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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE NOMINATION OF THE LESTER-AMITY-HAWK RIDGE NATURAL AREA TO THE DULUTH NATURAL AREAS PROGRAM.
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CITY PROPOSAL:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Duluth City Council hereby makes the following findings of fact pertaining to the project areas shown on “Exhibit A - Proposed Boundary Map”:
1. That the nomination is an area of special or unique ecological or environmental significance to the city of Duluth because it meets not just one, but all five of the science criteria defined in Article IV A of the Duluth Natural Areas Program Guidelines:
a. Significant Native Plant Communities Area - Plant surveys within the Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve identified nine significant native plant communities including Northern Rich Maple-Basswood Forest and a relatively high abundance of Oak species, a resilient species that is expected to do well in warmer temperatures.
b. Special Species Area - Canada Buffaloberry, a state listed species of special concern, has been documented within the nominated natural area. The species has been found in six separate rock outcrop areas within the proposed natural area boundary.
c. Important Bird Congregation Area - This site encompasses the internationally recognized Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve. More than 60,000 raptors and over 200,000 other birds are counted at HRNR annually. Thousands of people from around the world visit Hawk Ridge to witness the fall migration every year.
d. Natural Water Features Area - Portions of Amity Creek and Lester River are located within the proposed natural area. They are both state-listed designated trout streams. Amity Creek has been identified by the MPCA as the 5th best quality trout stream in the northeast part of the state.
e. Geologic Landform Area - Hawk Ridge exists because it is made up of a rock called diabase, which is resistant to weathering and erosion. Hawk Ridge is one of Duluth’s most recognizable high points, and can be traced back to processes that occurred during both the Mid-Continent Rift and the Great Ice Age Glaciation.
2. That the land constituting the proposed natural area is eligible for nomination for the Duluth Natural Area Program because it is either owned by the city, or is owned by private or other public owners, in which owners have to provide consent to the designation of the property as a natural area under the program and to the imposition of controls in the form of a management plan thereon.
3. That the nominated area is in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations.
FURTHER RESOLVED, that pursuant to Section 2-155 (a) of the Duluth City Code Article XXIX, 1959, as amended, the Lester-Amity-Hawk Ridge Natural Area as described in “Exhibit B - Nomination Package” is hereby provisionally designated as a Duluth Natural Area, which designation shall continue to be provisional until program protections and a management plan for the area have been approved.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution authorizes city officials to approve the nomination of the Lester-Amity-Hawk Ridge Area to the Duluth Natural Areas Program. The proposed 1183-acre area is comprised entirely of existing City property of which 171 acres is already protected as parkland, 395 acres has been protected since the early 1970’s as Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve, and 617 acres was acquired by the City from St Louis County in 2023 with the intent expressed in Resolution 22-0251R for the land to be permanently protected.
The nomination was prepared and submitted by a partnership of Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Minnesota Trout Unlimited, the South St Louis Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Minnesota Land Trust who have collectively committed to invest $1.5 million in managing and restoring the proposed Natural Area over the next five years with more thereafter.
The Natural Resources Commission recommended approval of the nomination to the Planning Commission on April 23, 2025. The Planning Commission approved the nomination on May 13, 2025. Though not required by City Code, Parks and Recreation Commission also reviewed and recommended approval of the nomination on May 14, 2025.
The Duluth Natural Areas Program was established in city code to preserve Duluth’s natural heritage for the public good by protecting lands of special environmental significance. City code outlines a two-step process to designate a specific place as a Duluth Natural Area. This resolution completes step one: approval of a nomination. Approval of a nomination establishes a new Duluth Natural Area on a provisional basis. After the nomination is approved, the partner organizations will have one year to write and finalize a management plan for the nomination area, including a list of prioritized actions to restore and protect the terrestrial and aquatic values of the area. After the management plan is prepared, it will be brought before City Council for review and approval. Approval of the management plan would complete the second step of the designation process and solidify the designation as a Duluth Natural Area. Following approval of a management plan, an 8-to-1 City Council super-majority is necessary to remove the Natural Area designation.
The boundaries of the proposed Natural Area were set in close collaboration with the Planning and Economic Development Department to exclude land that could plausibly be developed in the foreseeable future. Development within existing designated parkland and Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve is already prohibited. Development of the 617-acre portion of the proposed Natural Area that was purchased from St Louis County in 2023 is prohibited by, or prohibitively restricted by:
• The predominance of dense, heavily used recreational trails for snowmobiles, skiers, pedestrians, and bikes, infrastructure that would cost several million dollars today.
• The predominance of land that is wet, steep, rocky, and/or within cold water Shoreland Management Zones.
• The existing designations of 100% of the land as Parks in current zoning and/or as Open Space in the Future Land Use Map.