VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN

LADY SLIPPER SCENIC BYWAY

BY

GEORGE-ANN MAXSON

CONSULTING BOTANIST

BEMIDJI, MN

AUGUST 2010

For

LADY SLIPPER SCENIC BYWAY COMMITTEE

CHIPPEWA NATIONAL FOREST, US FOREST SERVICE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

I. Geological, Historical, and Ecological Setting of the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway

Soils………………………………………………………………….1

Vegetation…………………………………………………………....1

History……………………………………………………………….3

Landscape…………………………………………………………....4

II. Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Plan for the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway

Overview……………………………………………………………. 9

Recommendations for Reconstruction of the Byway………………..9

Vegetation Management within theROW…..………………………10

Seed Mixtures……………………………………….………..11

Maintenance of Seed Mixtures……………………………….14

Orchid Management……………………………………………..….16

Other Management Considerations………………………………....18

Future Maintenance of the Byway………………………………….20

Visual Quality Management………………………………………..21

Resources for Private Landowners…………………………………23

III. Noteworthy Features of the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway

Interpretive Pullouts, Rest Facilities…………………………………23

Seasonal Highlights…………………………………………………..24

Conclusion

IV. Resources pages 26-28

Agencies and Organizations

Websites

Publications and Reports

Appendix A

Descriptions and Crosswalk for Native Plant Communities,

Ecological Landtype Phases, Forest Cover Types, Wetland Types 6 pages

Appendix B

Native MN Trees and Shrubs Appropriate for Roadside Planting 6 pages

Appendix C

Milepost Descriptions of the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway 2 pages

Section 1 Knutson Dam to US 2, Miles 0 to 5 5 pages

Section 2 Pennington to Knutson Dam, Miles 5 to 8 5 pages

Section 3 Pimushe Access to Pennington & Power Dam Road 7 pages

Section 4 Benjamin Lake to Pimushe Access, Miles 13 to 20 9 pages

Section 5 Blackduck to Benjamin Lake, Miles 20 to 26.6 6 pages

Introduction

Charge from the 2005 Corridor Management Plan for the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway:

“Develop a comprehensive corridor vegetation management plan for the Scenic Highway corridor involving agencies and private land owners that own or manage land along the byway to create visual and habitat variety.”

“Maintain and enhance the mix of open and closed tree canopy along the Scenic Highway.”

Three years later, a successful grant application to the National Scenic Byways Program titled “Vegetation Plan & Ladyslipper Transplant Program” (March 2008) stated that:

“This project will create a vegetative management plan that would focus on strategies to conserve and manage vegetation within a 200 foot corridor along the byway including the showy lady’s slipper. The lady’s slipper is the Minnesota State Flower, adopted in 1902. The Chippewa NF and state are concerned with protection and management because lady’s slippers grow slowly; taking up to 16 years to produce their first flowers and its habitat is in bogs, swamps and damp woods. The flowers are also the brand for the byway and an attraction for travelers. The completed plan would identify specific measures to maintain the scenic, vegetative and biologic values important to the byway traveler.”

This vegetation management plan offers recommendations and resources for preserving and enhancing the special natural qualities of the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway.

The foremost goal is to maintain the flourishing populations of Showy Lady Slippers, the state flower of Minnesota. Much of the Byway supports large numbers of Lady Slippers in the road right of way and adjacent wetlands.

Another goal is to retain the Northwoods character along the roadside as the phased road reconstruction proceeds.

A third goal is to develop the Byway’s resources for an enjoyable and memorable visitor experience.

I express deep appreciation to the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway Committee and to the staff of the Chippewa National Forest for their support of the project.

1

Lady Slipper Scenic Byway Vegetation Management Plan I. Geological, Historical, and Ecological Setting of the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway

Underneath a blanket of glacial gravel, sand, silt, and clay, lies the basement foundation of northern MN, the roots of the ancient Laurentian mountain range. Over two billion years ago a lofty range as high as the Rocky Mountains towered over northern MN and southern Canada. All mountains eventually erode to grains of sand and are washed to the sea, and in this case even the remaining basement rock has disappeared under glacial deposits and is only visible along the Canadian border and northeastern MN. After the latest period of glaciation, the landscape between Blackduck and Cass Lake resembled the debris piles left after snow banks melt in the spring. It was a bleak, cold and empty landscape, a blank canvas for plants and animals to colonize over the following 10,000 years. Soils Soils develop over thousands of years in a complex interaction among the original glacial deposits, the successive plant communities that colonized the sand, silt, and clays, and the life forms within the soil, ranging from bacteria to fungi to nematodes to pocket gophers and tiger salamanders. The soils along the Byway range from excessively drained sands and gravel south of the Mississippi River and northwest of Gilstad Lake to sandy loams north of Lookout Tower Rd and between the Mississippi River and CCC Camp Rabideau to poorly drained muck underlying the Nushka sedge fen and the many shallow wetlands adjacent to the road. The Chippewa National Forest (CNF) has mapped the soil units into “phases” which recognize the association between a plant community and a particular soil type. (Appendix A) Vegetation Pollen cores taken from bogs and wetlands in northern MN indicate the successive forest types that developed on the post glacial terrain. Pioneering spruces, willows, lichens and mosses began to cover the freshly deposited sands and gravels in the cold, arctic-like open vistas of kames, eskers, and vast wetlands. Moderating climate fostered establishment of pines and aspen. During the subsequent 10,000 years, warm dry spells favored oaks while intermittent cool moist periods encouraged conifers. For the past thousand years, mesic mixed forests of northern hardwoods and boreal conifers have dominated this region. Conditions were ideal for growth of large red and white pines that sprouted after fires. Decades of forest growth were periodically interrupted by catastrophic forest fires and more frequent light spring burns that reduced litter accumulation. Windstorm events created sunlit gaps that allowed understory saplings to reach canopy height. Pre-European Vegetation Management Native Americans have been an integral element of this landscape since the glacial ice melted. We know that they routinely initiated fires to clear the forest understory, invigorate fruit bearing shrubs like cherries and plums, and perhaps to maintain forest openings in order to concentrate deer and elk. As the Ojibwe expanded into MN in the 1700s, they seeded lakes and river backwaters with wild rice. European Settlement and Changes in Vegetation Northern MN was settled rather late, compared to the other Midwestern states. The Public Land Survey didn’t begin in Beltrami County until the mid 1870s. The first landholders were the timber companies which immediately claimed the pine stands and began harvesting the large old growth white pines. Both short railroad spurs and horse-drawn sleds hauled out millions of board feet of timber to the network of

2

lakes and rivers or to major railroads, transporting the timber to mills in Bemidji, Brainerd, Little Falls, Grand Rapids and down to the Twin Cities. By the 1920s, the initial logging had petered out and homesteaders settled in the forest. With handsaws and horsepower the settlers cleared fields in the forest for livestock and crops. The open fields visible along the Byway date from this era. Post-logging fires cleared even more of the landscape, to the extent that most of the forest we see today is less than 100 years old. Dominant tree species are early to mid-successional species like trembling aspen, balsam fir, paper birch, and sugar maples and basswoods. Durable, charred stumps of the old growth white pines hint at the grandeur of the presettlement forest. Construction of Highway 39/10 The Scenic Highway is one of the oldest roads in the county. Deep beneath the bumpy stretches through wetlands you’ll find the original corduroy road bed constructed on timbers laid crosswise. Major reconstruction of the Byway began in the 1950s, with regular surface maintenance continuing to the present.

From Scenic Highway EA 2007: “FH 3 was originally completed in 1939. This project consisted of grading, culverts, and aggregate surfacing. In 1955 and 1956, sand and aggregate was placed on the original aggregate and a 2-inch bituminous pavement was added.” During the CCC era in the 1930s part of the Byway was realigned in the vicinity of Camp Rabideau, and the road bed was shifted from the west side of Benjamin Lake to the east side. The Byway’s other original 90 degree corners that followed section lines were also realigned into the curves we drive today.

Powerline and Telephone Right of Way Construction Rural Beltrami County was fully electrified by the late 1940s. Power poles were planted down the middle of cleared right-of-ways, paralleling the roads, within the 66 foot road corridor. Telephone lines, television cable, and fiber optic cable followed, usually as underground installations. History of Byway Historic 1000 Mile Auto Route Beginning in 1917, the Scenic Byway was featured as part of the “Great Motor Highway of One Thousand Miles Connecting One Hundred Cities and towns of the State.” Picture a procession of high clearance Model T automobiles chugging along the Byway, rattling over the corduroy sections, raising clouds of dust in summer, churning through mud in the spring. The scenery witnessed by these early tourists wasn’t much different from what we can see today: forest, bogs, and open fields. A recent archeological survey examined sites along the Byway for their historic values. The report listed churches, town halls and other buildings of historical interest. Of the several pre WW II buildings, only two, the Mooselake Town Hall (formerly the Mooselake School) and the Pennington Community Church (formerly the Pennington School) were considered eligible for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. [Above information taken from the Historic Structures Reconnaissance Survey, URS Group, Inc, for the Chippewa National Forest, 2006].

3

Lady Slipper Scenic Byway Committee, Byway Designations, CNF Environmental Assessments In 2003 the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway Committee formed as a group of citizens wishing to promote the scenic values of the Byway’s significant orchid populations. Beltrami County planned a major reconstruction of the Byway and the committee wanted to ensure that the numerous Showy Lady Slippers would continue to thrive along the Byway after work was completed. They successfully applied for grants to survey and salvage some of the thousands of Showy Lady Slippers growing in the ditches along the byway. Beltrami County, in recognition of the Byway’s scenic significance, designated it as a Natural Preservation Route, thus enabling flexibility in designing the reconstructed highway. The road was named a Minnesota State Scenic Byway in 1999. The Chippewa National Forest designated it a National Forest Scenic Byway in 1990, meaning that visual quality considerations would receive high priority when planning timber management activities along the route. This action helped to insure preservation of the Byway’s scenic qualities since the CNF owns about half of the land along the Byway. The Lady Slipper Byway Committee and the CNF commissioned a Corridor Management Plan in 2005. This document lists the assets of the Byway, opportunities for developing tourism, and recommendations for agencies and landowners with property next to the Byway. The Chippewa National Forest published a Forest Highway 3 Project Planning Study and Environmental Assessment of the Byway in 2007. The 142 pages supplemented and expanded upon information presented in the Corridor Management Plan. The EA describes the natural features and how they might be impacted by the road’s reconstruction. The plan concludes with a list of recommendations to be incorporated into the final design specifications. I refer to the plan as “Byway EA 2007” in this report. The only project in The Kitchi Resource Management Plan EA (2009) within the Byway corridor is a proposed thinning of the red pine stand immediately north of the Pennington Scientific and Natural Area. Any timber management occurring adjacent to the SNA should carefully consider possible negative impacts on the SNA’s sensitive orchid species. The Continental Divide Resource Management EA (2009) drafted by the Chippewa National Forest covers forest management activities planned over the next 10 years. It’s a comprehensive document that specifies harvest schedules, road and trail improvements and closings, and provisions for wildlife protection for the area between Blackduck and Pimushe Lake. A major concern that developed after public input was protection for the Ram’s-Head Lady Slippers in the vicinity of Barott Bog. I discovered an additional population in spring 2010 within the Byway corridor that merits further inventory and mapping. It appears to be an extension of known populations, but is located on the west side of the Byway. The Continental Divide EA was revised in May 2009 to incorporate the comments received. Three white cedar stands were deferred from the harvest list, pending further investigation of the Ram’s-Head Lady Slipper populations.

4

Landscape Setting of the Lady Slipper Byway Minnesota contains 4 major biomes: the Laurentian Mixed Forest, the Eastern Broadleaf Forest, the Prairie Parkland, and the Tallgrass Aspen Parkland. The Byway lies within the Laurentian Mixed Forest, meaning that the plant communities have a mix of boreal conifers and deciduous trees typical of the Great Lakes region. The following descriptions and figures come from the MN DNR website that describes the Ecological Classification System. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecs/index.html Laurentian Mixed Forest from DNR website “The Laurentian Mixed Forest (LMF) Province traverses northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, southern Ontario, and the less mountainous portions of New England. In Minnesota, the LMF Province covers a little more than 23 million acres (9.3 million ha) of the northeastern part of the state. In Minnesota, the Province is characterized by broad areas of conifer forest, mixed hardwood and conifer forests, and conifer bogs and swamps. The landscape ranges from rugged lake-dotted terrain with thin glacial deposits over bedrock, to hummocky or undulating plains with deep glacial drift, to large, flat, poorly drained peatlands. Precipitation ranges from about 21 inches (53 cm) annually along the western border of the Province to about 32 inches (81 cm) at its eastern edge in Minnesota. Normal annual temperatures are about 34°F (1°C) along the northern part of the Province in Minnesota, rising to 40°F (4°C) at its southern extreme. Under influence of climate, the overall pattern of vegetation change across the Province in Minnesota is from warm and dry habitats in the southwest to cooler and moister ones in the northeast. Linked to climate are several other factors with southwest to northeast gradients that have important influence on vegetation and species ranges. Most notable are growing-degree days, evapotranspiration, and the depth and duration of snow cover.” The byway lies within the Northern Minnesota Drift & Lake Plains Section of the Laurentian Mixed

Forest. The following description comes from the DNR website.

Northern Minnesota Drift and Lake Plains Section 212N

The Northern Minnesota Drift and Lake Plains Section (MDL) covers the center of northern Minnesota. The MDL has complex surface geology, formed over many episodes of glaciation. It is characterized by deep (200-600ft) glacial deposits in outwash plains, lake plains, till plains, outwash channels, moraines, and drumlin fields. The patterns of vegetation in the MDL reflect the complex and patchy distribution of these glacial deposits. Mesic forests of sugar maple, basswood, paper birch, aspen, and northern red oak are widespread. They occur mostly on moraines or till plains characterized by rough topography, fine-textured parent material, or soils

with subhorizons that perch snowmelt and rainfall. Historically, forests and woodlands of jack pine and red pine were very common. These fire-dependent communities occur on the sandy outwash plains formed by glacial meltwater. Sandy and gravelly deposits that cap many of the major moraines in the western part of the MDL provide habitat for mixed forests of pine and boreal hardwood species such as quaking aspen and paper birch. Sedge meadows and alder and willow swamps occur along the sluggish streams draining the flat lake plains and along the Mississippi and Leech Lake rivers.”

5

The Northern Minnesota Drift and Lake Plains Section is further divided into several subsections. The Byway lies entirely within the Chippewa Plains Subsection. The following description is from the DNR website.

Chippewa Plains Subsection 212Na

The southern boundary is Leech Lake and the moraines south of the lake. The northern boundary is the southern shore of Glacial Lake Agassiz. On the east side, the boundary of the subsection is a series of end moraines (Rainy Lobe in origin, but later covered by the St. Louis Sublobe). The west side is framed by the Alexandria Moraine Complex.

Level to gently rolling lake plains and till plains characterize this subsection. Three large, heavily used lakes are found here. These include Leech Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish, and Cass Lake. Conifers dominated the sandier portions of the subsection before settlement. Aspen-birch, sugar maple, basswood, northern red oak, and bur oak were common components on more productive sites. Present day land use is recreation and forestry.

Landform

The primary landforms are ground moraines, a lake plain, stagnation moraines, and an outwash plain. All are associated with the Des Moines lobe or the Wadena lobe (middle to late Wisconsin glaciation period). The ground moraines are characterized by gently rolling topography and have calcareous loamy parent material. The stagnation moraines have gently rolling to hilly topography and have calcareous, loamy parent materials. The outwash plain has level to gently rolling topography and has fine to medium sandy parent material.

