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CEDAR FALLS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN


From Center Street southeast to Washington Park near Highway 27/58 the habitat is constrained by urban development. However, east of Highway 27/58 in downtown Cedar Falls another habitat block is found that extends eastward to Exchange and Cedar River Parks in Waterloo. George Wyth State Park is part of this.


CURRENT ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS


A natural resource inventory and assessment was completed for Cedar Falls by Bon- estroo in 2007. The resulting Environmentally Sensitive Lands Survey (ESLS) iden- tified lands and waters that warrant careful consideration in planning because of their rarity and sensitivity to development. This inventory serves as the chief source of information to establish environmental goals and strategies in this comprehen- sive plan.


Data used in the ESLS included:


• Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IA DNR) records on the occurrence of unique natural areas and rare species (2007)


• Streams • Waterways (from NRCS)


• Conservation & Recreation Lands (from ISU’s Geographic Map Server http://ortho.gis.iastate.edu)


• True color aerial photo (2005, FSA MrSID) • Color infrared photo (2002, digital, spring flight) • GIS parcel base map in AutoCAD or Arc shapefile format (City) • Digital topographic data (City and/or USGS DRGs) • National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) maps • Black Hawk County Soil Survey (USGS) • Landform data (from IA Geological Survey/IA DNR) • Historical aerial photographs (digital, 1930s, black & white)


In their investigations, Bonestroo field crews used an approach to land cover map- ping developed by the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota Land Cover Classifica- tion System (MLCCS Version 5.4 by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources). Aerial photographs and other data were assembled to produce a preliminary map. This map was reviewed and inspected in the field. Each location of a land cover type, such as oak forest or planted prairie, was mapped and classified using a 5-digit number and further described. The survey mapped only natural and some semi- natural lands, but no cultural lands such as cropland and developments. In addi- tion, the overall quality of each location was graded. The rarity of a natural com- munity and its quality grade can be used to identify the top conservation priorities in an area. The Bonestroo crews also searched for rare plants at locations likely to support them.


AES ecologists reviewed the Bonestroo data and conducted reconnaissance in the Cedar Falls comprehensive plan area. AES agreed with the results of the Bonestroo study and identified some additional planted and natural prairies, which were digi- tized and added to the data.


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