Friends of Birch Island Woods, citing precedent and the "overriding public purpose" of the environmental, scenic, recreational and social service functions of the woods, will continue to explore the no-cost conveyance track with County officials.

The City also announced that it will seek financial assistance from the DNR's Natural and Scenic Areas Grant Program. Final decisions on grants will be announced after legislative review in late spring or early summer. The Friends will help the city identify other sources of funding, if the no-cost argument is rejected.

November 29, 2000
HENNEPIN COUNTY DOES NOT FAVOR MORE TIME TO EXPLORE WOODS OPTIONS
Commissioner Randy Johnson told the Hennepin County General Government Committee an extension of its December 31, 2000 deadline to reach an agreement with the City of Eden Prairie is not in the cards. The County wants compensation for the land which Eden Prairie would protect as a natural, public park. The City is still hoping to craft a land swap deal and had asked the County for up to six more months if needed. Both parties began actively talking about the Woods in August. The December 31 deadline was set last February.

BUT WILL LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT ITS CONVEYANCE POLICIES
Acting on a request by the Friends of Birch Island Woods, the General Government Committee asked the County Staff to prepare a memo of information on County land conveyance practices and to determine if there have been comparable situations. The Friends and a number of officials believe that County policy and precedent would permit a no cost conveyance given the specific characteristics and history of the Birch Island Woods.

November 22, 2000
MAYOR'S OPTIMISM IS CHILLED THEN SLIGHTLY RE-WARMED BY COUNTY
Hope for what Eden Prairie Mayor Jean Harris described three weeks ago as the possibility of a "win win" way to compensate Hennepin County for a conveyance of Birch Island Woods, has been chilled but not frozen. During the November 21 City Council meeting, City Manager Chris Enger reported that Commissioner Randy Johnson sees too many problems with several land swap and service exchange possibilities that have been discussed. There is, however, good news. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Enger agree that the County's $1.2 million appraisal of the 37 acres could be reevaluated.

November 20, 2000
The new Citizens' Guide to Endangered Green Space features 10 Minnesota areas including the Birch Island Woods which are threatened by development. The 47 page guide, published by the North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, comes with maps, photos and profiles of such endangered areas as Spirit Mountain in Duluth, Hiawatha Oaks in Hopkins and Seminary Fen In Chanhassen. Columnist Doug Grow wrote about the guide in the 11/20/00 edition of the Star Tribune. The guide was compiled by Deb Alper and other's can can be ordered from the Sierra Club in Minneapolis at 612/379-3853.

November 7, 2000
MAYOR SAYS THAT TALKS WITH HENNEPIN COUNTY ARE GOING WELL. CITY COUNCIL AGREES TO REQUEST MORE TIME IF NEEDED AND TO ASSIST FRIENDS OF BIRCH ISLAND WOODS IN PREPARING A PRESENTATION.
With less than 7 weeks to meet a deadline for an agreement with Hennepin County for an acquisition plan for the Birch Island Woods, the Eden Prairie City Council agreed to a motion presented by the Friends of Birch Island Woods to request more time, if needed. The City will also provide materials and information that would be used by the Friends in preparing a presentation for County Board Commissioners. Without revealing the substance of the terms being discussed with Commissioner Randy Johnson's office, Mayor Jean Harris reported that she is optimistic that a "Win Win" agreement will be reached before the December 31, 2000 deadline.

FBIW Legal committee chair Geri Napuck-Westermann and Counsel Tom Casey spoke to the Council on behalf of the motion talking briefly about the precedent of a no-cost conveyance of land which became nearby Birch Island Park and the legal avenues available to the County pertaining to a no-cost conveyance of the woods in view of the over riding public benefit of keeping the land protected from development.

Because the City's current discussions do not apparently include a no-cost conveyance proposal, the Council felt that the most prudent action regarding the FBIW motion would be as an interested, non-participant on an official level in what ever presentations the Friends make to the County Board.

During the course of the presentation, Mayor Harris praised the Friends of Birch Island Woods for its efforts on behalf of the woods and the City including this website and the full-color, 7 page packet.

WOODS SUPPORTERS WIN SEATS ON EP CITY COUNCIL
Incumbent Sherry Butcher and Historic Preservation Commission Chair Jan Mosman have won places on the Eden Prairie City Council. Congratulations! Randy Foote, another strongly pro-woods candidate, came in third ahead of seven other candidates. MN House and Senate incumbents supporting the woods also won reelection. Visit The VOTERS GUIDE 2000 in the Archive to review each candidate's position on the woods.

BACKGROUND: Last February, the City of Eden Prairie was given until December 31, 2000 to come to an agreement with the County regarding the woods -- The County has been asking full market value ($1,230,000) for its 37 some acres. The public record shows that on July 20th, Mayor Harris and City Manager Chris Enger met with County Commissioner Randy Johnson to discuss a number of issues including the woods and to, presumably, identify acquisition scenarios. On September 5th, without revealing the content of any discussions, Eden Prairie Mayor Jean Harris, responding to a question by Council Member Ron Case, reported to the City Council that several scenarios were being discussed and on October 11th told FBIW member Jeff Strate that discussions were moving in a positive direction.

