Camp Ripley and Arden Hills Minnesota Army National Guard Training Sites Conservation ...

264 Pages·2010·17.93 MB·English

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Mississippi River © BillMARCHEL.com
Cover Photography: Mississippi River, courtesy Bill Marchel, copyright BillMarchel.com.
Camp Ripley and Arden Hills
Minnesota Army National Guard Training Sites
Conservation Program Report

2009 Annual Report
January 1 – December 31, 2009

Brian J. Dirks, Animal Survey Coordinator
Nancy J. Dietz, Animal Survey Assistant

Division of Ecological Resources
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
for the
Minnesota Army National Guard

MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
CAMP RIPLEY SERIES REPORT NO. 19
©2010, State of Minnesota
This report should be cited as follows: Dirks, B. J. and N. J. Dietz. 2010. Camp Ripley and Arden
Hills Minnesota Army National Guard Training Sites Conservation Program Report – 2009 Annual
Report, January 1-December 31, 2009. Camp Ripley Series Report No. 19, Little Falls, USA. 245 pp.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................... I
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. V
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 1
CAMP RIPLEY TRAINING SITE ..................................................................................................................... 1
ARDEN HILLS ARMY TRAINING SITE ........................................................................................................ 3
RESPONSIBILITIES........................................................................................................................................... 3
PARTNERSHIPS ................................................................................................................................................. 4
PROGRAM AREAS ............................................................................................................................................ 4
CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................. 4
NATURAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................ 6
FORESTRY .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Forest Inventory ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Forest Inventory and Analysis – Northern Research Station ...................................................................................... 6
Timber Sales ............................................................................................................................................................... 9
Fuelwood Permits ..................................................................................................................................................... 14
Tree Planting ............................................................................................................................................................ 15
Insects and Disease ................................................................................................................................................... 15
Land Fund ................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) .................................................................................................................... 17
LiDAR Forest Metrics ......................................................................................................................................... 18
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................................. 20
Camp Ripley Prescribed Fire .................................................................................................................................... 20
Arden Hills Army Training Site Prescribed Fire ...................................................................................................... 23
Camp Ripley and Arden Hills Army Training Sites Invasive Plants ........................................................................ 24
Camp Ripley Common Tansy Chemical Herbicide Treatments .......................................................................... 25
Camp Ripley Spotted Knapweed and Leafy Spurge Chemical Herbicide Treatment .......................................... 27
Biological Control ............................................................................................................................................... 28
Website ................................................................................................................................................................ 29
Future Research ................................................................................................................................................... 30
CAMP RIPLEY WATER RESOURCES........................................................................................................ 30
Sylvan Dam Reservoir Water Quality Analysis ....................................................................................................... 30
WILDLIFE ................................................................................................................................................... 32
Species in Greatest Conservation Need .................................................................................................................... 32
Camp Ripley Birds ................................................................................................................................................... 33
Christmas Bird Count .......................................................................................................................................... 33
Songbirds ............................................................................................................................................................. 33
Totals and Trends ........................................................................................................................................... 34
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Songbird Models (Restani and Newton 2009) .................................. 38
Eastern Bluebird (Sialis sialis) Nest Boxes ......................................................................................................... 40
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) ................................................................................................................. 42
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) Nest Boxes .................................................................................................................. 43
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) ............................................................................................................... 43
Osprey (Pandion haleaetus) ................................................................................................................................ 47

