Agenda - 06-23-2004-8b - Laserfiche WebLink

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2) Very Good. The forest or other vegetation is relatively mature, however the natural area 43 has intmsions such as roads, power lines, sewer lines or residential clearings. 3) Good. The forest or other vegetation is relatively mature. However the size of the natural area is small and it is surrounded by development.. 4) Moderately Good. The forest or other vegetation has been recently disturbed in some places. 5) Fair. The forest or other vegetation has been disturbed but shows evidence o 'recovery. Using this criteria, it is our opin-ion that the large combined forested azea across the northem portion of the site can be rated as 2) very good. The 5.8.3-acre southeastern tract is rated as :3) good because, although a mature forest, it is small and surrounded by development Threats Sather and Hall define a threat as any activity that would affect the site's aesthetics or biological viability.. An extreme threat is one of high impact development such as cleazcutting, flooding or dense development. ,'The present site location of the proposed middle school athletic fields poses an extreme threat to biological viability of these habitats, Almost half of the large tract of existing forest is proposed to be cleazed to accommodate athletic fields. In addition to removing a significant segment of wildlife habitat and protective buffer for the sensitive Upland Depression Swamp eorastrtcannd vernal pools wetlands below, the grading of the site, itself; will change the drainag p redirecting much of the water that presently flows into the vernal pools devlo men on the important wetland habitats. These pools will also be threatened by ane from that tract onto the adjacent eastern tract that changes or otherwise influences the drainag school site.. The water quality of Four Mile Branch tributary also will be impacted by reducing the wooded buffer to as little as 50 ft. along its southeastern edge. Reducing the size of the woodlands will reduce the diversity of species that can £ d evasion by exotic plant specieseas ge habitat has been created it will increase the opportunity well as open habitat bird species that are predators to interior habitat species.. The 5.83-acre southeastern comer woodland will also be severely impacted by a parking lot and roadways; reducing it to even smaller more isolated patches Also of significance is the fact that any reduction of the forest cover along the northern portion of the school site will increase the noticeable and distracting interstate highway noise.. The proposed school will have the ]east negative impact on the human created habitats, t.e. the open fields and the ponds. The open land has very little biological integrity because it is primarily non-native species and has been kept closely mowed and the buildings and roads have akeady created impervious surfaces. 'Ihe lazge pond on the site does provide some habitat for waterfowl, but relative little for other native species.. The integrity of the dam is questionable due to flee heavy growth of woody species that has beeq allowed to become established thereon resulting in the potential weakening of the dam itself. No disturbance of'th h of site plane LJnI s s there is significant~b g m the qua1i13' and quantity of'the preliminary of the runoff from the school site during and after constmction, there should be minimal ' any impact on these habitats. Qfbritical concern however, will he the potential runoff'from pazking areas and application of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides on the school grounds, I3