November 1, 2000
COUNTY COMMISSIONER GAIL DORFMAN VISITS the woods and surrounding areas with Eden Prairie Parks Director Bob Lambert, Council Member Nancy Tyra-Lukens and Friends of Birch Island Woods leaders Terry Picha and Jeff Strate.

October 29, 2000
SILENT AUCTION EARNS $4,411
The silent auction earned $4,111 which will be used to help the campaign for Birch Island Woods. The total includes $3120.50 in bids, $298.50 in kid raffles and food sales and $992,00 in straight donations. Unused funds will be dedicated to wildlife habitat restoration and trail work.

Among the crowd were Eden Prairie City Council Candidates Rob Barrett, Fred Seymour, Jan Mosman and incumbent Sherry Butcher. Also in on the action were MN House candidate Marcia Eland, EP Council Member Ron Case, Lions Club leader Michael Gruidl, State Archeologist Mark Dudzic and Minnetonka Historical Society President and columnist Maxine Dixon.

The event was engineered by Bea and Rick LaMonica and Cheral Tsuchiya with Herculean efforts by Katy Egan-Benck, Kelly Landaetta, Annie Kennedy and Greg Borell with assistance from Jeff Strate, Dianne Reed of the Eden Wood Center and others. Jaunty and lilting Irish harmonies were provided by the Blackbird. A complete list of the generous donors with internet links to their websites will be posted in the near future.

October 11, 2000
Eden Prairie Mayor Jean Harris reports that discussions between the City and Hennepin County regarding the County portion of the Birch island Woods were moving in a positive direction.

The Mayor said that the City is currently evaluating the County's response to a City proposal made earlier this year. Although the terms being considered are not yet public, Council Member Sherry Butcher said earlier in the day that Mayor Harris has been working hard but quietly on the woods issue for some time.

September 24, 2000
TOUR DE SPRAWL VISITS WOODS
From 80-90 bicyclists and another 20 bus riders visited the Birch Island Woods during this year's Tour de Sprawl. The participants were treated to the artistry of composer Rick Miller at the Eden Wood Center before a Q and A session with BIW leader Jeff Strate and by violinist Ken Sherman and guitarist Paul Chamberlain at the trail head. The trek, designed to explore challenges faced by the fast growing suburbs along the SW Light Rail Transit Corridor (currently a bike trail) also included stops in Hopkins, Chanhassen and Chaska and was covered by Channels 4, 5 and 45 and the Eden Prairie News. The tour was sponsored by the North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, Transit for Livable Communities and other organizations. For pictures visit the BIW Guest Register.

September 5, 2000
MAYOR WAITS FOR COUNTY REPLY ON BIRCH ISLAND WOODS
Eden Prairie Mayor Jean Harris in responding to a question by Council Member Ron Case, reported to the City Council that some time ago she and Hennepin County Board Chair Randy Johnson had discussed several scenarios regarding the Birch Island Woods that could lead to a "win win" situation for the City and the County. Suggesting that it was premature to unveil the nature of the scenarios that the County and City are considering, the Mayor said that she expects some form of reply from Mr. Johnson "hopefully in the very near future."

August 14-21, 2000
OFFICIAL VISITS AND RESOLUTIONS
Council Member Ron Case, EP History Society Member Kathy Case, Heritage Commission Chair Jan Mosman, Planning Board Member Randy Foote and Historic Preservation Specialist John Gertz of Eden Prairie, Dist. 43A Legislative Candidate Marcia Eland and a number of kids and pet dogs tour the woods and Eden Wood Center. See the BIW GUEST REGISTER for photos and a full list of VIP visits.

The Nine Mile Creek Watershed District passes a resolution supporting protection of the woods from development.

August 7, 2000
EP PARKS AND RECREATION CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMISSION
This new City panel is briefed on the efforts being made by the Friends of Birch Island Woods.

August 5, 2000
LIONS CLUB CORN FEED
Underscored by lively polka music, the Friends of BIW split staffed a woods info table and split its raffle proceeds with the Eden Prairie Lions Club during the Lions' annual corn feed at Round Lake Park.

August 3, 2000
OFFICIALS TOUR THE WOODS
EP Mayor Jean Harris, Parks Director Bob Lambert and Met Council Member Mary Smith and Senior Planner Arne Stefferud tour the woods, surround district and the Eden Wood Center.

July 19, 2000
LAND TRUST GRANT
The West Metro Chapter of the Minnesota Land Trust announces a $1000 grant to the Friends of Birch Island Woods when the organization raises its next $2000. The contribution comes from a special account set up to manage an anonymous bequest to the old Eden Prairie Land Trust and is restricted to preserving natural areas in Eden Prairie.