Bedrock geology

Thick glacial drift covers bedrock over most of the subsection. Drift thicknesses range from 200 to over 600 feet. The underlying bedrock consists of a diversity of Precambrian rock, including Early Precambrian (Late Archean) and Middle Precambrian (Early Proterozoic) gneiss, undifferentiated granite, and metamorphosed mafic to intermediate volcanic and sedimentary rocks (Morey 1976; Morey et al. 1981)

Soils

Soils range from sandy to clayey, depending on parent material. Most fall in the Alfisol, Entisol, or Histosol orders. On moraines, most soils are loamy well to moderately well drained and are classified as Boralfs. Soils on the outwash plain are dominantly sandy and excessively well drained. They are classified as Psamments (young, undeveloped sandy soils).

6

Climate

Total annual precipitation ranges from 23 inches in the northwest to 27 inches in the east, with about 40% occurring during the growing season. Only 12 to 16% of the annual precipitation falls during winter months (based on Midwest Climate Center 1992). Growing season length varies from 111 to 131 days.

Hydrology

The major river running through this subsection is the Mississippi River. The headwaters is just to the south in the Pine Moraines and Outwash Plains Subsection. Two large bodies of water are present, Lake Winnibigoshish (a reservoir) and Cass Lake. The drainage network throughout the subsection is poorly developed due to the age and characteristics of the landforms.

Presettlement vegetation

Presettlement vegetation was a mixture of deciduous and conifer forests. White pine and red pine were present on the moraines. Jack pine was the dominant cover type on outwash plains and sandy lake plains. Hardwoods (northern red oak, sugar maple and basswood) grew in sheltered areas of the moraines, generally close to large lakes. Forested lowlands were occupied by black spruce, tamarack, white cedar, and black ash. Non-forested wetlands were dominated by sedge meadow communities.

Present vegetation and land use

Much of this subsection is presently forested and forestry is one of the most important land uses. Aspen is the most common tree species. It is found in both pure stands and mixed stands with birch, maple, oak, white spruce, jack pine, and red pine. Tourism and recreation is the other important land use. There are many lakes present and most are developed with summer homes. Agriculture is important locally, particularly in the western part.

Natural disturbance

Fire was an important disturbance within the white pine-red pine forests and jack pine forests/woodlands. However, it is not clear whether the fires were from the Bemidji Outwash Plain immediately to the south or from lightning fires originating within the pine stands themselves.

The Chippewa Plains subsection can be further divided into Land Type Associations, which are units of related landforms, soils, and vegetation. The Byway runs through four LTAs, described as follows. Summaries come from the DNR website. The included citations refer to publications listed in http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/subsection/cp_pmop/draft_plan/ecological_info.pdf

7

From the MN DNR website http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/subsection/cp_pmop/draft_plan/ecological_info.pdf

LTA 212Na16 Blackduck Till Plain A nearly level to rolling till plain formed by the Koochiching Lobe Glacier. Uplands occupy 66 percent, wetlands occupy 30 percent, and lakes occupy 4 percent of the LTA (MN DNR, 1998). Small wet depressions that are dry in the summer are common. Intermittent streams are commonly present in areas where the loamy till is near or at the surface. There are 0.5 miles of streams per square mile. The majority of upland soils have loam to clay loam textures. A cap of sandy material is commonly found on the surface. The dominant upland pre-settlement vegetation was wet-mesic hardwood-conifer (sprucefir) (Shadis, 1999 and Marschner, 1974). Lowland pre-settlement vegetation was conifer bog and swamp (Marschner, 1974). Historic fire regime for the dominant upland type was 70- to 150-year forest replacement (Shadis, 1999). From the County 22 Environmental Assessment 2003: “Blackduck Till Plain is dominated by well and moderately well drained medium textured soils. Water available for plant use is moderate. Natural fertility is medium. Windthrow and erosion hazards are low. Inclusion of wet soils and organic soils commonly occur.” LTA 212Na18 Blackduck Moraine A rolling to steep end moraine formed by the Koochiching Lobe Glacier. Uplands occupy 63 percent, wetlands occupy 28 percent, and lakes occupy 9 percent of the LTA (MN DNR, 1998). Soil parent material is loam to clay loam till. The dominant upland pre-settlement vegetation was dry-mesic (red and white) pine forest, wet-mesic hardwood-conifer (spruce-fir) forest, and wet-mesic hardwood/conifer (white pine) forest, (Shadis, 1999 and Marschner, 1974). The majority of lowland pre-settlement vegetation was conifer bog and swamp (Marschner, 1974). Historic fire regimes for the

8

dominant upland types were a) 150- to 350-year forest replacement with five- to 50-year forest maintenance, b) 70- to 150-year forest replacement, and c) 250- to 1,000-year forest replacement, respectively (Shadis, 1999). LTA 212Na07 Bemidji Sand Plain A nearly level to gently rolling outwash plain formed by meltwater from the Des Moines Lobe Glacier. Uplands occupy 62 percent, wetlands occupy 23 percent, and lakes occupy 15 percent of the LTA (MN DNR, 1998). There are 0.5 miles of streams per square mile. The majority of upland soils are dry sand. Calcium carbonate has been leached out of the upper six feet or more. Minor amounts of sandy loam or loam soils also occur (NRCS,1994). The majority of the upland pre-settlement vegetation was dry pine (jack pine) and dry mesic pine-hardwood forests (Shadis, 1999). Lowland pre-settlement vegetation was commonly conifer bog and swamp (Marschner, 1974). Historic fire regimes for the dominant upland types were: a) 30- to 75-year forest replacement and b) 150- to 350-year forest replacement with five- to 50-year forest maintenance, respectively (Shadis, 1999) 212Na03 Guthrie Till Plain Level to rolling till plains formed by the Koochiching Lobe Glacier. The LTA consists of several islands of till separated by narrow sand plains from a different LTA. Uplands occupy 81 percent, wetlands occupy 16 percent, and lakes occupy 3 percent of the LTA (MN DNR, 1998). The majority (85 percent) of the soils have loam and clay loam textures (NRCS, 1994). Minor amounts of sand over loam are present on the edges next to sand plains. The upland pre-settlement vegetation was mesic northern hardwoods, mixed white pine-red pine, dry-mesic pine-hardwoods, and wet-mesic hardwood-conifer (white pine) (Shadis, 1999 and Marschner, 1974). Lowland pre-settlement vegetation was commonly conifer bog and swamp (Marschner, 1974). Note: See Appendix A for Descriptions of the Native Plant Communities, Ecological Land Type Phases, Forest Cover Types, and Wetlands and a proposed Crosswalk for the types. Topography between Blackduck and Lake Rabideau

In addition to the above descriptions of the ecological landscape for the Byway, another significant feature is the Laurentian or Continental Divide, located just a few miles south of Blackduck. Although divides between major watersheds are often determined by mountain ranges, this divide is not especially dramatic in appearance. There is a simple wood routed sign at mile 24, but one gets a better sense of the topographic boundary by climbing the Lookout Tower just southwest of the sign. Notice that the tower (black star on the map) sits on top of a ridge that forms the divide. Water flowing to the north eventually reaches Hudson Bay, while southward flowing waters discharge into the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River. Figure is from the DNR website.

9

II. Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Plan for the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway The National Roadside Vegetation Management Association www.nrvma.org published a manual in 1997 titled “How to Develop and Implement an Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Program.” The paper explains how to bring together the many parties with a stake in the management of a road corridor, and defines an integrated roadside vegetation management plan as “A decision-making and quality management process for maintaining roadside vegetation that integrates the following:

-the needs of local communities and highway users -the knowledge of plant ecology and natural processes -design, construction, and maintenance considerations -monitoring and evaluation procedures -government statutes and regulations -technology

with cultural, biological, mechanical, and chemical pest control methods to economically manage roadsides for safety plus environmental and visual quality”

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE LADY SLIPPER SCENIC BYWAY PHASES 1, 2, AND 3

The 26.6 miles of CSAH 10 and CSAH 39 between US 2 near Cass Lake and US 71 in Blackduck will be rebuilt over a period of many years. CSAH 10 was reconstructed several years ago, to Great River Road specifications. CSAH 39, the Lady Slipper Byway, will be rebuilt in three phases. Phase 1, from the Beltrami-Cass County line north to Birchmont Beach Rd (CSAH 20), began in fall of 2009 and is scheduled for completion by 2011. Phase 2, from Birchmont Beach Rd north to Turtle River Lake Rd (CSAH 22), will begin in 2012. Phase 3, from Turtle River Lake Rd to Gilstad Lake will begin in 2014. The Scenic Byway EA 2007 considered the potential impacts of the entire project and listed environmental mitigation measures on IV-16 & 17, copied here: “The following proposed recommendations focus on minimizing the potential for adverse impacts: Implement control measures for invasive plant species existing within roadside wetlands during

roadway construction. Observations for invasive species should be performed during construction and control measures should be implemented to remove or control the spread of giant reed (Phragmites australis), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa), narrow leaf cattail (Typha angustifolia), and hybrid cattail (Typha xglauca), Canadian thistle (Cirsium arvense), perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis), hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana), common st. johnswort (Hypericum perforatum), wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), and tall buttercup (Ranunculus acris), It is recommended that invasive plant material be removed along existing road edges and swales immediately prior to or during roadway construction. It is also be mandatory that all construction equipment be cleaned and inspected to assure that nonnative

plant material and seeds have been removed prior to equipment arriving on site. Equipment that is used in areas along the road where invasive plants are found also needs to be decontaminated before it moves into uncontaminated locations. ravel pits and borrow sources also need to be certified as weed free for them to be used as a source of

materials for this project.

10

Install guardrails in areas where the proposed roadway improvement encounters steep slopes rather than clearing and re-grading vegetated slopes. Re-vegetate disturbed areas with native vegetation of similar composition and structure as the

surrounding vegetation. The Forest Service will work with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the Beltrami County Highway Department to develop seed mixes for the various habitats that will need to be replanted after work is completed. An effort will also be made to replant with species beneficial to wildlife beyond the clear zone, and with those plants used by the Anishinabe people for traditional purposes. Mark proposed limits of disturbance for constructing the roadway improvements with tape or flagging to

reduce the probability of inadvertent encroachment into intact native vegetation by construction machinery and personnel. Use shallower ditches and steeper back slopes to minimize vegetation clearing and mitigate impacts on

vegetation and wetlands. The final construction plans should include directions to the Contractor for minimizing disturbance of

woody and turf vegetation. The final construction plans should include directions and specifications to the Contractor for

revegetating disturbed areas with non-invasive native plant species.” (but note the many exotics included in seed mixture 190, listed below) Vegetation Management within the Byway ROW The 2007 Environmental Assessment for the Scenic Byway discussed several alternative cross sections for the completed reconstruction with different options for road shoulder width and surface, width of the clear zone, and width of travel lanes. The final design is similar to the Cross Section for Type III MN Natural Preservation Route (55 mph, up to 750 vehicles/day) and is compatible with the already upgraded Great River Road route south of the Mississippi River in Cass County.

From the Scenic Byway EA 2007: Alternative 4: 12’ Travel Lanes with 6’ Shoulder “The typical section for this alternative is based upon CSAH design criteria with 6-foot shoulders (4-foot paved and 2-foot unpaved grass) and 12-foot travel lanes. It meets MN/DOT standards and will support 10-ton truck usage. The clear zone is limited to 15 feet from the edge of travel lane. Any trees removed beyond the 15-foot clear zone for construction of this alternative will be replanted. The travel lane and shoulder configuration for Alternative 4 is similar to the existing typical section for County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 10 in Cass County, creating a more consistent design throughout the 27-mile corridor. This alternative would meet minimum AASHTO standards of safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. It would satisfy bicyclist safety standards as a shared roadway without creating a separate bikeway designation. The development of four-foot paved shoulders outside of the travel lanes, demarcated by a painted stripe, would increase bicyclist and motorist safety and convenience. It is also consistent with the Great River Road Route Selection and Development Guide.”

11

Revegetation of the right of way following construction will be concentrated in the clear zone between the shoulder edge and the tree line along the back slope, a total width of less than 15 feet. Stockpiled topsoil will be returned to its origin in order to increase the chances of successful transplants of the Showy Lady Slippers. Revegetation Seed Mixtures The Phase 1 reconstruction of the Byway between the Beltrami-Cass County line and Birchmont Beach Rd (CSAH 20) calls for MN DOT seed mixtures 190 (2-5 year cover crop) and 350 (general purpose native grasses) (personal communication from Bruce Hasbargen, Beltrami County Highway Engineer). Mixture 190 contains nonnative species Smooth Brome, Hairy Vetch, Red Clover, Alsike Clover and Perennial Rye Grass. Even though it is described as a 2-5 year cover crop, the brome and rye grass will persist as permanent components of the roadside cover, as demonstrated on roadsides throughout the Bemidji area. Such vigorous species may disrupt the successful establishment of the native grasses in mixture 350, and may not be compatible with the newly transplanted Showy Lady Slippers. It would be preferable to use mixture 150 in conjunction with the seeding of mixture 350. Mixture 190 will be used in highly erodible areas according to Tyler Koos, former Beltrami County Highway Engineer (conversation October 2009). Composition of MN DOT seed mixes from 2007 Seeding Manual, MN DOT Office of Environmental Services http://www.dot.state.mn.us/environment/pdf_files/seedingmanual.pdf Note: see the MN DOT manual for details on selecting, establishing, and maintaining the seed mixtures and for other native seed mixtures for wetlands or dry sites, such as mixes 310, 325, 328, 330, 340. Prairie grasses and forbs for Bemidji Sand Plain and upland sites

Mixture 350 Permanent Cover Species Percent of Mixture Big Bluestem 21.5 Indian Grass 18.0 Little Bluestem 18.0 Sideoats Grama 21.5 Canada Wild Rye 14.0 Switch Grass 7.0

12

Mixture 150 Cover Crop for 1-2 years Species Percent of Mixture Winter Wheat or Oats 80.0 Annual Rye Grass 16.0 Slender Wheat Grass 4.0 Mixture 190 Cover crop for 2-5 years Species Percent of Mixture Red Clover* 10.0 Alsike Clover* 7.0 Alfalfa, creeping* 16.0 Brome grass, smooth* 12.0 Rye-grass, perennial* 25.0 Wheat-grass, slender 5.0 Vetch, hairy* 25.0 *Exotic species MN DOT lists smooth brome as an aggressive invasive and does not recommend its use.

The colorful blooms of native wildflowers greatly increase the attractiveness of roadsides. MN DOT has created lists of native prairie and wetland plants that would compatible with seed mixture 350. Only MN certified yellow tag seed should be used. Mixture for dry sites:

Mixture: Dry Forbs2

Common Name Botanical Name % of Mix Leadplant Amorpha canescens 10.0 Butterfly Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa 2.0 Heath Aster Aster ericoides 4.0 Stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmate 2.0 Yarrow Achillea millefolium 2.0 Long-leaved bluets Hedyotis longifolia 1.0 Round-headed Bushclover Lespedeza capitata 3.0 Rough blazingstar Liatris aspera 4.0 Dotted blazingstar Liatris punctata 3.0 Wild lupine Lupinus perennis 5.0 White prairie clover Dalea candidum 5.0 Purple prairie clover Dalea purpureum 16.0 Prairie rose Rosa arkansana 1.0 Black-eyed susan Rudbeckia hirta 18.0 Gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis 3.0 Upland goldenrod Solidago ptarmicoides 1.0 Stiff goldenrod Solidago rigida 2.0 Showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa 2.0

13

Hoary vervain Verbena stricta 14.0 Golden Alexander Zizea aurea 2.0

Total: 100.0 Rate: 0.5 lb/acre bulk 2

Acceptable origin and variety for all Dry Forbs are MN Certified (YT), MN wild-type. Minimum percent purity is 80% and minimum percent Germination is 40% for all Dry Forbs.

