Project development

Environmental process | Environmental review | Vegetation

Vegetation process

Vegetation categories

Functional vegetation

Functional vegetation is planted or volunteer vegetation which is supporting the road infrastructure, assisting in maintaining safe road use conditions, or providing visual screens to and from adjacent properties. Vegetation functions include erosion control due to water or wind, water infiltration, blowing and drifting snow control, aesthetic qualities, and visual screens adjacent to residential properties and adjacent junk yards.

Protected plant species

Protected plant species are those listed under state or federal endangered species laws or are Witness (bearing) trees.

Landscaped vegetation

Landscaped vegetation are trees, shrubs, or perennial flowers planted as part of a landscape plan by contract or permit on MnDOT right of way. Landscape vegetation includes boulevard trees, highway landscaping, living snow fences, and screens to adjacent properties. Vegetation in this category may be considered to be functional vegetation as well.

Invasive plants/weeds

Invasive plants and weeds can be spread easily during construction projects. These include State listed noxious weeds (PDF) and other plants identified by MnDOT’s RVMU that are in limited populations but have the potential to spread and hinder turf establishment.

Weed populations are mapped as they are found with the EDDMaps application. Weed population data is updated twice a month, stored internally, and can be viewed with ArcGIS. Absence of populations within this dataset does not equal no weeds present, rather interpret as area has not been surveyed.

High-risk trees

Assessment of tree condition and health along the project area is needed to determine existing tree risk and forecast of tree condition and health during and post construction. This assessment identifies trees that have, or will have as a result of construction, “structural defects that may cause the tree or tree part to fail, where such failure may cause property damage or personal injury1”. The assessment assigns a risk level of low, medium, or high to the tree.

Native plant communities

Native plant communities are identified by MN DNR. These areas include remnant prairies, rare plant communities, and managed or restored prairies.

Potential permits and approvals

• Permit: Possessing or taking of state threatened or endangered species
• Agency oversight: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Legal Basis: Minnesota Statute 84.0895, Minnesota Rules Chapter 6134, Minnesota Rules Chapter 6212.1800 to 6212.2300
• Permit: Possessing or taking of federal threatened or endangered species
• Agency oversight: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Legal Basis: Endangered Species Act of 1973, 16 USC Chapter 35 1531-1544
• Permit: Transportation of noxious weeds across county boundaries
• Agency oversight: Minnesota Department of Agriculture
• Legal Basis: Minnesota Noxious Weed Law Minnesota Statute 18.76 to 18.91
• Permit/approval: Transportation of noxious weeds within county boundaries (differs per county)
• Agency Oversight: County Agricultural Inspector
• Legal Basis: Minnesota Noxious Weed Law Minnesota Statute 18.76 to 18.91
• Permit: Removal of witness (bearing) tree
• Agency oversight: U.S. Forest Service
• Legal Basis: 18 USC 1858

References

1. Urban Tree Risk Management: A Community Guide to Program Design and Implementation. Publication NA-TP-03-03; US Forest Service Web site

Appendix 1: List of minimum diameter and height measures for specimen trees