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2009 Conservation Program Report
Owl Surveys ........................................................................................................................................................ 47
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) Survey ................................................................................................... 50
Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) ....................................................................................................................... 54
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) .................................................................................................................... 57
Camp Ripley Mammals ............................................................................................................................................ 58
Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) ..................................................................................................................................... 58
Federal Court Decision ................................................................................................................................... 58
Wolf Monitoring Background ......................................................................................................................... 59
Wolf Movements and Status ........................................................................................................................... 59
Wolf Mortalities.............................................................................................................................................. 64
Black Bear (Ursus americanus) ........................................................................................................................... 64
Research ......................................................................................................................................................... 64
Mortalities and Reproduction ......................................................................................................................... 66
Scent Post Survey ................................................................................................................................................ 72
Cougar (Puma concolor) and Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) Detection Survey .............................................. 74
Fisher (Martes pennanti) ..................................................................................................................................... 77
Fisher Graduate Project .................................................................................................................................. 78
Beaver (Castor canadensis) ................................................................................................................................. 79
Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) .......................................................................................................................... 82
Bat Surveys.......................................................................................................................................................... 82
Camp Ripley Reptiles and Amphibians .................................................................................................................... 85
Blanding‟s Turtles (Emys blandingii) .................................................................................................................. 85
Anuran Surveys ................................................................................................................................................... 91
AHATS Birds ........................................................................................................................................................... 95
Songbirds ............................................................................................................................................................. 95
Henslow‟s sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii)................................................................................................... 100
Osprey (Pandion haleaetus) .............................................................................................................................. 100
Bird Nest Boxes ................................................................................................................................................. 100
Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) ............................................................................................................. 101
AHATS Mammals .................................................................................................................................................. 101
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Aerial Survey ............................................................................... 101
Plains Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavescens) ................................................................................................. 102
Bat Surveys........................................................................................................................................................ 104
AHATS Insects ...................................................................................................................................................... 105
Butterfly Survey ................................................................................................................................................ 105
AHATS Other Wildlife Observations .................................................................................................................... 107
CAMP RIPLEY FISHERIES ...................................................................................................................... 108
Spring Harvest ........................................................................................................................................................ 108
Fall Harvest ............................................................................................................................................................ 110
LAND USE MANAGEMENT ...................................................................................................................... 110
CAMP RIPLEY ARMY COMPATIBLE USE BUFFER (ACUB) ............................................................... 110
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 110
Intent ...................................................................................................................................................................... 110
Purpose ................................................................................................................................................................... 111
Update .................................................................................................................................................................... 111
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Summary .................................................................................... 112
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Past Actions/Monitoring ....................................................... 112
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Fiscal Year 2009 Accomplishments ...................................... 113
Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Summary ................................................................................. 113
Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Past Action/Monitoring ...................................................... 115
Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Fiscal Year 2009 Accomplishments ................................... 115
CAMP RIPLEY INTEGRATED TRAINING AREA MANAGEMENT (ITAM) ........................................... 115
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2009 Conservation Program Report
Program Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 115
Range and Training Land Assessment (RTLA) Program ....................................................................................... 116
Land Rehabilitation and Maintenance (LRAM) Program ...................................................................................... 117
Training Requirements Integration (TRI) ............................................................................................................... 119
Sustainable Range Awareness (SRA) ..................................................................................................................... 119
ARDEN HILLS ARMY TRAINING SITE NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT ................... 119
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) ................................................................................. 120
GIS STANDARDIZATION ......................................................................................................................... 120
GEOSPATIAL DATA ................................................................................................................................. 121
UTILIZATION ........................................................................................................................................... 122
J6 COORDINATION ................................................................................................................................. 122
OUTREACH AND RECREATION ............................................................................................................ 123
SALVAGE PERMITS ................................................................................................................................. 123
HUNTING PROGRAMS ............................................................................................................................ 124
Camp Ripley Disabled American Veteran Firearms Wild Turkey Hunt ................................................................ 124
Camp Ripley Deployed Soldiers Firearms Wild Turkey Hunt ............................................................................... 124
Camp Ripley Disabled American Veteran‟s Firearms Deer Hunt .......................................................................... 125
Camp Ripley Deployed Soldiers Archery Deer Hunt ............................................................................................. 125
Camp Ripley Youth Archery Deer Hunt ................................................................................................................ 126
Camp Ripley General Public Archery Deer Hunt ................................................................................................... 126
AHATS Deployed Soldiers Archery Wild Turkey Hunt ........................................................................................ 129
AHATS Deployed Soldiers Deer Hunt ................................................................................................................... 129
AHATS Youth Archery Deer Hunt ........................................................................................................................ 129
AHATS Volunteer Archery Deer Hunt .................................................................................................................. 130
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................. 131
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................. 132
APPENDIX A: CAMP RIPLEY INTEGRATED NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PLAN
UPDATED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................. 137
APPENDIX B: ARDEN HILLS ARMY TRAINING SITE INTEGRATED NATURAL RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. ................................................. 167
APPENDIX C: CAMP RIPLEY INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT BETWEEN MINNESOTA
DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS AND MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL
RESOURCES, 2009. ................................................................................................................................ 183
APPENDIX D: ARDEN HILLS ARMY TRAINING SITE INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT BETWEEN
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS AND MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT
OF NATURAL RESOURCES, 2009. ..................................................................................................... 187
APPENDIX E: CAMP RIPLEY ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES, 2009. ................................................. 191
APPENDIX F: ARDEN HILLS ARMY TRAINING SITE ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES, 2009. ..... 195
APPENDIX G: CAMP RIPLEY AND DEPLOYED SOLDIER FUELWOOD POLICY, 2009. .............. 197
APPENDIX H: CAMP RIPLEY LAND FUND LEGISLATION ................................................................ 203
APPENDIX I: CAMP RIPLEY LAND FUND BYLAWS ............................................................................ 205

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2009 Conservation Program Report
APPENDIX J: OCCURRENCES OF SPECIES IN GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED BY
ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM SUBSECTION AND ON CAMP RIPLEY AND
AHATS, MINNESOTA. .......................................................................................................................... 211
APPENDIX K. WINTER FOOD HABITS OF WILD TURKEYS IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA,
PHASE II, 2010. ....................................................................................................................................... 217
APPENDIX L. CAMP RIPLEY FISHER PROJECT GRADUATE STUDENT PROPOSAL, 2008-2009.
................................................................................................................................................................... 223
APPENDIX M: ARDEN HILLS ARMY TRAINING SITE NATURAL RESOURCES DAMAGE
ASSESSMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... 231
APPENDIX N. GIS DATA LAYER UPDATES, 2009. ................................................................................ 243

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2009 Conservation Program Report