Mixture for wet sites and wetland crossings:

Mixture: Wet Forbs3

Common Name Botanical Name

% of Mix

Fragrant giant hyssop Agastache foeniculum 2.0 Water plantain Alisma subcordatum 4.0 Meadow garlic Allium canadense 1.0 Canada anemone Anemone canadensis 1.0 Marsh milkweed Asclepias incarnata 2.0 Panicled aster Aster simplex 3.0 New England aster Aster novae-angliae 3.0 Red-stalked aster Aster puniceus 3.0 Flat-topped aster Aster umbellatus 1.0 Canada tick trefoil Desmodium glutinosum 1.0 Joe-pye weed Eupatorium maculatum 17.0 Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum 10.0 Grass-leaved goldenrod Solidago graminifolia 2.0 Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale 1.0 Giant sunflower Helianthus giganteus 2.0 Common ox-eye Heliopsis helianthoides 1.0

reat St. ohn’s wort Hypericum pyvamidatum 2.0 Wild iris Iris versicolor 1.0 Tall blazingstar Liatris pycnostachya 8.0 Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa 1.0 White prairie clover Dalea candidum 1.0 Purple prairie clover Dalea purpureum 2.0 Mountain mint Pycnanthemum virginianum 1.0 Black-eyed susan Rudbeckia hirta 6.0 Stiff goldenrod Solidago rigida 2.0 Tall meadow rue Thalictrum dasycarpum 2.0 Blue vervain Verbena hastata 14.0 Ironweed Vernonia fasciculate 1.0 Culver’s root Veronicastrum virginicum 3.0 Golden Alexander Zizea aurea 2.0

Total: 100.0

14

Rate: 2 lbs/acre bulk 3

Acceptable origin and variety for all Wet Forbs are MN Certified (YT), MN wild-type. Minimum percent purity is 80% and minimum percent Germination is 40% for all Wet Forbs.

Below are suggested maintenance practices appropriate for the Byway, excerpted from: Best Practices for Roadside Vegetation Management 2008 handbook by Ann Johnson, 156 pages http://www.lrrb.org/pdf/200820.pdf Instructions for Maintenance of Native Seed Mixtures, from the 2007 MN DOT Seeding Manual

Native Grass and Forb Mixtures (310, 330, 340, 350, 325, 328) Year 1 Establishment (spring seeding): 1) Prepare site - Late April - May. 2) Seed - May 1 June 1. Maintenance: 1) Mow (6-8 inches) every 30 days after planting until September 30. 2) Weed Control - mowing should help control annual weeds. Spot spray thistles etc. Establishment (fall seeding): 1) Prepare site - Late August - early September. 2) Seed - late September to freeze-up. Maintenance (following season): 1) Mow (6-8 inches) once in May, June and July. 2) Weed Control - mowing should keep annual weeds down. Spot spray thistles etc. 21 Evaluation: 1) Cover crop growing within 2 weeks of planting (except dormant plantings). 2) Seedlings spaced 1-6 inches apart in drill rows. 3) Native grass seedlings may only be 4-6 inches tall. 4) If there is a flush of growth from foxtail etc., mow as necessary. Year 2 Maintenance: 1) Mow (6-8 inches) one time between June 1 - August 15 before weeds set seed. 2) Weed Control - mowing should keep annual weeds down. Spot spray thistles etc. 3) Some sites may not require much maintenance the second year. Evaluation: 1) Cover crop will be gone unless winter wheat was used in a fall planting. 2) Grasses forming clumps 1-6 inches apart in drill rows, but still short. 3) Some flowers should be blooming (black-eyed Susans, bergamot etc.). 4) If there is a flush of growth from foxtail etc., mow site. Year 3 Maintenance: 1) Mow only if necessary. 3) Weed Control - Spot spray thistles, etc. 4) Sites usually do not require much maintenance the third year. Evaluation: 1) Planting should begin looking like a prairie - tall grasses, flowers etc.

15

Long-term Maintenance: 1) Weed Control - Spot spray thistles etc. 2) Burning (3-5 year rotation) alternate spring and fall if possible. 3) Haying (3-5 year rotation) late summer or early fall. Alternate with burning (may substitute for burning). 4) Burning two years in a row will really “clean up” rough-looking sites. According to Tyler Koos, former Beltrami County Highway Engineer, the usual mowing schedule for county highways is a mid-summer mowing, followed by a second mowing later in the fall (conversation October 2009). The schedule for the Byway would have to be adjusted to adhere to the management guidelines quoted above. The MN DOT Office of Environmental Services has numerous additional publications and links referencing all aspects of vegetation management. http://www.dot.state.mn.us/environment/ The plant selector site is a useful screen for initial selection of appropriate species. http://dotapp7.dot.state.mn.us/plant/faces/index.jsp In addition to the above detailed maintenance schedule for the right of way revegetation, the Best Practices for Roadside Vegetation Management 2008 has recommendations for: Protection Salvage/transplant Timber utilization (during construction) Hazard trees Landscaping Vegetation for permanent erosion control Functional vegetation living snow fence, filter strip, visual screens Vegetation restoration/replacement Noxious weed controls, control of invasive species Native plant communities Avoid, salvage, mitigate/restore The handbook is available at http://www.lrrb.org/pdf/200820.pdf

16

Orchid Management

Salvaging and Transplanting Lady Slipper Orchids During a three year period from 2006 to 2008, members of the Lady Slipper Committee painstakingly located, counted, and mapped all of the Showy Lady Slipper clusters along the Byway. A GPS point was recorded for each group. On this map the zones of highest concentrations of Lady Slippers are shaded in pink. Nearly every sizeable clump is associated with ecological land type phase q or equivalent moist soil that supports white cedars, tamaracks and willows. See Appendix A for description of land type phases. Lady Slipper Biology Like all orchids, Showy Lady Slippers depend upon a close relationship with certain soil fungi. The tiny orchid seed contains only the germ of the future orchid and must make immediate contact with a specific species of mycorrhizal fungus in order to obtain enough nutrients to initiate growth. After 5-7 years, the orchid has enough photosynthetic capacity to sustain growth and the fungal dependence ceases. In another 10 to 15 years the orchid will have matured enough to flower for the first time. Each year the orchid’s underground rhizome grows about a centimeter; a closely grouped clump of orchids may be many decades old. The height of stems and profusion of flowers is affected by shade and moisture levels. At the Purdon site near Toronto, Ontario, a few dozen stems became 16,000 stems in less than 50 years, after moderate opening of the forest canopy and regulation of water levels. (Information from a presentation by Ray Newman, former botanist for the Chippewa National Forest, Management Plan for the Showy Lady’s Slipper, Cypripedium reginae, in the Purdon Conservation Area, Lanark County, Ontario by Theodore Mosquin, 1986, and the comprehensive summary of ecological needs at http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Cypripedium+reginae ). Following the original construction of the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway, soils in the ditches must have been favorable for proliferation of the fungus so that lightweight orchid seeds blown in from nearby wetlands settled and thrived. The sunny ditches retained enough moisture, forest trees created light shade, and mowing occurred after the orchids had completed their annual growth. The orchids blooming now probably germinated long before ATVs began using the ditches. In the late 1980s, Yellow and Showy Lady Slippers were successfully salvaged and restored along MN Highway 11, between Baudette and Warroad. The wide ditches in the right of way were famous for their abundant populations of Showy and Yellow Lady Slippers so dozens of volunteers salvaged orchids ahead of the road clearing equipment. Orchid clumps and topsoil were stockpiled during construction and returned to the ditches after roadwork was done. The orchids have thrived, and were in spectacular bloom this past June.

17

The Lady Slipper Byway committee used this successful effort as a model for the Byway. Orchid clusters located within the Phase 1 reconstruction project were mapped by GPS, then dug up during fall 2009 and temporarily stored in trenches near one of the major orchid populations. All sizeable clumps were rescued and labeled with their original location so that they can be returned when road work is completed. Top soil will be stockpiled during the construction period and later spread in the ditches where it originated.

Orchid holding pen In general, both the lady slipper transplants and the existing orchids in the right of way need little special attention. Disturbances in the ditch should be kept to a minimum by routing OHV trails onto the shoulder or backslope, herbicide spraying prohibited in the vicinity of orchids, and brushing and mowing restricted to the dormant season, preferably September and October. If the tree canopy begins to cast shade most of the day, then judicious thinning of trees may be necessary. Balsam firs in particular tend to grow in dense clusters and should be monitored for their effect on orchid vitality. No orchids will be available for individuals to transplant, even though salvage permits have been available on past road projects. Salvaged orchids have poor survival rates over the long term.

Ram’s-Head Lady Slipper in the Vicinity of the Byway

A Proposal for Unique Biological Corridor Between miles 14 and 16, east of Pimushe Lake, the Byway cuts through a highly sensitive conifer lowland, predominantly a white cedar swamp with associated tamarack-spruce bogs, alder swamps, northern wet meadow, and recently harvested uplands regenerating to trembling aspen. Informally known as “Barott Bog”, the wetland complex harbors a large population of MN state threatened Ram’s-Head Lady Slippers, estimated at 1500 to 2000 stems, although a comprehensive inventory has not yet been conducted. New populations were discovered in spring 2010 near FR 3862 which included about 15% white-phase orchids. As plans for Phase 2 of the Byway reconstruction proceed, I recommend that this particular stretch be given special consideration for minimizing impacts from the construction. Byway Route through the Barott Bog Unique Biological Corridor in red.

18

Ram’s-Head Lady Slipper Normal and White Phase, photographed near FR 3862 by Steve Maxson

Other Management Considerations

Plant Species of Cultural Significance to the Ojibwe Plant materials were identified as traditionally gathered resources along the proposed corridor in the Scenic Byway EA 2007. These materials include balsam fir, birch bark, blueberries, white cedar, chokecherries, hazel nuts, red pine, plums, red osier dogwood, red willow (species?), sage, sumac tea, and Labrador tea. All of these resources are gathered in the vicinity of the Byway. Several of these species could be readily planted along the back edge of the right of way, adding diversity and seasonal color to the Byway. In particular, cherries, plums, and blueberries would be appreciated by both people and wildlife. Areas that will be restored following the road construction present an opportunity for establishing culturally important species such as sweet grass and sage, both of which could be planted in appropriate microsites. Sweet grass would do well in low areas close to the water table while sage should thrive in dry, sunny sites.

General Recommendations for Roadside Plantings Since a tree-lined roadside with a variety of species is especially attractive to Byway travelers, public land managers and private land owners should utilize opportunities for planting long-lived species that will add diversity and color to the Byway. White pines, sugar maples, red maples, red and bur oaks, and white spruce are readily available from nurseries. Shrubs that provide fall color, attractive flowers, and berries for wildlife can be interplanted along the edge of the backslope. Cherries, dogwoods, highbush cranberries, roses, arrowwood, nanny berry and other native species would thrive along the Byway. In sandy stretches south of Knutson Dam or between Kitchie Lake and Pimushe Access, blueberries, sand cherries, and snowberries should do well. Colorful wildflowers like wood lilies, native sunflowers, and blazing stars are only a few of the many native species that could brighten the roadside. See Appendix B for comprehensive lists of native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers appropriate for the Byway.

19

Gravel Pit Restoration Restoration of gravel pits is always a challenge. The excessively drained, low nutrient landscape is usually colonized by weedy, often exotic species. A restoration plan should accompany development or expansion of pits. Plans call for reshaping the pit to gentle contours, application of topsoil, and seeding native grasses and forbs to stabilize the surface (Byway EA 2007).

Beltrami County Shoreland Ordinance (2006, page 49) Regulations for Gravel Pits: “Reclaimed areas shall be sodded or surfaced with a soil of a quality at least equal to the topsoil of land areas immediately surrounding, and to a depth of six (6) inches. Such required topsoil shall be planted with legumes and grasses. Trees and shrubs may also be planted, but not as a substitute for legumes and grasses. Such plantings shall adequately retard soil erosion. Excavations completed to a water producing depth need not be backfilled if the water depth is at least ten (10) feet and if banks are sloped to the waterline at a slope no greater than three (3) feet horizontal to one (1) foot vertical. The finished grade shall be such that it will not adversely affect the surrounding land or future development of the site upon which excavation operations have been conducted. The finished plan shall restore the excavation site to a condition whereby it can be utilized for the type of land use proposed to occupy the site after excavation operations cease.” http://www.co.beltrami.mn.us/government/ordinances/Ordinance%206%20Shoreland.pdf Additional guidelines for rehabilitating gravel pits are available in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Handbook for Reclaiming Sand and Gravel Pits in Minnesota (C.G. Buttleman 1992, updated 2003). This publication may be downloaded as a PDF file from http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/handbook_reclaimingsandgravelpits.pdf The DNR Land and Minerals Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/pubs.html lists many other resources for reclaiming gravel pits.

Wetlands About 30% of the Byway is bordered by wetlands, ranging from creeks and rivers to meadows and fens to black spruce-tamarack bogs and white cedar swamps. Many of the wet meadows and brushy marshes were formerly conifer peatlands, as evidenced by scattered tamarack snags. Roads function like beaver dams, impeding water flow, artificially raising water levels and drowning conifers. Road prisms should be constructed to preserve the local hydrology and prevent this change in plant community. Adequate culverts and subsurface permeable rock layers can maintain the original water regime. It’s encouraging to note that young tamaracks have regenerated on many of the former tamarack peatlands. See Minnesota’s Board of Soil and Water Resources website for information on wetland maintenance and restoration using native plant species. http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/wetlands/vegetation/index.html Amenity Parking Lots Two of the three planned amenity parking lots have been grubbed and cleared. Landscaping plans should specify revegetation with a variety of native species such as those in Appendix B and MN DOT native seed mixtures. The Pennington Bog parking lot will have interpretive signage to inform visitors of the many features of a white cedar bog. A short boardwalk trail will lead south from the parking lot, following the powerline right of way where Showy Lady Slippers have been transplanted. There is an opportunity to feature native conifers, ericaceous shrubs, and wetland wildflowers as landscaping plans develop. The Mississippi River parking lot, at the corner of Brook Lake Rd and the Byway, offers visitors and residents a safe place to pull off the road and then walk over the Mississippi River via a yet-to-be-constructed pedestrian bridge. Interpretive panels can explain that the river is a boundary between the

20

Blackduck Moraine and the Bemidji Sand Plain and can also explain the cultural and historical significance of the Mississippi. Landscaping can incorporate many of the dry mesic species that were cleared from the site, like red oaks, bur oaks, basswoods, white pines, gray dogwood, bittersweet, blueberries, juneberries, and wildflowers. Species of cultural importance to the Ojibwe could be featured in the parking lot’s landscaping. Future Maintenance of the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway The mowing schedule should follow the MN DOT recommendations given above, which are intended to foster the establishment of permanent native vegetation along the roadside. In the vicinity of the replanted and new clumps of lady slippers only mechanical means of control should be allowed. Best time for mowing and brush control would be during the late growing season or fall dormant season. Thinning of balsam fir clumps may be necessary to maintain adequate sunlight for the orchids.

