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Resource Problem: <br /> Wildlife <br /> Goal: Achieve a safe balance of wildlife and recommend appropriate habitax to reduce effects of <br /> defragmentation. <br /> Action: Provide educaxion about the benefits of wildlife and educate on the proper way to address <br /> problems. <br /> Action: Promote use of wildlife habitat planning to develop travel lanes between existing habita,t and <br /> ta.rget areas of new wildlife habitat placement. <br /> Findings: <br /> Quality natural resources benefit both wildlife and people. Natural azeas such as wetlands and prairies can <br /> improve water quality by filtering pollutants and sediments as well as managing water runoff. Natural <br /> areas provide a better quality of life with areas for recreation and enjoyment. These areas provide habitat <br /> for a variety of wildlife. However, negative changes to these habitats can have an effect on the wildlife. <br /> Pollutants can change the characteristics of an environment and as a result the wildlife. The degradaxion <br /> of water quality disrupts the balance of aquatic species. Some species of fish and macroinvertebrates are <br /> sensitive to water quality. A decrease in the quality would result in the eradicaxion of these sensitive <br /> species and species more tolerant to poor water quality would become present.Non-native and invasive <br /> plant species alter the natural communities and crowd out the native plant and the animal dependant on <br /> them. Also, some wildlife species require a particula.r size of continuous land for habitat. Development <br /> can fragment natural areas and ca.use areas to become uninhabitable for certain species of birds. As these <br /> examples show, wildlife and wildlife habitat is sensitive to environmental cha.nges and change as a result. <br /> Some wildlife ca.n become nuisances to urban azeas and the environment.Wildlife need ha.bita.t and food <br /> to survive. Some wildlife ta.ke advantage of urban azeas and the opportunities it provides,however this <br /> can be a problem for residents. <br /> Recommendations: i <br /> Establish and Maintain Healthy Natural Areas I <br /> Aquatic and tenestrial wildlife need quality habitat. Enhance and maintain existing habita.t and establish <br /> new habitat where ever possible. <br /> Preserve Open Space <br /> l. Implement Eaisting Open Space and Greenway Plans <br /> • Support Mt. Zion Greenway Plan. <br /> • Support open space development in the watershed <br /> • Work with the Soil and Water Conservation District,municipal governments, and non-profit <br /> organizations to identif}� specific a.reas to conserve and work towards securing these areas as open <br /> space. <br /> 2. Promote the establishment of conservation easements, for more information the 5oil and Water <br /> Conservation District can assist with easement formation. <br /> An easement provides tax breaks and protects land by limiting use of the land and retaining features <br /> for future owners. Features an owner might want to protect include natural, historic, and scenic lands. <br /> 3. Promote the establishment of field border strips and critical area plantings. <br /> 4. Provide incentives for protecting natural areas. <br /> 5. Protect natural areas from development. <br /> OS/31/02 12 <br />