Southeastern Minnesota 13 High Biodiversity Sites - cross-ownership (Project Boundaries and Zones)

In early 2001 the Minnesota County Biological Survey completed work in the six counties of Southeastern Minnesota (Goodhue, Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted, Wabasha, and Winona). Of the 69 sites ranked with “Outstanding Biodiversity Significance”, 13 were identified as having the most significant expressions of biodiversity in the region. Originally, these 13 were known as the "13 High Biodiversity Areas” and utilized in the Blufflands/Rochester Plateau Subsection Forest Resource Management Planning (SFRMP); however, in the contemporary SFRMP for the Paleozoic Plateau and other planning documents we now refer to them as the “Southeastern Minnesota 13 High Biodiversity Sites - cross-ownership”. Ecological evaluations were written by MCBS staff for the thirteen sites within lands owned by the Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife, to provide more detailed interpretation of the biodiversity significance of these sites. This layer represents the full cross-ownership spatial boundaries of the sites surveyed (13 Project Boundaries) and the portions within that represent the core area of locations of rare natural features (Critical Habitat Zones). These boundaries are were drawn in 2001 and are static; they do not reflect any changes to the landscape since then. This layer also includes links to the original High Biodiversity Area Management Plans (HBPs) that were included as Blufflands/Rochester Plateau SFRMP Addendum documents. For further questions regarding the implementation of this data into management, or access to the Ecological Evaluations please contact the EWR Regional Plant Ecologist.