Invasive Species Invasive control will be an important and continuing concern for the Byway. Spotted knapweed is a major invasive species on sandy soil in Beltrami County and is difficult to eradicate if it becomes established. Hand pulling works if the plants are at low densities, but herbicide application is necessary for large populations. Another noxious species is wild parsnip, which is just beginning to invade local ditches. The leaves exude an oil which is photo reactive on skin, causing a painful rash. Control is best achieved with herbicides. Narrow-leaved cattail has already invaded pristine wetlands like the Nushka sedge fen and threatens to displace the native broad-leaved cattail throughout MN. Non chemical control options are limited to maintaining deep water or harvesting during fall drawdown and immediately reflooding. See http://na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants/weeds/narrow-leaved-cattail.pdf for more details.

From Byway EA 2007: “Species identified in the study area during surveys conducted during September 2003, June 2004, and August 2004 included giant reed (Phragmites australis), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea). Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is found at the north end of the project area in several wetlands on the south edge of Blackduck. Leech Lake Reservation has also identified the non native earthworm, Canadian thistle (Cirsium arvense), perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis,) hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana), common st. johnswort (Hypericum perforatum), wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), and tall buttercup (Ranunculus acris) as invasive species within the project area. Leech Lake Reservation has identified tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) and spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) in the general location of this road. A variety of invasive species could potentially occur within the study area, many of which are identified in the MN DNR Exotic Species Program List of Minnesota, Leech Lake Reservation Invasive Species List, and Federal Prohibited and Noxious Plants (MN DNR, 1999).” Control of exotic species will always be a challenge for land managers. While herbicides can effectively reduce or eliminate the most common invasives, sometimes the managing agency has policies that prohibit their use. If this is the case, then physical means of control must be employed, such as mowing, hand pulling, prescribed burns, grazing, or disking and reseeding with desirable species. Species-specific recommendations are available at the following websites: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/index.html Collection of additional links and resources for weed identification and control http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/additionalinfo.html There are numerous additional sites on the Internet.

21

Salt Application on Road Surface

Snow plowing and sanding likely has little effect on the orchids and other native species, but salt (both sodium chloride and calcium chloride) is known to be detrimental to many species of plants and aquatic animals. In 2008 a comprehensive study of road salt effects on lakes in the Twin Cities concluded that salt concentrations were beginning to exceed acceptable levels and that less salt should be used and alternative chemicals should be investigated. http://www.lrrb.org/PDF/200842.pdf. Fortunately MN DOT has developed new methods of applying salt that makes it stick to the pavement rather than blowing off into the ditches. The following websites list resources for operator training and certification for salt application. http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/about-mpca/mpca-events-and-training/road-salt-education-program.html Handbook for snow and ice control: http://www.mnltap.umn.edu/pdf/snowicecontrolhandbook.pdf

Powerline, Telephone, Cable Corridors Maintain by mechanical brushing and mowing, preferably during the orchid’s dormant season. If herbicides are necessary, apply to sections of the Byway with few or no populations of Showy Lady Slippers. The Lady Slipper Byway Committee has mapped all of the lady slipper populations in the right of way. Contact the Committee or the CNF Blackduck District office for more information.

Recreational trails Reroute outside of road ditches, either on new trails or on the backslope along the edge of the row close to the tree line. Allow ATVs to use the road shoulder if necessary to avoid wet ditches such as those bordering the Pennington Bog or the Barott Bog. Visual Quality Management Scenery management is an integrated approach for reconciling forest management activities with the visual perceptions of residents and visitors. The US Forest Service began developing guidelines for visual quality in the 1950s and has elevated the importance of aesthetic management in writing its forest management plans. The USDA Handbook on Scenery Management (1995) spells out procedures for defining visually important areas and corridors, beginning with landscape character.

22

An excerpt from the Handbook, page I-11: Example of Existing Landscape Character – Northern Hardwoods on Flat Terrain

Other elements of an integrated scenic plan include assessing scenic integrity, constituent information, landscape visibility of management activities, and putting the information together via planning and integration. The Handbook is liberally illustrated with examples of scenic values. A general recommendation for the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway is to manage for large specimens of long lived conifers such as white and red pines, and to plant native conifer species to diversify the year around visual quality of the byway. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Forest Resources Council has published Sustaining Minnesota Forest Resources: Voluntary Site-Level Forest Management Guidelines for Landowners, Loggers and Resource Managers (2005) to guide agencies as they manage our forest lands. Within the guidelines there are several sections on scenery management; these have been compiled below: Guidelines for roads with Highest Visual Sensitivity (such as the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway): Defined as “travel routes and areas where significant public use occurs and where visual quality is of high concern to typical users. Examples of such routes may include public highways, local roads, recreational lakes and rivers, and designated recreational trails and areas that provide a high level of scenic quality.” From the Voluntary Site-Level Guidelines Guidelines for harvesting and reforestation in areas of highest visual sensitivity:

Promote a mixture of species, both naturally occurring and planted. Encourage and maintain diversity within the stand. Favor long-lived species where appropriate to minimize frequency of management activities. Do not plant rows perpendicular to travel routes or recreation areas. Plant irregular or offset rows to encourage natural-appearing stands. Use wider initial spacing to minimize number of re-entries Encourage full utilization of all species in the harvest area. Avoid slash piles or windrows visible from travel routes and recreation areas. Limit slash beyond 50 feet from travel routes to a maximum height of 2 ft. Avoid landings within view of travel routes or recreation areas

23

Keep number of landings to a minimum. Remove all products promptly when development of visible landings is necessary. Dispose of grubbed stumps and trees so as not to be visible. Treat any slash at landings as soon as possible. Seed, plant and regenerate landings promptly. Remove all trash from landings upon completion of harvesting. Plan landings to access future sales to the site and to encourage establishment of other

species. Vegetation Management Suggestions for Private Landowners Landowners fortunate enough to have lady slippers growing on their portion of the right of way can help to maintain the orchids by establishing or maintaining a filter strip of native vegetation between their property and the right of way, and by not mowing their portion of the ditch. The Lady Slipper Byway committee will be glad to share mapped locations of orchids so that landowners can participate in their protection. Planting of trees along the right of way is encouraged, with preference for long-lived native species such as white pine, white spruce, sugar maples, and oaks. If your property is fenced, consider planting woody native vines like bittersweet, Virginia creeper, or wild grape along the fence line. Cherries, flowering crabapples, and roses would be attractive additions to the boundary between your property and the Byway. See Appendix B for additional recommendations for species to plant along the Byway. Resources for landowners: Landscaping for Wildlife by Carrol Henderson. 1994. Available from the MN DNR Bookstore http://www.comm.media.state.mn.us/bookstore/mnbookstore.asp?page=viewbook&BookID=68196&stocknum=276 Landscaping with Native Plants of Minnesota by Lynn M Steiner. 2005. Available from Voyageur Press http://www.voyageurpress.com/Store/Product_Details.aspx?ProductID=31916

24

III. Noteworthy Features of the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway The 2005 Corridor Management Plan identified many features along and near the byway that enhance the visitor’s experience. In Appendix C, I describe these points of interest in greater detail and have illustrated many of them with photographs. The following lists highlight aspects of the Byway that can be promoted on the Lady Slipper Byway website and brochures.

Interpretive Pullouts Milepost Fire tower, continental divide 24.0, 24.3

CCC Camp Rabideau 20.2 Forest Road 3862 interpretative trail 15.4 Pennington boardwalk, interpretive trail 9.4 Mississippi River amenity site and pedestrian bridge 6.0 Nushka sedge fen overlook 4.4

Rest Facilities Blackduck wayside 26.6 Pine Tree Park (Blackduck City Park, on #30) 2.0 west of US 71 Gilstad Lake public access 21.3 Benjamin Lake picnic area, beach 20.7 CCC Camp Rabideau 20.2 Webster Lake camping, picnicking, hiking 16.2; 1.5 mi east, north Scenic Store fuel, groceries in Pennington 8.7 Knutson Dam camping, picnicking, public access 5.4 Norway Beach interpretive center, beach, picnicking, camping 2.0 m west on US 2 Seasonal Highlights Although vehicles travel the road at 55 mph, seasonal changes are obvious even to casual observers. Most travelers will notice the flowering of willow catkins in spring, the bright yellows of hoary puccoons in early June, the lush green of the woods during the summer, and, beginning in mid-September, stunning fall colors: golden tamaracks, blazing orange sugar maples, russet oaks, tawny grasses and sedges. Here are some of the seasonal highlights along the Byway:

Spring-Early Summer

Showy Lady Slippers late June to early July Blue flag iris, calla lilies - June Cotton grass late May through June Bog laurel mid to late May in bogs Spring colors of aspen and red maples early May Juneberries flowering early May Hoary puccoons late May to early June Large-flowered trilliums late May Wild roses mid June to July

25

Summer through Fall

Tamaracks turning gold early to mid October Maples, other hardwoods with fall color late September to mid October Autumn willow setting seed mid September First frost, first snowfall

Fall through Winter Red osier dogwood color in winter November through April

Highbush cranberries flowers in early June, berries in October through winter Rose hips September through winter

Super canopy white pines - year around

Possible Animal Sightings Wolves, deer, fisher, bobcats, porcupines anytime Deer browsing and crossing Byway anytime, especially in the spring and fall

Loons at Benjamin, Webster, Carl’s Lake late April through August Pelicans soaring over the Byway near Cass Lake spring through summer Eagle nests Pine Tree Park on Blackduck Lake; west of Chippewa Paws Ln

active March through July Ruffed Grouse picking gravel along shoulder - anytime Snapping turtles, painted turtles egg laying, crossing roads June Conclusion From Byway EA 2007: “From the road, the view reveals both natural and developed landscape features. Woodlands dominate the view from the road. The clear zone has not been fully maintained over the years, resulting in a closed-in feeling with forest vegetation close to the travel lanes. This gives the road the visual impression of closeness with the surrounding natural environment. Residents and visitors value the perception of intimacy with the natural setting this provides. Upland forest types visible from the road include maple and ash, as well as dogwood, elm, aspen, and a strip of white spruce and red pine at the northern end of the highway. Pine plantations of red and white pine are also found. Lowland forests are comprised of tamarack, black spruce, and white cedar forests. These are associated with the extensive wetlands in the study area. In addition to forested wetlands, these wetlands also include sedge meadows, bogs, as well as scrub-shrub wetlands. Lady slipper orchids grow in the forests and wetlands, and also in roadside clearings and ditches. These flowers are a popular local sight and are appreciated by travelers and residents of Forest Highway 3. Other common wildflowers, including trilliums, hoary puccoon, lilies, and violets contribute to the roadside’s aesthetic value.” The Lady Slipper Scenic Byway offers a glimpse of what we appreciate most about Northern Minnesota, a traveling experience to be shared by both local residents and visitors. Those who live along the Byway or are charged with managing its natural resources have the opportunity to maintain and enhance that experience.

26

IV. Resources (additional websites have been incorporated into the text) Agencies and Organizations Chippewa National Forest http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/chippewa/ MN Department of Natural Resources http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/index.html Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe http://www.llojibwe.com/ Lady Slipper Scenic Byway http://www.ladyslipperscenicbyway.org/ Explore Minnesota http://www.exploreminnesota.com/ Blackduck History Center http://www.blackduckhistoryart.org/ Beltrami Historical Society http://www.beltramihistory.org/ Bemidji Chamber of Commerce http://www.bemidji.org/ Blackduck Chamber of Commerce http://www.blackduckmn.com/ Cass Lake Chamber of Commerce http://www.casslake.com/ CCC Camp Rabideau -The 2006 nomination as a National Historic Landmark http://www.nps.gov/nhl/designations/samples/mn/Rabideau%20CCC%20Camp.pdf Publications and Reports Grant application for the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway Vegetation Management Plan http://www.ladyslipperscenicbyway.org/pdf/2008-sb-veg-grant-appl.pdf Corridor Management Plant for the Scenic Highway Scenic Byway. 2005. HNTB for the Chippewa National Forest and the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway. MN DNR websites describing the Ecological Classification System

MN DNR descriptions of ecological sections and subsections http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecs/212/index.html

MN DNR descriptions of land type associations in the Chippewa Plains subsection http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/subsection/cp_pmop/draft_plan/ecological_info.pdf

MN DNR descriptions of native plant communities http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/npc/index.html

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nhnrp/nckey.pdf

27

USFS reports for the Chippewa National Forest

2007 Environmental Assessment for Forest Highway 3 Project Planning Study (CSAH 39 and CSAH 10) from US 71 to US 2. Cited in this vegetation management plan as “Byway EA 2007. http://www.efl.fhwa.dot.gov/files/projects/environment/EA-CSAH39-CSAH10t.pdf 2003 EA for Reconstruction of CSAH 22 http://www.efl.fhwa.dot.gov/files/projects/environment/ea_turtleriver.pdf

2009 Continental Divide Resource Management Environmental Assessment and "Changes to the Environmental Assessment" May 2009

2010 Kitchi Resource Management (KRM) Environmental Assessment

2006.Historic Structures Reconnaissance Survey from the Historic Context of FH 3/Scenic Highway. URS for the US Forest Service

Orchids

Orchids of Minnesota. Welby Smith. University of Minnesota Press. 1993. Conservation Assessment for Ram’s Head Lady Slipper (Cypripedium arietinum). Marjory Brzeskiewicz. USDA Forest Service, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. 2000. A Management Plan for the Showy Lady’s Slipper, Cypripedium reginae, in the Purdon Conservation Area, Lanark County, Ontario. Theodore Mosquin. 1986. For the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority.

Pennington Bog Scientific and Natural Area. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00957/index.html Scenic Byways

Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway Vegetation Management Plan 2010 http://www.gunflint-trail.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Vegetation-Management-Plan-.pdf

Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway Vegetation Management Resource Guide. 2009. Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

28

Vegetation Classification and Management

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Field Guide to the Native Plant Communities of Minnesota: The Laurentian Mixed Forest Province. Ecological Land Classification Program, Minnesota County Biological Survey, and Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program. St. Paul, MN 2003

Noxious Weeds of Minnesota. By Carol Mortensen. Leech Lake Division of Resources Management. 2003.

Handbook: Best Practices for Roadside Vegetation Management.. 2008. Minnesota Department

of Transportation St. Paul, MN,

Sustaining Minnesota Forest Resources: Voluntary Site-Level Forest Management Guidelines for Landowners, Loggers and Resource Managers. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Forest Resources Council, 2005. Visual Quality Best Management Practices for Forest Management in Minnesota. 1994. MN Forest Resources Council.

