City of Northfield, Minnesota, U.S.A.

Introduction

The Northfield Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) was undertaken in response to the significant growth and development pressures that the city is facing as the Twin Cities metropolitan area expands and outlying areas develop. City and staff recognized that effective planning considers all of the resources of the community, including natural areas and open space, and successfully balances growth with the preservation of key natural resources, and moved proactively to conduct the NRI. This inventory was designed to assess the natural areas and open space areas within the project area in order to help guide current and future planning efforts.

In February 2005, the City of Northfield retained Bonestroo Natural Resources (Bonestroo and Associates) to complete Minnesota Land Cover Classification System (MLCCS) Mapping and a Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) on all lands within the city and Urban Expansion Area (collectively referred to as the “Project Area”). In addition to completing the MLCCS mapping and natural resources inventory, the project goals also included a brief review of the streams within the project area, assessment of wildlife habitat, and identification of any rare or unique features.

Files

• Final Report (12/21/2005) - 3 MB PDF
• Executive Summary - PDF
• Watersheds Map - PDF
• Community Quality Assessment - PDF