By Mayor Tim Busse
The Nine Mile Creek corridor is without question one of Bloomington’s most treasured natural areas. Parts of the corridor are facing challenges like erosion, invasive species, habitat degradation and a lack of native plant regeneration. While many areas appear healthy and wooded, decades of fast-growing, invasive plants pressure have changed the ecological condition of the landscape. The restoration project is designed to improve the long-term health of the ecosystem, protect natural resources and ensure future generations can continue to enjoy this special place.
The most visible part of the project is tree removal. While it may seem surprising or even counter-intuitive, selective tree removal is an important restoration tool.
The work is targeted to reduce invasive plants to allow the native plants space and time to grow. This will improve native plant diversity and restore historic habitats such as oak savanna—one of Minnesota’s rarest ecosystems. Large portions of the corridor will remain wooded, and many areas will continue to provide shade. In addition, approximately 150 to 200 new trees will be planted near the Moir and Harrison park areas, along with thousands of plants to enhance and beautify the landscape.
This restoration effort is based on established ecological science and was developed by natural resource experts, City staff and consultants with input from the community.
For more about the project visit bloomingtonforward.org/9mile.