Landscape Aesthetics: a Handbook for Scenery Management. 1995. USDA Forest Service. Agriculture Handbook No 701 http://naldr.nal.usda.gov/NALWeb/Agricola_Link.asp?Accession=CAT11132970

National Roadside Vegetation Management Association. 1997. How to Develop and Implement An Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Program. http://www.dot.state.mn.us/environment/pdf_files/irvm_howto.pdf

APPENDIX A

DESCRIPTIONS AND CROSSWALK FOR NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITIES, ECOLOGICAL LANDTYPE PHASES, FOREST

COVER TYPES, AND WETLAND TYPES

1

Native Plant Communities and Ecological Land Type Phases of the Byway Native Plant Communities as described in the Field Guide to Native Plant Communities of Minnesota: The Laurentian Mixed Forest Province. MN DNR 2003 FDc24 Central Rich Dry Pine Woodland Dry-mesic pine woodlands on sandy, level to gently undulating outwash deposits or occasionally on sandy inclusions in rolling to hummocky stagnation moraines and till plains. Crown fires and mild surface fires were common historically. Jack pines in canopy, dense hazel understory, bracken fern and Pennsylvania sedge often common. Sandy soils that are excessively drained, often with dark organic matter in uppermost layers. Fire frequency about 23 years. Jack pines always dominant or co-dominant in the canopy as stand ages. FDc34 Central Dry-Mesic pine-Hardwood Forest Dry-mesic pine, hardwood, or pine-hardwood forests on hummocky glacial moraines, often adjacent to outwash plains. Crown fires and mild surface fires were common historically. Red, white, and/or jack pines in the canopy along with oaks and red maples. Abundant beaked hazel and large-leaved aster in the understory. Sandy soils that are well drained. Frequent fires at 20 year intervals. Red and white pine increased in the canopy as stands aged. FDn33 Northern Dry-Mesic Mixed Woodland Dry-mesic conifer, conifer-hardwood, or hardwood woodlands dominated by red pine, white pine, jack pine, black spruce, quaking aspen, or paper birch. Most common on sandy soils but also present on shallow, loamy soils over bedrock. Crown and surface fires were common historically. Canopy varies from aspen, red maple and birch to red and white pines. Hazel and the forbs Canada mayflower and wild sarsaparilla are common. On well drained loamy sands, somewhat stratified. Fire frequency about 53 years. Aspen gradually replaced by pines and eventually balsam fir and white spruce. MHc26 Central Dry-Mesic Oak-Aspen Forest Dry-mesic hardwood or, rarely, hardwood-conifer forests, usually with northern red oak as a canopy dominant. Present on well-drained loamy or sandy soils, primarily on stagnation moraines and less frequently on till plains or glacial river terraces. Red oak codominant with aspen, birch, basswood, and/or sugar maple. Understory of beaked hazel, large-leaved aster, Pennsylvania sedge, and wild sarsaparilla. On well-drained sandy soil above a denser horizon or containing small amounts of clay. Fire frequency about 160 years. Aspen, birch and oak gradually maturing to aspen, red oak, white pine and white spruce. Note: In both Itasca State Park and the Paul Bunyan State Forest, which are located on stagnation moraines, MHc26 and FDc34 are intermixed. Soil texture, moisture and fire intensity varied with slope and aspect on the hilly topography, resulting close proximity between stands of mesic hardwoods and fire-dependent stands. A similar situation exists on the Blackduck Stagnation Moraine. MHn35 Northern Mesic Hardwood Forest Mesic to dry-mesic hardwood forests on well-drained to moderately well-drained loamy soils, most often on stagnation moraines and till plains and less frequently on bedrock hills. Canopy of sugar maples, basswood and red oaks, many sugar maple saplings in the understory, with beaked hazel, wild sarsaparilla and large-leaved aster. Loamy soil with perched sub soil horizons, moderately well drained. Fire frequency about 130 years. Birch and aspen gradually replaced by sugar maples and white pines.

2

MHn44 Northern Wet-Mesic Boreal Hardwood-Conifer Forest Wet-mesic or mesic hardwood and hardwood-conifer forests, most commonly on level, clayey sites with high local water tables on glacial lake deposits, stagnation moraines, and till plains. Aspen-birch canopy with balsam fir, beaked hazel and Canada mayflower in subcanopy. Very high species diversity. Soils are fine-textured calcareous clay loams with a thick litter horizon, and are poorly drained. Fire frequency about 160 years. Quaking aspen develops into mixed canopy of aspen, birch and balsam fir. MHn46 Northern Wet-Mesic Hardwood Forest Wet-mesic lowland hardwood forests on level sites with clayey subsoils or high local water tables. Canopy of mixed hardwoods and conifers such as black ash, quaking aspen, white cedar, and balsam fir, and variable understory of lady ferns, Pennsylvania sedge, beaked hazelnut, and seedlings and saplings of black ash, red maple and basswood. On clay loam or sandy loam soils saturated in spring, but drying gradually during the growing season. Soils are poorly to moderately well-drained. Catastrophic disturbance rare, but light fires and windthrow occurred about every 160 years. Quaking aspen eventually succeeds to aspen and white spruce with other hardwoods. WFn53 Northern Wet Cedar Forest Wet conifer or conifer-hardwood forests on muck or peat soils. Typically present in settings where saturated soils are present through most of the growing season such as depressions, low level terrain along lakes, rivers, or wetlands, and gently sloping upland drains. Canopy of white cedar and sometimes black ash, sparse ground layer and understory of mucky hollows, moss-covered logs, dwarf raspberry, naked miterwort, occasional mountain maple or speckled alder. Mineral or muck soils that are very poorly drained. Fires rare, every 340 years on average. After disturbance, balsam fir dominates, eventually matures to white cedar stand. WFn55 Northern Wet Ash Swamp Wet hardwood forests on mucky mineral soils in shallow basins and groundwater seepage areas or on low, level terrain near rivers, lakes, or wetlands. Canopy dominated by black ash, herbaceous ground layer of high species diversity, patchy shrubs of black ash and mountain maple. Peat over mineral soil, poorly drained. Windthrow disturbances about every 140 years. Black ash dominates at all stages. FPn63 Northern Cedar Swamp White cedar-dominated swamps on wet peat soils. Often present in areas influenced by mineral-rich subsurface flow or groundwater seepage along the margins of uplands and peatlands. Cedar dominates, with occasional balsam fir and black spruce, moss cover is over 50%, variable forbs and shrubs. Peat soil saturated by minerotrophic groundwater, water table is at surface. Catastrophic disturbance rare, about once in 900 years. Windthrow more common than fire. FPn73 Northern Alder Swamp Tall shrub wetlands dominated by speckled alder on mineral, muck, or peat soils. Present in wetland basins on glacial moraines and till plains, along streams and drainage ways, or in lags along peatland and upland borders. Trees have less than 25% cover, while alder is over 50%. Variable moss, graminoid, forb and low shrubs. Soils can be saturated muck, peat or mineral soils. Usually associated with forested peatlands.

3

FPn82 Northern Rich Tamarack Swamp Tamarack-dominated swamps on moderately deep to deep peat in basins on glacial till or outwash deposits, or occasionally along the margins of large peatlands on glacial lake plains or on floating mats along lake or river shores. Partial canopy of tamarack and occasional black spruce, greater than 50% moss cover, variable forbs and shrubs with high presence of ericaceous species. Soils are deep peat, circumneutral pH. Though usually saturated, tamarack swamps burned during drought periods, about every 360 years, regenerating back to tamarack. APn81 Northern Poor Conifer Swamp Conifer-dominated peatlands with sparse canopy of stunted trees. Understory is depauperate and dominated by ericaceous shrubs, fine-leaved graminoids, and low hummocks of Sphagnum moss. Minerotrophic plant species are present. Park-like canopy of stunted trees, sphagnum mosses, scattered forbs and sedges, moderate cover of leatherleaf and Labrador tea. Community occurs on deep peat in shallow basins, often bordering bog ponds. Catastrophic disturbance about 500 year intervals, although minor windthrows are frequent due to shallow roots. APn91 Northern Poor Fen Open Sphagnum peatlands with variable development of hummocks and hollows. Dominated either by fine-leaved sedges or low shrubs. Present in small basins, on floating mats near lakes and ponds, and in large peatlands on glacial lake plains. Trees rare, 100% moss cover, dominated by fen wiregrass sedge or bog wiregrass sedge, leatherleaf and bog birch frequent. Soils are acidic deep peat. OPn92 Northern Rich Fen Open peatlands on deep, well-decomposed peat or floating peat mats in basins, often adjacent to lakes and ponds. Dominated by fine-leaved graminoids or shrubs. Few or no trees, dominant cover of fen wiregrass sedge and cotton grass with scattered willows and a variety of forbs such as marsh fern and marsh cinquefoil. Floating sedge mats bordering lakes, with circumneutral pH. Can transition to wet meadow-carr if water levels fluctuate. WMn82 Northern Wet Meadow/Carr Open wetlands dominated by dense cover of broad-leaved graminoids or tall shrubs. Present on mineral to sapric peat soils in basins or along streams. Trees rare, variable moss, forb, and shrub cover, dominated by bluejoint grass and lake sedge. Soils can be mineral soil to sapric peat. Water levels vary from spring to summer, and the meadows can burn during drought. MRn83 Northern Mixed Cattail Marsh Emergent marsh communities, typically dominated by cattails. Present on floating mats along shorelines in lakes, poinds, and river backwaters, or rooted in mineral soil in shallow wetland basins. Shrubs nearly absent, except for a few willows. Soils can be muck, peat or floating mats. Water generally present all year.

4

Ecological Land Type Phases of the Chippewa National Forest Phase descriptions provided by James Barott, Soil Scientist, Chippewa National Forest. Phase c: This map unit is somewhat excessive to excessively well drained sand. The topography is nearly level to gently sloping. Inclusions of poorly drained soils are not as common as on other phases. This soil type has a relatively lower nutrient status and coarse woody debris needs to be maintained on the logging site to preserve those nutrients, especially when harvesting aspen. The most common tree species is red pine, followed by white pine, paper birch, jack pine, quaking aspen, red and bur oak. Phases p and e: Transitional phases between the heavier glacial till soils and the sandy soils. The map unit typically contains stratified sands and silts or has sand over glacial till. Paper birch and conifers, such as red and white pine, can be found on phases p and e as well as hardwoods normally found on phase h. Phase h: Primarily well drained soils, some nearly level areas are moderately well drained with poorly drained inclusions. Rolling to gently sloping topography. Soil textures in the Blackduck stagnation moraine tend to have a loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam surface over clay loam or silty clay loam glacial till. Soil textures in the Blackduck till plain are more consistent and typically have a small layer of loam and fine sandy loam over silty clay loam and clay loam. The most common tree species is sugar maple, followed by basswood, with ironwood in the subcanopy. Other tree species are quaking aspen, white spruce, yellow and paper birch, red and bur oak, red maple, slippery and American elm and balsam fir. White pines were formerly present in mature stands. Phase q: This is an ecological phase that is found adjacent to conifer wetlands. This map unit is typically moderately well drained to well drained. However, near conifer wetlands the drainage is somewhat poorly to poorly drained. The soil textures are similar to phase h. The most common tree species is balsam fir, followed by white spruce, white cedar, paper birch, red maple and quaking aspen. Comments for phase q: On the Blackduck stagnation moraine and the Blackduck till plain, phase q is almost exclusively related to the proximity of coniferous wetlands. Balsam fir is the dominant tree species. This plant community seems to be a perpetual state of dis-equilibrium. Since balsam fir is a relatively short-lived species, it tends to reach a certain age and either fall over or blow over and the balsam fir begins to regenerate again. Spruce budworm can also cause mortality of the spruce – fir community. If fire occurs, then aspen, paper birch or red or white pine may seed the burned over area. If the area is clear-cut it is likely that quaking aspen will be the dominant species for several years, with spruce-fir regenerating in the understory. Phase i: Primarily moderately well drained soils. Inclusions of somewhat poorly drained and well drained soils. Nearly level topography. Soil textures are similar to phase h The most common tree species is quaking aspen, followed by green ash, bur oak, American elm, sugar and red maple, basswood and ironwood.

5

Phases ci or cq: This is a complex of upland soils, phase i or q, phase j and seasonal wetlands. They are too intermixed to cut out as a separate map unit Phase j: Somewhat poorly and poorly drained soils. Soil textures are similar to phase h. The most common tree species is quaking aspen, followed by black ash, balsam poplar, paper birch and bur oak. Phases qs or hs: There is a sand cap over heavier textured soils. These soils are well to somewhat excessively well drained. Phase qs is similar to phase q with some scattered plants that are normally associated with phase c, such as red pine, white pine and blueberry. Phase hs is similar to phase h except there are scattered plants associated with phase c, such as red pine, white pine and blueberry. Phase e, p and hs are all similar well drained transition phases between hardwoods and outwash - a hybrid community. And in the end p and e may be combined. I would say that hs leans more toward sugar maple-basswood. For example, you can see hepatica, blueberry, basswood, bigtooth aspen, scattered red and white pine, scattered sugar maple or basswood, red oak all in the same area.

6

Chippewa Forest cover types and wetland cover types provided by James Barott, CNF soil scientist. Chippewa National Forest Cover Types of the Byway 01 - Jack Pine 02 - Red Pine 03 - White Pine 11 - Balsam fir - aspen - paper birch 12 - Black Spruce 14 - Northern white-cedar 15 - Tamarack 16 - White spruce - balsam fir 18 - Mixed conifer swamp 55 - Northern red oak 71 - Black ash - American elm - red maple 82 - Sugar maple - basswood 85 - Sugar maple 89 - Mixed hardwoods (maple, basswood, ash) 91 - Quaking aspen 92 - Paper birch 94 - Balsam poplar 95 - Aspen - white spruce - balsam fir 97 - Lowland brush 98 - Upland brush 99 - Open Chippewa National Forest Wetland Cover Types of the Byway Black spruce bog bb Black spruce swamp bs Black spruce swamp shrub subtype bssh Open sphagnum bog ob Black ash swamp ba Mixed hardwood swamp ms Tamarack swamp ta White cedar swamp wc Alder swamp as Willow swamp ws Cattail marsh cm

Mixed emergent marsh me Poor fen pf Poor fen sedge subtype pfsd Poor fen shrub subtype pfsh Poor fen stunted tamarack subtype pfst Rich fen shrub subtype rfsh Wet meadow wm Wet meadow shrub subtype wmsh Beaver impoundment imbe Phase q wetland complex cq Phase i wetland complex ci

6

Chippewa Forest cover types and wetland cover types provided by James Barott, CNF soil scientist. Chippewa National Forest Cover Types of the Byway 01 - Jack Pine 02 - Red Pine 03 - White Pine 11 - Balsam fir - aspen - paper birch 12 - Black Spruce 14 - Northern white-cedar 15 - Tamarack 16 - White spruce - balsam fir 18 - Mixed conifer swamp 55 - Northern red oak 71 - Black ash - American elm - red maple 82 - Sugar maple - basswood 85 - Sugar maple 89 - Mixed hardwoods (maple, basswood, ash) 91 - Quaking aspen 92 - Paper birch 94 - Balsam poplar 95 - Aspen - white spruce - balsam fir 97 - Lowland brush 98 - Upland brush 99 - Open Chippewa National Forest Wetland Cover Types of the Byway Black spruce bog bb Black spruce swamp bs Black spruce swamp shrub subtype bssh Open sphagnum bog ob Black ash swamp ba Mixed hardwood swamp ms Tamarack swamp ta White cedar swamp wc Alder swamp as Willow swamp ws Cattail marsh cm

Mixed emergent marsh me Poor fen pf Poor fen sedge subtype pfsd Poor fen shrub subtype pfsh Poor fen stunted tamarack subtype pfst Rich fen shrub subtype rfsh Wet meadow wm Wet meadow shrub subtype wmsh Beaver impoundment imbe Phase q wetland complex cq Phase i wetland complex ci

Crosswalk for Native Plant Communities and Forest Service Cover Types

MN DNR NPC Ecological Land Type Phases Forest Cover Types

FDc24 Central Rich Dry Pine Woodland c 01, 91 Jack Pine, Quaking Aspen

FDc34 Central Dry-Mesic Pine-Hardwood Forest c, e 01,02,91,92 Jack Pine, Red Pine, Quaking Aspen, Birch

FDn33 Northern Dry-Mesic Mixed Woodland c 02, 91, 95 Red Pine, Quaking Aspen. Aspen-Balsam Fir

MHc26 Central Dry-Mesic Oak-Aspen Forest p, e 89,55,91,92 Mixed Upland Hardwood, Red Oak, Quaking Aspen, Birch

MHn35 Northern Mesic Hardwood Forest h 03, 82, 85, 16 White Pine, Sugar Maple-Basswood, Sugar Maple, White Spruce-Balsam Fir,

91, 95 Quaking Aspen, Aspen-Balsam Fir

MHn44 Northern Wet-Mesic q 11,95,92 Balsam Fir-Aspen-Paper Birch, Aspen-Balsam Fir, Birch

Boreal Hardwood-Conifer Forest

MHn46 Northern Wet-Mesic Hardwood Forest i, j 94 Balsam Poplar

Wetland Types Forest and Wetland Cover Types

WFn53 Northern Wet Cedar Forest q, wc 14, 18, 91 Northern White Cedar, Mixed Swamp Conifer, Quaking Aspen

WFn55 Northern Wet Ash Swamp j, ba, ms 71 Black Ash-American Elm-Red Maple

FPn63 Northern Cedar Swamp wc 14, 18, 16 Northern White Cedar, Mixed Swamp Conifer, White Spruce-Balsam Fir

FPn73 Northern Alder Swamp as 97 Lowland Brush

FPn82 Northern Rich Tamarack Swamp ta 15 Tamarack

APn81 Northern Poor Conifer Swamp bb, bs 12 Black Spruce, Black Spruce Swamp

APn91 Northern Poor Fen pf, pfsd, ob 99 Poor Fen, Poor Fen sedge subtype, Open, Open Sphagnum bog

OPn92 Northern Rich Fen rf, rfsh Rich Fen, Rich Fen shrub subtype

WMn82 Northern Wet Meadow/Carr wm, whsh, ws 97 Lowland Brush, Wet Meadow, Wet Meadow Shrub subtype, Willow Swamp

MRn83 Northern Mixed Cattail Marsh cm, me Cattail Marsh, Mixed Emergent Marsh

APPENDIX B

NATIVE MINNESOTA TREES, SHRUBS AND WILDFLOWERS APPROPRIATE FOR ROADSIDE PLANTING

1

Note: the following lists have been edited for the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway.