July 17, 2000
STATE HELP FOR BIRCH ISLAND WOODS STILL ALIVE
The Legislative Commission On Minnesota Resources (LCMR) announced on July 17th that it is recommending that the DNR's Metro Greenways program be given $2,730,000. This is in addition to the $1,500,000 Metro Greenways received in bonding money during the previous legislative session. The LCMR money means that the Birch Island Woods will have a better chance in 2001 for Metro Greenways help if the City of Eden Prairie re-applys for help and if Hennepin County lowers its price. A no-cost conveyance is still preferred by most public entities and organizations.

The LCMR is recommending that the City of Minnetonka be granted $1,910,000 for a public access onto Grays Bay, Lake Minnetonka and that the MN Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen receive $730,000 to prevent land from being developed near its boundary. The Birch Island Woods would be a likely contender for direct LCMR help during that program's next funding round. Most of the LCMR money comes from the Minnesota Environmental Trust Fund which is supported by the Minnesota Lottery.

June 23, 2000
SW Suburban MN Legislators including Erik Paulsen and Ed Oliver encourage the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) to fully fund the $6 million dollar request by the Metro Greenways Program. If this DNR program is fully funded, Eden Prairie's prospects for a Metro Greenways grant to help it acquire the Birch Island Woods from Henepin County will improve. Metro Greenways was given only $1.5 million in bonding support during the last legislative session, even though 14 separate land protection projects in the metro area requested help. The LCMR pumps money from the Minnesota Environmental Trust Fund and other sources into a large variety of environmental good works. Competition for LCMR funding is intense. See the Metro Greenways website and the LCMR website for more information.

June 21, 2000
The 9 Mile Creek Watershed District responds most favorably to an informational presentation by Birch Island Woods Friend Greg Borrell indicating that it will support protection of the woods.

June 12, 2000
More than 65 supporters of the Birch Island Woods joined Minnesota Senator Ed Oliver and Eden Prairie City Council Member Nancy Tyra-Lukens at Camp Eden Wood for a rally supporting the preservation of the woods. The two law makers had just completed an escorted tour of the woods and the Picha heritage farm.

May 22, 2000
WCCO-TV (CBS) Story about the Hennepin County generated hurdles to protect the Birch Island Woods linking the sanctuary to the good works of the Eden Wood Center which serves kids and adults with special needs.

May 18,2000
In a strongly worded editorial, The Eden Prairie News tells Hennepin County to convey the Birch Island Woods to the City of Eden Prairie for free so it's natural integrity and service to citizens can continue. Click here for the full editorial.

May 11, 2000
HELP FROM WASHINGTON. The Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) passes the US House of Representatives. The bill would provide $2.9 billion annually from off shore oil royalties for local, state and regional conservation programs; Minnesota would get some $75 million a year from this source; a very significant boost to preservation efforts like the Birch Island Woods. Congressman Jim Ramstad (Bloomington) co-authored this bipartisan supported bill.

May 10, 2000
The Minnesota Legislature pinches the DNR's Metro Greenway bonding request to $1,500,000 leaving 14 open space protection efforts, including the Birch Island Woods, in harms way but hopeful that the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources will come to the rescue.

OUTREACH EVENTS IN MAY

More than 80 recent immigrants from 16 countries toured the Birch Island Woods on May 2 with Rita Krocak and Jeff Strate. The adult students are learning English through the South Hennepin Adult Programs in Education service run by School Districts in Richfield, Edina, Eden Prairie and Bloomington. The walk began at Terry Picha's farm and continued along woods trail and the Eden Wood Center. Director Dianne Reed served lemonade and showed off the historic, lakeside camp grounds that serve kids and adults with disabilities. Click here for the StarTribune article on the visit.

OUTREACH EVENTS IN APRIL

Eden Prairie Environmental Fair -- Kelly Landaetta and Geri Westermann host the lively and attractive Birch Island Woods booth at this years fair on April 29. The presentation drew praise.

Eden Prairie Council Member Sherry Butcher and City Historic Preservation Specialist John Gertz on a tour of the woods and the Picha farm.

Katy Egan-Benck talks about the Birch Island Woods at a joint meeting of the Minnetonka, Hopkins and Eden Prairie Historical Societies. The meeting was attended by nearly 200 people.

Friends of Birch Island Woods are joined by members of the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society and others in supporting the Metro Greenways program at the Minnesota Legislature.

Beginnings

2/1/2000
Friends of the Birch Island Woods attend the Eden Prairie's City Council Forum to (a) thank Council Members for supporting the Parks and Rec Services in apply for a Metro Greenways Grant and (b) request that the City get a written determination from the County that sale of the Birch Island Woods would be delayed to give he city a reasonable amount of time to work out an acquisition plan.

1/07/2000
Hennepin County Commission Chair Randy Johnson's office informs the Friends of BIW that Commissioner Johnson will meet with the Friends after discussing the intended county sale of the land with Mayor Jean Harris. Council member Nancy Tyra-Lukens and State Senator Ed Oliver have agreed to attend the meeting when scheduled.