Native Trees for Landscape Use

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG0466.html

Deborah L. Brown, Professor Mervin C. Eisel, Retired Professor Department of Horticultural Science

Copyright © 2010 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.

Minnesota has many native trees that can be used for landscaping. While commercial production is

limited for many native species, each year nurseries produce more of these plants for sale. However,

many others are available only in the wild and must be moved from their native habitats if they are to be

planted in the landscape.

Legally, plants can only be transplanted from the wild when dug from private land or with permission.

Even though they are native to this area, these trees require careful site selection. You must duplicate their

natural growing environments as closely as possible if they are to thrive in the home landscape.

Plants are usually dug from the wild without soil on their roots. They should be transplanted in early

spring before growth starts. This means they need to be identified in a dormant condition. If you can

identify the plants only when they have leaves or flowers, mark them during the growing season, then

move them the following spring.

It is usually better to move small plants, because even with careful digging, only a small percentage of

their roots will remain. Trees that develop a tap root, such as oaks and nut trees, are particularly difficult

to transplant and should only be moved as very young plants.

Nursery-grown plants typically have better root systems than those dug from the wild. This accounts for

the higher percentage of nursery-grown plants that survive transplanting and become reestablished more

quickly. Root pruning a year or two before transplanting from the wild will help develop a more compact

root system. To root prune, push a sharp shovel straight into the ground, forming a circle around the tree

that extends one foot from its trunk.

Pay attention to spacing and symmetry as you prune; be sure to maintain the tree's natural form. Prune

any broken, diseased, or dead branches and branches that grow back towards the center of the tree.

Eliminate branches that come out at a very narrow angle from the trunk. Thinning twigs on the trunk and

larger branches also helps, because there will be fewer leaves to lose moisture in hot, windy weather. But

you must be careful not to overdo it. Those leaves produce energy for the tree that will help it become

established in its new location.

2

Planting seed is another method of obtaining hard-to-find native plants. However, woody plants are more

difficult to start from seed than most herbaceous plants. Some seeds may be viable for only a short time;

some might require two or more years to germinate. Oak and nut tree seeds will not germinate if they are

dried prior to planting.

Most woody plant seeds require stratification in moist sand at 32 to 40 degrees F for three or four months

prior to planting. Planting stratified seed directly outdoors in spring is generally more satisfactory than

attempting to start them indoors.

You can also plant tree seeds outdoors in fall so they are stratified "naturally" over the winter. You must

protect the seed bed from rodents by covering the area with mesh hardware cloth. Remember to remove it

in spring before seedlings emerge.

Transplant the seedlings in spring after one or two year's growth. Choose their permanent site carefully.

Soil texture, drainage, and pH should be similar to conditions they experience growing wild. Moisture,

temperature and light levels must also be considered.

Water young trees weekly (unless there's ample rainfall) the first few years after transplanting. Control

pests and weeds to reduce competition during this time, also. Spread three to four inches of woodchip

mulch over the root area to help reduce weed growth and conserve moisture.

To prevent sunscald, wrap tree trunks each autumn until they develop corky bark, but be sure to remove

the tree wrap early each May. Provide rodent protection by encircling young tree trunks with a cylinder of

quarter-inch mesh hardware cloth.

The following trees are native to this area. Their mature size is influenced by many factors including

light, water, soil, fertility, competition and length of growing season. They are often taller under forest

conditions than when grown in an open area. Sizes listed here are probably maximums under Minnesota

forest conditions.

Ash, Black (Fraxinus nigra) 50-75 ft. not commonly planted, as it defoliates earlier than other ash

grows fast moist to dry sites fall color yellow to brown. Vulnerable to Emerald Ash Borer.

Ash, Green (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) 50-75 ft. C adaptable to wide range of soils fast growing

female trees can produce abundant seeds many nursery grown trees that are selected seedless clones

moist to dry sites yellow fall color. Vulnerable to Emerald Ash Borer.

Aspen, Large-toothed (Populus grandidentata) 50-75 ft. greenish-yellow bark yellow to golden-

orange fall color.

Aspen, Quaking or Trembling (Populus tremuloides) 35-50 ft. C white bark resembling birch

often producing thickets by suckering yellow fall color.

Basswood or American Linden (Tilia americana) to 75-100 ft. C handsome tree when grown in

open fragrant flowers single stem or clump yellow to brown fall color.

3

Birch, Paper (Betula papyrifera) 50-75 ft. C large plants are difficult to move plant on moist,

fertile, cool sites, otherwise likely to be killed by the bronze birch borer single trunk or clump yellow

fall color.

Cedar, White or American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) 50-75 ft. limited C evergreen tolerant

to moist soils does well on upland soils that are slightly alkaline excellent screening plant single

trunk or clump.

Cherry, Black (Prunus serotina) 50-75 ft. best on fertile soils white flowers bird food can be

defoliated by caterpillars yellow fall color.

Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) 10-20 ft. can be grown as a small tree or shrub tolerant to wide

range of soils white flowers fruits for bird food and jelly fall color often red..

Elm (Ulmus spp.) to 75 ft. C plant only the varieties that are resistant to Dutch elm disease.

Fir, Balsam (Abies balsamea) 50-75 ft. evergreen excellent Christmas trees best on fertile, moist

soils.

Hawthorn or Thornapple (Crataegus spp.) to 50-75 ft. C many native species and hybrids large

shrubs to small trees, white flowers, red fruit best for northern areas where red cedar is not native

because of susceptibility to cedar-hawthorn rust fall color often poor, usually yellow.

Ironwood or Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) 20-35 ft. C nursery-grown plants put on growth

sooner after planting than plants dug from the wild tolerates wide range of soils and some shade quite

pest free grow as single trunk or clump yellow-brown fall color holds some leaves into winter.

Juneberry, Alleghany (Amelanchier laevis) 10-25 ft. C white flowers food for birds jelly red

fall color.

Maple, Red (Acer rubrum) 40-70 ft. C best on acid soils tolerates moist soils grows fast should

be grown in sod fall color yellow or reds select in fall to insure good fall color.

Maple, Sugar (Acer saccharum) 75-100 ft. C requires a heavy, moist soil that is well drained grows

slowly after transplanting, medium rate later yellow to orange and occasionally, red fall color.

Mountain Ash, American (Sorbus americana) 15-30 ft. small, fast growing tree or shrub seems to

prefer moist, fertile soil many losses to fireblight in recent years red fruits fall color yellow to red.

Mountain Ash, Showy (Sorbus decora) 20-40 ft. See comments above.

Oak, Bur (Quercus macrocarpa) 35-75 ft. plant acorns where it is to be grown will tolerate dry poor

site, but grows faster on better soils individual specimens vary from susceptible to resistant to oak

wilt dark deeply furrowed bark fall color unattractive yellow-brown.

Oak, Northern Pin (Quercus ellipsoidalis) 35-70 ft. plant acorns where it is to be grown susceptible

to oak wilt excellent red fall color.

4

Oak, Red (Quercus rubra) 40-75 ft. plant acorns where it is to be grown large tree grows fast

susceptible to oak wilt good fall color.

Pincherry (Prunus pennsylvanica) 10-35 ft. tree or shrub bark light reddish brown flowers white

bright red fruit bird food jelly fall color red.

Pine, Jack (Pinus banksiana) 35-70 ft. limited C evergreen irregular form grows fast tolerates

infertile dry soils winter color may be yellow green needs acidic soil.

Pine, Red (Pinus resinosa) 75-100 ft. C evergreen infertile poor, dry soils grows fast medium to

dark green needs acidic soil.

Pine, White (Pinus strobus) to 100 ft. C evergreen susceptibility to white pine blister rust limits its

use best on fertile, moist soils very sensitive to salt.

Plum, Wild (Prunus americana) 20-35 ft. forms thicket ideal for wildlife fragrant bloom fruit for

jelly needs a well-drained soil.

Poplar, Balsam (Populus balsamifera) 40-70 ft. moist to dry sites fast growing.

Spruce, Black (Picea mariana) 25-35 ft. evergreen moist to upland soils color green.

Spruce, White (Picea glauca) to 100 ft. C evergreen moist to upland soils color green to blue-

green.

Tamarack (Larix laricina) 40-70 ft. C deciduous conifer moist or dry soils yellow fall color.

C = commercially available

A good reference: Young, J.A. and C.G. Young Seeds of Woody Plants in North America. Dioscorides

Press, Portland, OR .1992

Native MN Shrubs

Common name Scientific name

Alder (green and speckled) Alnus viridis, A. incana

American yew Taxus canadensis

Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Blueberry (lowbush, velvet-leaf) Vaccinium angustifolium, V myrtilloides

Bog (dwarf) birch Betula glandulosa

Bog laurel Kalmia polifolia

Bog rosemary Andromeda glaucophylla

5

Bush honeysuckle Diervilla lonicera

Choke-cherry Prunus virginiana

Dogwood Cornus spp.

Elderberry Sambucus pubens

Juneberry Amelanchier spp.

Meadow sweet Spiracea alba

Mountain maple Acer spicatum

Pin-cherry Prunus pensylvanica

Wild rose (prickly and smooth) Rosa acicularis, Rosa blanda

Willow Salix spp.

High-bush cranberry Viburnum trilobum

Hazel Corylus cornuta, C. Americana

Vines

Wild grape Vitis riparia

Virginia creeper Parthenocissus inserta

Bittersweet Celastrus scandens

MN Wildflowers

Website for information on MN wildflowers

http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/page/home

One of many sources for native MN wildflower seeds:

Prairie Restorations, Inc. http://www.prairieresto.com/

6

Native Wildflowers for Mesic Forests

Hog peanut Amphicarpaea bracteata

Sweet cicely Osmorhiza claytoni

Lopseed Pryma leptostachya

Tick trefoil Desmodium glutinosus

Asters Aster spp.

Wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia

Touch-me-not Impatiens capensis

Bedstraw Galium spp.

Canada mayflower Maianthemum candense

Hepatica Anemone Americana

Meadow rue Thalictrum spp.

Polygonatum spp.

Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum

False Solomon seal Smilacina spp.

Sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis

Spikenard Aralia racemosa

Wild geranium Geranium maculatum

Bellworts Uvularia spp.

Wild strawberry Fragaria spp.

Black snakeroot Sanicula marilandica

Bloodroot Sanguinaria Canadensis

Goldenrods Solidago spp.

Blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides

Spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium

Pyrola spp.

Violets Viola spp.

Wild columbine Aquilegia Canadensis

Avens Geum spp.

Wood lily Lilum philadelphicum

Trillium Trillium species

Red baneberry Actaea rubra

Giant hyssop Agastache foeniculum

Milkweed Asclepias spp.

Harebell Campanula rotundifolia

Bunchberry Cornus Canadensis

Sunflowers native Helianthus spp.

Blazing star Liatris spp.

Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa

Showy penstemon Penstemon grandiflorus

Blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum

Rosy twisted stalk Streptopus roseus

Alexanders Zizia spp.

APPENDIX C

MILEPOST DESCRIPTIONS OF THE

LADY SLIPPER SCENIC BYWAY

Appendix C Mile by Mile Description of the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway

Summary: The Byway runs south to north through a three mile wide corridor between US 2 and US 71, crossing 4 major landforms: Guthrie Till Plain, Bemidji Sand Plain, Blackduck Stagnation Moraine and the Blackduck Till Plain. Forests range from red pine-jack pine stands on excessively drained sands to mesic hardwoods of sugar maple and basswood on loamy sands and clayey till. Poorly drained soils support stands of northern white cedar and black ash while the many wetlands are either marshes of coarse sedges and cattails, speckled alder-willow carr, open peatlands dominated by fine-leaved sedges, or forested peatlands of black spruce and tamarack.

Showy Lady Slipper orchids are abundant in certain stretches, primarily on the Blackduck Stagnation Moraine between the Mississippi River and Lake Rabideau, thriving under conditions of consistent moisture and ample sunlight within the right of way. Nearly continuous populations occur at:

Mile 24 to 26 scattered colonies from the Continental Divide to Beighley Rd

Mile 18 to 19.5 many colonies north to Rabideau Lake Rd

Mile 14 to 17 orchid-rich habitat, numerous colonies from Taylor Point Rd to Birch Bark Rd

Mile 9 Pennington Bog SNA to Fugarwee Ln

Mile 8 Power Dam Rd north to Kitchi Creek

Mile 7 - .5 miles north and south of Twin Ponds Ln

Mile 6 - from Brook Lake Rd to Homony Ln

There is little overall change in elevation, from about 1310 to 1420 ft above sea level, though parts of the road are noticeably hilly. About half of the corridor is privately owned and much of the private lands has been cleared for pasture. The US Forest Service owns most of the public land, the rest is owned by the State of Minnesota and managed by DNR Forestry. The Leech Lake Tribe of Ojibwe owns land in the vicinity of the Mississippi River. Only 3 small parcels adjacent to the Byway are managed by Beltrami County Natural Resource Management.

Mileposts begin with 26.6 miles at the intersection of the Byway and US 71 in Blackduck.

Section 5 Blackduck to Benjamin Lake mile 26.6 to 20

Section 4 Camp Rabideau to Pimushe Access mile 20 to 13 Showy Lady Slippers

Section 3 Pimushe Access to Power Dam Road mile 13 to 8 Showy Lady Slippers

Section 2 Power Dam Rd to Knutson Dam mile 8 to 5 Showy Lady Slippers

Section 1 Knutson Dam to US 2 mile 5 to 0

Lady Slipper Scenic Byway Milepost Sections

1

SECTION 1 KNUTSON DAM TO US 2 mile 5 to 0.0

4.0 to 5.0 Land type association: Bemidji Sand Plain; phases c, h, hs; wetlands pfsd, cm Plant community: FDc24, FDc34, aspen on phase c, APn91 east of road Elevation: 1310-1315 ft Ownership: USFS, MN DNR Showy lady slippers: none Intersecting roads: Cass Bluff Loop Rd

Features: Nushka sedge fen on east side of road and future amenity site. This striking sedge fen extends eastward over 200 acres. It’s a nearly pure stand of fen wiregrass sedge (Carex lasiocarpa), interrupted by scattered islands of leatherleaf with stunted tamaracks and a few open pools. Note the narrow leaved cattails invading along the Byway edge where the water regime has been altered.

The sandy ridge on the west side of the Byway offers a fine view over the fen.

2

Nushka sedge fen 9-16-09 APn91 Carex lasiocarpa Sphagnum sp. Potentilla palustris

Thelypteris palustris

Typha angustifolia (invading) Chamaedaphne calyculata

Picea mariana Pinus banksiana Betula papyrifera Betula glandulifera

Ridge west of Nushka sedge fen 10-26-09 FDc34 Agastache foeniculum Quercus macrocarpa Quercus rubra Vaccinium angustifolium Symphoricarpos albus Andropogon gerardi Galium boreale Galium triflorum Rosa acicularis Helianthus strumosus Ceanothus ovatus Rubus allegheniensis Pteridium aquilinum Vicia americana Corylus americana Smilacina stellata Prunus serotina Gaultheria procumbens Pyrola rotundifolia Cornus rugosa Diervilla lonicera Viburnum rafinesquianum Rhus toxicodendron Aster laevis Prunus pennsylvanica Polygonatum pubescens

3

Site of future parking lot and overlook

The parking area is mostly a wide, grassy shallow ditch bordered by a narrow strip of central dry mesic oak woods. I recommend that the oaks be preserved when the parking lot is developed, because they are long-lived trees that will be difficult to replace.

Species noted in a regenerating aspen stand bordering a small wetland depression on the west side of the Byway: Betula papyrifera Cornus rugosa Viburnum trilobum Crataegus sp. Rosa acicularis Corylus Americana Cornus racemosa Helianthus strumosus Viburnum rafinesquianum Parthenocissus inserta Uvularia grandiflora Aralia nudicaulis Pedicularis Canadensis Petasites frigidus (in wetland)

3.0 to 4.0 Land type association: Bemidji Sand Plain; phase c to east, Phase e, wetlands to west Plant community: FDc24, FDc34, alder swamps Elevation: 1310-1335 ft Ownership: USFS Showy lady slippers: none Intersecting roads: FR 2017, FR2016, Camp Cassaway Ct, Cass Bluff Loop Rd, FR 2012

Features: red pine plantations along east side of Byway, Schram Lake to west At the intersection of FR 2012 and the Byway, the forest has scattered old growth jack pines and red pines, indicating a fire-dependent site, but sugar maple seedlings are becoming established. Other species noted: Populus tremuloides Acer rubrum Quercus rubra Betula papyrifera Corylus cornuta Lonicera hirsute Diervilla lonicera Trientalis borealis Maianthemum canadense Clintonia borealis Linnea borealis Dryopteris carthusiana Sanicula marilandica Monotropa uniflora Gaultheria procumbens Polygala paucifolia

4

2.0 to 3.0 Land type association: Bemidji Sand Plain; phase c to west, phase e to east Plant community: FDc34 and FDc24, aspen, jack pine, small wetlands Elevation: 1330-1340 ft Ownership: USFS Showy lady slippers: none Intersecting roads: 91 splits into Third River Rd (FR 2172) and Lake Winnie Access Rd; FR 2352 Features: Beltrami-Cass county line, CSAH 10 changes to CSAH 39. Note the recent aspen harvests. Road to the popular campground and boat launch on the west side of Lake Winnibigoshish.

At the intersection of 91 and the Byway is a mature red pine stand, possibly an old plantation. Species noted: Quercus rubra Pinus banksiana Pinus resinosa Corylus Americana Corylus cornuta Salix humilis Diervilla lonicera Amelanchier sp. Toxicodendron radicans Aralia nudicaulis Gaultheria procumbens Corallorhiza maculata

Change in road number, road profile

Cass County 10 Beltrami County 39

1.0 to 2.0 Land type association: Bemidj Sand Plain; phase c Plant community: FDc24 Elevation: 1335-1340 ft Ownership: USFS Showy lady slippers: none Intersecting roads: FR 2352 Features: jack pines are common, red pine plantations

5

0.0 to 1.0Land type association: Guthrie Till Plain; phases h, e, i, j Plant community: MHc26 Elevation: 1325-1335 ft Ownership: USFS Showy lady slippers: none Intersecting roads: none

Features: The first mile of the Byway crosses the northern portion of the Guthrie Till Plain. Notice the sugar maple-basswood-red oak forest on the west side of the Byway.

Species noted in the central dry-mesic forest: Picea glauca Pinus strobus Pinus resinosa Corylus cornuta Chimaphila umbellata Pyrola spp. Corallorhiza maculata

Lady Slipper sign Byway looking north

The Norway Beach recreation area is located about 2 miles west on US 2. Located in a stunning old growth red pine stand, Norway Beach offers naturalist programs, swimming beach, picnic grounds, several campgrounds and hiking trails. Historic log building constructed by the CCC houses the interpretive center.

1

SECTION 3 PIMUSHE ACCESS TO POWER DAM ROAD

Mile 13 to 8

12.0 to 13.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine, phase h; wetlands bs, pfsh, ms Plant community: MHn35 on west, tamarack bog FPn82 to the east Elevation: 1350 ft Ownership: private, USFS, MN DNR Showy lady slippers: none Intersecting roads: Fisher Rd

Features: Byway is bordered by Tamarack-Black Spruce bog on poorly drained soils.

11.0 to 12.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine, Bemidji Sand Plain; phases h, hs; wetland pfsh Plant community: MHn35 and possibly FDc34, open fields, WMn82 to east Elevation: 1340-1360 ft Ownership: private, USFS Showy lady slippers: none Intersecting roads: South Moose Lake Rd, Mokros Ln

Features: Note red pine plantations and Mooselake Town Hall. Wildwood Cemetery marks the north end of

the patch of Bemidji Sand Plain and associated fire-dependent stands.

Mooselake Town Hall (2nd photo by D. Bjorn)

Wildwood Cemetery

2

10.0 to 11.0

Land type association: Bemidji Sand Plain; phase c and hs Plant community: FDc34, alder swamp FPn73, black spruce bog FPn82 to east Elevation: 1330-1340 ft Ownership: private, MN DNR Showy lady slippers: none Intersecting roads: Birchmont Beach Rd (CSAH 20), Kitchi Landing Rd, Cougar Ln

Features: gravel pit and Kitchi Pines Chapel on east side of Byway

Kitchi Pines Chapel, road north

intersection of Birchmont Beach Road (CSAH 20) and Byway

9.0 to 10.0

Land type association: Bemidji Sand Plain between Fugarwee and CSAH 20, Blackduck Stagnation Moraine; phase c; wetlands ws, wc

Plant community: FDc34 and FDn33, FPn63 Elevation 1320-1330 ft Ownership private, USFS, MN DNR Showy lady slippers many clumps of 10-60 stems south of Fugarwee Intersecting roads Fugarwee Ln (FR 3845), Marnot Rd, FR 3805

Features Pennington Bog parking lot and interpretive trail

3

The parking lot is on well drained sand, part of the Bemidji Sand Plain. Notice the feather mosses and Cladina

lichen in the red pine stands north of the parking lot. South of the parking lot the landform changes to a poorly

drained cedar swamp on the Blackduck Moraine.

Pennington Bog Scientific and Natural Area

Entry by permit only, due to fragility of bog species; park at the amenity site and visit boardwalk on the west side

of Byway to view orchids and the cedar bog environment.

From Scenic Byway EA 2007:

Natural Area. This designated area is on the eastern side of the road

approximately one mile north of its intersection with CSAH 12. This 108-

acre scientific and natural area has been protected since 1979 to preserve

its rare plant species and fragile sphagnum floor. The bog is primarily a

white cedar swamp and includes tamarack and black spruce in its

overstory. In addition to sphagnum moss, its understory includes pitcher

plants, sundews, water arum, marsh marigolds, blue flag iris, bog

buckbean, and cranberry. The bog also provides habitat for over 20

species of orchids, some

FR 3805 on west side of Byway

Powerline ROW north of Pennington parking lot

4

Powerline ROW north of parking lot 9-16-09 FDc24

Comandra umbellata Liatris punctata Euthamia graminifolia Salix humilis Salix bebbiana Salix discolor Cladina rangeriferina Equisetum laevigatum Castilleja coccinea Anaphalis margaritacea Sanicula marilandica Solidago hispida Chimaphila umbellata

Sapling white cedars and black spruce under red pine/jack pine plantation

Pennington Bog amenity parking lot 8-7-2010

Photo of parking lot site, 9-09, before clearing

5

Powerline ROW south of parking lot, transplanted orchids spring 2010

Before powerline ROW was closed to ATVs

View south to Pennington townsite from powerline ROW

Red pine stand north side of Pennington SNA, east side of the Byway 9-16-09 FDc34/24

Pinus resinosa Quercus rubra Quercus macrocarpa Betula papyrifera Prunus virginiana Prunus pennsylvanica Corylus cornuta Amelanchier humilis Rosa acicularis Diervilla lonicera Cornus alternifolia Trientalis borealis Aster macrophyllus Solidago sp. Carex pensylvanica Schizachne purpurascens Oryzopsis asperifolia Feather mosses Pleurozium schreberi

6

8.0 to 9.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine; phases h, q, c; wetlands wc, wm, bs Plant community: FPn63, WMn82, MHc26, small area of fire dependent type at Pennington store Elevation: 1310-1335 ft Ownership: private, MN DNR Showy lady slippers: numerous clumps of 10-100 stems on both sides of Byway, especially adjacent to the

Pennington Bog SNA Intersecting road: Acme Ln, Roadrunner Dr

Features: Sucker Creek, Kitchi Creek, Pennington Bog SNA, Pennington Store, St. Charles Church

intersection of Power Dam Road (CSAH 12) and Byway Scenic Store offers gas and supplies

Pennington Bog SNA sign, road north

7

Sucker Creek runs through Pennington Bog SNA, then into Kitchi Lake

Former Tamarack bog, flooded, now a cattail marsh

ROW west of St. Charles Church

1

SECTION 4 CAMP RABIDEAU TO PIMUSHE ACCESS

Mile 20 to 13

19.0 to 20.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine; phases q, h; wetlands ta, bs Plant community: MHn35, WFN53 white cedar-balsam fir, FPn82 conifer swamps Elevation: 1330-1390 ft Ownership: private, USFS Showy lady slippers: 100 stems in several clumps on east side, south of Rabideau Lake Rd Intersecting roads: Hines Rd, CCC Camp Rd, Rabideau Lake Rd, Sampson Rd

Features Intersection of 4 roads and four lakes: Benjamin, Rabideau,

Rabideau, which is a pool in the North Turtle River. The Rabideau CCC Camp is west of the Byway, and

a public fishing pier is on south end of Benjamin Lake

Road north, black spruce-tamarack bog on the east

CCC Camp Rabideau

Recognized as a National Historic Landmark, Camp Rabideau is one of the last remaining CCC camps

from the 1930s. Many hundreds of young men lived here while completing forestry projects for the CCC.

The CNF is stabilizing and refurbishing the buildings to extend their lifespans.

2

Boat access and fishing pier on south end of Benjamin Lake

Hines Road (CSAH 55) An historic corduroy road originally known as the shortcut to Hines and US 71.

View northwest of Hines Rd View north at intersection of Hines Rd & Byway

Lake Rabideau

Another good fishing lake. Loamy soils surrounding the lake support a rich northern hardwood forest of

sugar maples, basswoods, yellow birch and white cedars. Yellow lady slippers commonly bloom in early

June throughout the woods. Public boat access to Rabideau is on the eastern end of the lake (Rabideau

Lake Rd east 5.5 miles, then north 1.5 miles on Boat Landing Rd). Boat Landing Rd has spectacular fall

color during late September.

Looking east over Rabideau Yellow Lady Slipper

3

18.0 to 19.0 Looking north along the Byway

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine, phases q, hs; wetlands ms, wm, bs, ta Plant community: FPn82, WMn82, MRn83 Elevation: 1320-1330 ft Ownership: private, USFS, MN DNR Showy lady slippers: 50-100 stems on west side at milepost 18.5,

scattered clumps of 10-100 stems on east side Intersecting roads: FR 3403, FR 3404, FR 3523

Features: Byway crosses the north branch of the Turtle River Canoe Route. Note the open vista

across the sedge-cattail marsh to the east and the winding river channel to the west.

North Branch of the Turtle River

East side views

West side views

4

FR 3523 leads to a clearing on the west side, a possible amenity site.

17.0 to 18.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine; phases q, hs; wetland bs Plant community: MHn35 near Rocky Rd, MHn44, WMn82 Elevation: 1320-1330 ft Ownership: private, USFS Showy lady slippers: <50 stems on east side Intersecting roads: Turtle River Lake Rd (CSAH 22), Rocky Rd

Features: Birch Town Hall ocky Rd, the Byway, and Turtle River Lake Rd

View of Rocky Lane and Byway intersection

Wet meadow where North Branch of the Turtle River crosses the Byway 9-26-09 WMn82

Dead Larix Carex lacustris Calamagrostis canadensis Eupatorium maculatum Solidago spp. Salix bebbiana Salix discolor Salix amygdaloides Populus balsamifera Upland forest bordering the marsh marsh 9-26-09 MHn44

5

16.0 to 17.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine; phases h, hs, qs; wetland types ta, wc, bs, ms Plant community: WMn82, MHn44, WFn53 Elevation: 1320-1340 ft Ownership: private, USFS Showy lady slippers: several hundred stems on west side on a slope with seeps and white cedars Intersecting roads: Mud Turtle Rd, Birch Bark Rd

Features: Location of Showy Lady Slippers photographed by

Nadine Blacklock. Extensive cedar swamp on west drains into north

end of Pimushe Lake. To the east is a bog lake with forested peatland

margin FPn82. Dead willows in the ROW along the Byway and Birch

Bark Rd are the result of herbicide spraying by the rural electric

cooperative.

vicinity of Nadine Blacklock slippers, road north

slippers (ditch, adjacent forest) 9-26-09 FPn63

Thuja occidentalis Larix laricina Salix petiolaris Ledum groenlandicum Linnaea borealis Ribes americanum Rhamnus alnifolia Carex lacustris Carex spp.

Herbicide sprayed under powerline south of ladyslippers

Red pine plantation on east side of Byway 9-26-09 ?MHn44

Mature white cedars among red pines, difficult to determine the Native Plant Community.

6

Intersection of 39 & Birch Bark Rd Herbicide sprayed in ditch along Birch Bark Rd

Webster Lake Bogwalk, trails, USFS campground

East on Birch Bark Rd 1.5 miles, north on Webster Lake Rd 1.5 miles to campground. Hiking trail circles

Webster Lake, 500 ft long boardwalk across floating sedge mat is on the west side of the lake.

Webster Lake bog photographs taken by Erin Maxson

Plant species along the boardwalk 7-12-2010 APn81

Chamaedaphne calyculata Calopogon pulchellus Rhynchospora alba Ledum groenlandicum Scheuchzeria palustris Vaccinium macropon Eriophorum spissum Scirpus typhina Carex disperma Sarracenia purpurea Andromeda glaucophylla Kalmia polifolia Drosera rotundifolia Sphagnum magellanicum Larix laricina Picea mariana

15.0 to 16.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine; phases h, q; wetlands ta, bs, pf, wc Plant community: FPn82, FPn63, WFn53 on west side of road, upland has MHn35 and 44; Bog lake on east has OPn92 margin Elevation: 1320-1350 ft Ownership: private, USFS, Beltrami County Showy lady slippers: several clumps of 10-50 stems on east side Intersecting roads: FR3682, Owl Rd

7

Features: Scenic bog lake to east, sugar maple-basswood forest drops southward to extensive

conifer lowland -Head Lady Slippers. FR 3682 ends in clearing, may be

good location for interpretive trail. Orchid species identified in the cedar swamp: Showy Lady Slippers,

-Head Lady Slippers, Rattlesnake Plantain, Heart-leaved Twayblade,

Northern Bog Orchid, Small Northern Bog Orchid, Large Round-leaved Orchid, Coralroots.

Forest Road 3862 clearing and cedar swamp

FR 3862 9-26-09 WFn53

From parking area, slopes down west to cedar lowland

Thuja occidentalis Picea glauca Abies balsamea Populus balsamifera Sphagnum and feather mosses, no shrubs Cypripedium calceolus Cypripedium reginae Cypripedium arietinum Goodyera pubescens Listera cordata Platanthera orbiculata Platanthera hyperborea Platanthera obtusata

Lady Slippers

Yellow Showy -Head

8

14.0 to 15.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine, phase q; wetlands wc, ta Plant community: WFn53, FPn63 white cedar swamp, FPn82 tamarack swamp, WFn55 ash swamp Elevation: 1315-1340 ft Ownership: USFS, Beltrami County, MN DNR Showy lady slippers: continuous large populations on both sides of Byway Intersecting roads: FR 3858

Features: Mile 14-16 is most orchid-rich, highly sensitive section of the Byway. Many locations for

Ra -Head Lady Slippers, Barott Bog to east. The poorly drained soils and peat accumulations support

10 or more species of orchids, including the state thr -Head Lady Slipper, in a mosaic of

white cedar and tamarack swamps while trembling aspen regenerates on recently logged sites with better

drained soils.

Former tamarack swamp, ash swamp, Barott Bog The Barott Bog extends northeast of the Byway and

has an unusually diverse bog flora.

Recent harvests have occurred on CNF, Beltrami County, and MN DNR stands along the Byway

Beltrami County harvest east of 39, USFS harvest west of 39, road north

9

13.0 to 14.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine, phase h, q, j; wetlands wc, bs, ta Plant community: WFn53, FPn63, WFn55 black ash swamp, MHn35 Elevation: 1330-1360 ft Ownership: USFS, MN DNR, Beltrami County NRM Showy lady slippers: 2 clumps of <10 stems north of FR 3847 Intersecting roads: FR 3847, Taylor Point Rd, Pimushe Access Rd

Features: southern part of Barott Bog, small red pine plantation adjacent to maple-basswood stand,

road to the public access on Pimushe Lake. FR 3847 runs approximately east-west, eventually connecting

to the North Moose Lake Rd on the north end of Moose Lake.

road north Pimushe Lake public boat access, Forest Road 3848

Taylor Point Rd, drops down to Barott Bog Forest Road 3847

Notice the small red pine plantation on the north side of FR 3847, anomalous in the midst of a sugar

maple-basswood forest.

1

SECTION 5 BLACKDUCK TO BENJAMIN LAKE

mile 26.6 to 20

25.0 to 26.6

Land type association: Blackduck Till Plain; phase h; wetland wc Plant community: MHn35, WFn53, FPn82, open fields Elevation: 1380-1400 ft Ownership: private, USFS Showy lady slippers: >100 stems on west side near Beighley Road and at milepost 25; <50 stems on east side Intersecting roads: Main Street, Beighley Road

Features: Blackduck townsite Like so many other small communities scattered across northern MN, Blackduck was founded during the logging era, as a railway station on the Minnesota and International Railway between Bemidji and International Falls. Incorporated in 1900, the town soon reached its peak population of 1200. Since then the population has remained around 700. After major logging ended, the local economy diversified, promoting tourism on the many local lakes and attracting a major employer, Anderson Fabrics. Blackduck is a full service community, with grocery and hardware stores, restaurants, motels, golf course, scenic Pine Tree park and campground on Blackduck Lake, and summer events like the annual Woodcarver festival in July.

-Crested Cormorants that sometimes gather on the lake.

road north leaving Chippewa National Forest

View of Blackduck from CNF/MN DNR Forest Ranger Station

2

The original Blackduck (1934) Blackduck at the wayside rest

24.0 to 25.0

Land type association: Blackduck Till Plain; phases h, q; wetland ta Plant community: alder swamp FPn73, FPn82, MHn35 and MHn44 Elevation: 1360-1400 ft Ownership: private, USFS, Beltrami County Showy lady slippers: <50 stems south of New Maple Ridge Rd on west side Intersecting roads: New Maple Ridge Rd

Features: Continental Divide

The Northern or Laurentian continental divide separating the Mississippi River watershed from the waters

flowing north to Hudson Bay is marked by a sign on the byway only a few miles south of Blackduck. The divide

snakes through northern MN, intersecting with the Eastern Divide whose waters flow east to Lake Superior and

the St. Laurence seaway. The triple divide is located near Hibbing.

Former tamarack bog, trees drowned due to high water levels, tamaracks

regenerating.

3

23.0 to 24.0

Land type association: Blackduck Till Plain; phase h; wetlands imbe, cq, ta, bs Plant community: MHn35, seasonal wetlands east side of road MRn83, WMn82 Elevation: 1380-1420 ft Ownership: private, USFS Showy lady slippers: none Intersecting roads: FR 2049, Lookout Tower RD

Features Lookout Tower Rd, Byway view north View west along Lookout Tower Rd

Fire Lookout Tower (milepost 24, then west .3 mile)

The lookout tower, constructed in about 1934 by the CCC is no longer in use for fire spotting. Instead it provides

a thrilling climb for those not afraid of heights, to be rewarded with a magnificent vista of forest and lakes.

Blackduck Ski Trails

Winter visitors can ski at the Blackduck ski trail system about .5 mile west of the lookout tower.

4

22.0 to 23.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine; phases c, h Plant community: FDn33, MHn35 Elevation: 1340-1420 ft Ownership: private, USFS Showy lady slippers: none Intersecting roads: FR 3418

Features: gravel and sand ridge extending northeast to southeast for several miles, mined for gravel with a large private pit on the west and a smaller USFS pit to the east, behind a red pine plantation. The Byway traverses the crest of the ridge.

Gravel pits northwest of Gilstad Lake

West of the byway is a 300 acre private gravel pit, and to the east, beyond a red pine plantation, is a similar pit

owned by the Chippewa National Forest. Gravel pits in northern MN are excavated either on glacial deposits

called kames and eskers or on beach ridges bordering post glacial lakes. The deposits are sorted and stratified

sands and gravels, deposited by wave action or flowing water. These pits are excavated on a major landscape

feature, a gravel ridge that extends northeast to southwest for several miles.

USFS gravel pit, on east side of Byway Privately owned gravel pit, on west side of Byway

21.0 to 22.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine; phases h, q; wetland bb

Plant community: MHn35, alder swamp WFn53, APn80 Elevation: 1350-1380 ft Ownership: private, USFS Showy lady slippers: none Intersecting roads: White Birch Lane, FR 3414, Strong Memorial Ln

Features: Gilstad Lake to the east, extensive lowland conifers and bog to the west. Road realigned in the 1930s by the CCC.

5

Gilstad Lake (milepost 21.0, then 1 mile northeast on Cedar Point Road)

Formerly rich northern hardwoods (MHn35) along Cedar Point Road, but most of upland was recentlyharvested

and is regenerating to trembling aspen. Gilstad Lake has a fishing pier boat access and handicap accessible toilet

facilities d panfishing.

Byway looking north Sign for Gilstad Lake Gilstad Lake boat access

Views of bog lake from Cedar Point Rd

20.0 to 21.0

Land type association: Blackduck Stagnation Moraine; phases q, h; wetlands wc, ta Plant community: MHn35, MHn44 on wetter sites; white cedar-balsam fir, tamarack swamp at north end of Benjamin Lake Elevation: 1350-1370 ft Ownership: private, USFS Showy lady slippers: <50 stems on the east side south of Gilstad Lake access road Intersecting roads: Cedar Point Road, FR 3401, CCC Camp Rd, Benjamin Beach Ln

Features: Benjamin Lake picnic area and swimming beach, Benjamin is a designated trout lake. Public boat access and fishing pier are at the south end of the lake, off the CCC Camp Rd. Esker-like ridge parallels the Byway to the east.

6

Benjamin Lake, CNF picnic and swimming wayside

Best known as a designated trout lake, Benjamin also attracts picnickers and swimmers to its picnic grounds and

e to spend a warm summer day

Benjamin Lake sign, picnic grounds, swimming beach

road north esker east of the Byway

.

CCC Camp Rabideau sign

APPENDIX D

FOREST COVER TYPES AND ECOLOGICAL LAND TYPE PHASES

WITHIN A QUARTER MILE OF THE BYWAY

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

%,

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

2

99

1

14

2

2

2

15

2

91

14

2

3

2

2

89

2

1

91

82

99

3

18

91

97

2

2

97

99

2

97

89

97

18

1

91

16

82

89

3

2

2

91

16

99

91

1

2

99

91

1

91

12

3

2

12

92

142

18

2

2

97

92

91

99

12

95

91

91

15

91

97

91

3

18

14

14

14

99

82

18

15

15

18

89

12

92

12

99

89

91

1

99

91

2

82

82

1

92

18

89

99

91

91

16

89

91

82

11

15

91

91

99

91

95

11

9791

1

71

97

91

14

18

82

16

1

94

91

99

97

91

16

95

97

95

89

71

91

91

16

91

8299

95

12

91

97

97

95

91

1

91

99

1

9791

82

91

97

92

16

91

71

99

97

82

82

97

14

82

55

3

1

91

12

91

82

95

99

91

82

99

55

95

97

97

97

71

1

95

95

91

9292

91

91

91

15

92

15

82

95

91

82

55

91

85

97

91

97

82

91

55

12

12

91

16

16

11

18

18

12

18

91

95

91

91

91

82

11

95

12

15

91

71

16

71

97

18

95

91

91

92

11

95

95

97

97

18

97

92

98

18

12

18

97

11

92

18

98

12

11

92

95

97

55

16

95

95

12

16

16

98

16

55

95

16

11

95

95

12

92

95

11

11

98

71

98

8

7

6

5

2

1

26

25

24

23

22

20

19

17

16

13

12

11

10

26.26

16

9

4

3

0

21

18

15

14

The Forest Service uses the most current and complete data available. GIS data and product accuracy may vary. They may be: developed from sources of differing accuracy, accurate only at certain scales, based on modeling or interpretation, incomplete while being created or revised, etc. Using GIS products for purposes other than those for which they were created, may yield inaccurate or misleading results. The Forest Service reserves the right to correct, update, modify, or replace GIS products without notification. For more information contact: Chippewa National Forest 417 Forestry Drive Blackduck, MN 56630 NEPA Coordinator (218) 835-4291 Source: NITC NNIS 06/2009 The USDA Forest Service is an Equal Opportunity provider.

Legend%, Mile Point #

Lady Slipper Scenic Byway

Lady Slipper Scenic Byway 1/4 Mile Buffer (each side)

Forest Types on Govt. Agencies Lands0

1 - Jack Pine

2 - Red Pine

3 - White Pine

11 - Balsam Fir - Aspen - Paper Birch

12 - Black Spruce

14 - Northern Whitecedar

15 - Tamarack

16 - White Spruce - Balsam Fir

18 - Mixed Swamp Conifer

55 - Northern Red Oak

71 - Black Ash - American Elm - Red Maple

82 - Sugar Maple - Basswood

85 - Sugar Maple

89 - Mixed Upland Hardwood

91 - Quaking Aspen

92 - Paper Birch

94 - Balsam Poplar

95 - Aspen - Balsam Fir

97 - Lowland Brush

98 - Upland Brush

99 - Open

Maps\Softcopy\Softcopy_Lower_48_StatesRGB

Red: Band_1

Green: Band_2

Blue: Band_3

Lady Slipper Scenic BywayOne-quarter mile Buffer on Side of CenterlineForest Types Show for U. S. Forest Service, .

1:41,000

0 1 2 3 4 50.5Miles

e:/fsfiles/gis/district/blackduck/ladyslipper_2010/jan_mxd/ladyslipper_ftypes.mxdjng, 07/24/2010

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

26

25

24

23

22

21

20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

26.26

c

h

h

h

c

q

h

h

q

q

c

h

h

hs

c

i

e

wc

q

c

h

e

h

q

j

q

r

h

bs

ta

ta

i

ba

ta

hs

ta

bs

bb

q

ws

i

bs

j

i

hs

wmsh

bs

q

qs

qs

q

cm

hs

cq

wc

bs

bs

ta

ci

bs

wtr

pf

bs

wtr

wm

ta

bs

wc

ta

ta

bs

as

bs

wc

ws

j

wm

ta

wtr

q

pfsh

i pfsh

e

j

pfsh

i

pfsh

wc

as

ta

p

bs

i

ci

wc

hs

bs

wm

pfsd

wc

ta

bssh

pf

ob

imbe

bs

wc

wc

ws

bs

wc

j

pfsd

as

pfsd

ms

bs

ta

wtr

ms

imbe

ta

ms

ta

imbe

ta

ba

ms

ta

ta

ta

ta

ta

msbb

bs

imbe

pfst

r

ta

ta

bssh

cm

imbe

wmsh

pfst

imbe

pfst

me

bb

bssh

as

imbe

bssh pfsh

rfsh

pfsd

as

ci

as

me

pfsd

as

as

wtr

bssh

as

pfst

as

b

The Forest Service uses the most current and complete data available. GIS data and product accuracy may vary. They may be: developed from sources of differing accuracy, accurate only at certain scales, based on modeling or interpretation, incomplete while being created or revised, etc. Using GIS products for purposes other than those for which they were created, may yield inaccurate or misleading results. The Forest Service reserves the right to correct, update, modify, or replace GIS products without notification. For more information contact: Chippewa National Forest 417 Forestry Drive Blackduck, MN 56630 NEPA Coordinator (218) 835-4291 Source: NITC NNIS 06/2009 The USDA Forest Service is an Equal Opportunity provider.

Legend% Mile Point #

Lady Slipper Scenic Byway

Lady Slipper Scenic Byway 1/4 Mile Buffer (each side)

Scenic_ltp_bsp_updated_dissolvedcomm_label

Unlabeled

as

b

ba

bb

bs

bssh

c

ci

cm

cq

e

h

hs

i

imbe

j

me

ms

ob

p

pf

pfsd

pfsh

pfst

q

qs

r

rfsh

ta

wc

wm

wmsh

ws

wtr

Maps\Softcopy\Softcopy_Lower_48_StatesRGB

Red: Band_1

Green: Band_2

Blue: Band_3

Lady Slipper Scenic BywayOne-quarter mile Buffer on Side of CenterlineForest Types Show for U. S. Forest Service, .

1:41,000

0 1 2 3 4 50.5Miles

e:/fsfiles/gis/district/blackduck/ladyslipper_2010/jan_mxd/teu_long.mxdjng, 07/24/2010