[mou] Acacia Cemetery area (Dakota County) endagered by development

[Bruce M. White]

Randy Frederickson:
Thank you for your concern. It is not to late to submit comment to the 
city of Mendota Heights about the proposed housing development on Pilot 
Knob. I've compiled a summary of information about birding on Pilot Knob 
that might be of help for you and others in writing to the City of 
Mendota Heights about the proposed housing development. Included here 
are excerpts from web postings as well as passages from two e-mails sent 
to the City of Mendota Heights by birders. We really appreciate their 
contributions and hope that others will write.

Comments have to get to the City of Mendota Heights by tomorrow, Oct. 
29, at 4:30 PM. E-mails and faxes are OK and given the short time are 
the best way to go. Comments should be addressed to Cari Lindberg, City 
Administrator, City of Mendota Heights, 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota 
Heights, MN 55118, 651-452-1850 Fax 651-452-8940. E-mails can be sent to 
caril@mendota-heights.com.

As noted earlier, the proposal before the city of Mendota Heights is to 
build 157 units of medium and high density townhomes in the 25 acres 
north and east of the cemetery, an area now covered with woods and open 
fields. We think that the effect will be devastating on many facets of 
Pilot Knob's importance, historic, sacred, and natural. Our short-term 
goal is to get the City of Mendota Heights to order an Environmental 
Impact Statement, to examine the effects of the development and consider 
whether any mitigation for effects is possible. Our long-term goal is to 
stop the project entirely and insure that this area continues to be 
compatible with history, spirituality, and birds.

Bruce M. White
Pilot Knob Preservation Association
P.O. Box 50823
Mendota, MN 55150-0823
651-310-0601
white067@tc.umn.edu



fredericksonr@willmar.k12.mn.us wrote:
> Bruce-
> 
> I'm merely trying to be of assistance.  I get most frustrated by all the
> birders that have been to this area (it is lots) but they are all too busy
> to help preserve this spot.
> 
> Randy
> 
> 

Pilot Knob as a birding area

Acacia Cemetery in its most recent advertising leaflet states: “The 
Audubon Society recognized Acacia Park for its bird sanctuary which 
attracts thousands of birds each year, including bright red Cardinals 
who are especially splendid against the white and evergreen blanket of 
winter. The cemetery is also home to deer, wild turkeys, fox, and albino 
squirrels.”

Comment letters from birders to Mendota Heights City Council

Rev. Forest Strnad of Faribault (fkstrnad@ll.net), Faribaut, MN:
“I have a personal concern about the Acacia Cemetery area for it is an 
important place to see unusual, even rare, birds in Minnesota. I 
personally have seen the TOWNSEND SOLITAIRE, ROCK WREN, and 
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS here. Also many other unusual birds are seen in 
this area. I would hope that this area might be protected from 
development by business or housing. It is important that we remember the 
importance of wild and natural areas and preserve them for future 
generations.”

Dr. Matthew Bribitzer-Stull, Asst. Professor of Musical Theory, 
University of Minnesota (mpbs@umn.edu): “As an avid birder I am worried 
that one of the Twin Cities’ best spots for seeing rare and interesting 
birds during migration will be compromised. While research has focused 
on the dangers to birds posed by destruction of their breeding and 
wintering grounds, healthy “stop-over” points are equally critical to 
the survival of many species. The effect of the proposed development has 
not been considered by the developer and it is my feeling that a full 
Environmental Impact Statement or EIS should be done to examine such 
effects.”


Rock Wren in Acacia Cemetery, April-May 2003
Mnbird: JEBonkoski@aol.com wrote on April 29, 2003:
“This morning, 4/29, about 10:30 am I refound the Rock Wren at Acacia 
Cemetery. The bird was about 100 yards to the right (North) of the 
entrance to the cemetery. The bird was calling from the pine trees and 
then flew across the road to the east. I did not search for the bird 
after it flew into the field to the east of the cemetery.”

Conny Brunell, Richfield (connyb@mycidco.com) writes on April 29, 2003:
“This afternoon from 3-4 I watched the Rock Wren with Terry Brashear at 
the Acacia Cemetery.  The bird was observed from the main parking lot 
facing the buildings.  The Rock Wren would come to the edge of the 
building roof then disappear quickly.  It flew across to the other 
building roof, and would pop up sporadically in full view for brief 
spurts, then disappear again.  The bird never vocalized while we were 
there, but would show himself often.  It was still there when I left at 
4, and I was very happy it stuck around all day.”

Jim Ryan (jimryan37@hotmail.com) wrote on April 30, 2003:
With the help of Carol . . . Jim Mattson and I saw the Rock wren hanging 
out bobbing around the main building at Acacia between 7:00 and 7:15am. 
It seems to like the north side by the Biffs portable “facilities”. 
Other birders arrived as I was leaving. The bird was not visible at that 
time.”

Steve Weston, Eagan, (sweston2@attbi.com) wrote on May 3, 2003:
Went to Acacia Cemetery about 7:15pm and found Walt Pop (from Hastings) 
looking for the Rock Wren.  We searched the brush piles by the mattress 
unsuccessfully for the wren.   We headed back to the buildings by the 
gate where Walt spotted our bird.  We were treated to excellent views of 
he bird on and around the buildings from about 8pm to 8:25pm when we left.

Chris Fagyal cfagyal@broadbandusa.cc
Sat May 3 17:21:05 2003
I was there between 8am and 9:50am and did not refind the rock wren in 
any of the places it has been seen.  I checked the rock and wood piles 
in the woods near the mattresses, the wall across from the loop, and the 
building near the parking lot.
  The cemetery was rather active for other bird life though, with the
following being conspicuous
Brown Thrasher (many singing from tree tops)
Yellow Rumped Warblers (all over the place)
Black and White Warbler (1 working a tree in the woods near the wood
piles)
White-Throated Sparrow (many in the woods)
Broad Winged Hawk (A kettle of 10 flew over and another set of 4 flew
over a few minutes later)
Osprey (2 with the kettle of 10 Broad Winged's)
Least Flycatcher (Briefly stopped by the wood piles where the Rock Wren
had been seen.)
  Chris


Other Bird Reports from Acacia Cemetery
March 2001 North American Rarity Round-Up 
(www.surfbirds.com/Rarities/usmarch01.html)
“Another Townsend’s Solitaire was still present mid month at Acacia 
Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Dakota County, MN.”

Bird Chat Digest, July 2001 (birdingonthe.net)
Sue Levy gives a report of a birding trip from her new home in Texas to 
her old home in Minnesota. “Nesting Yellow-Throated Warblers had been 
reported at Acacia Cemetery in the Twin Cities. (Mendota Heights) I 
wasn’t able to relocated them. I’m guessing that the young had fledged 
by the time I got there. . . I would appreciate it if someone would 
clarify for me whether the excitement about this year’s sighting was 
because they were nesting? I’ve been off-line for a couple months and 
missed all the posts.”

Acacia Cemetery in MnBird bird count circle in 1995
http://linux.winona.msus.edu/mnbird/digest/v01.n025.htm
mnbird-digest, Tuesday, 12 December 1995, Volume 01 : Number 025
From: "Paul E. Budde 962-5536"
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 21:48:04 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Bloomington & Dakota Cty

Saturday 12/16 is the Bloomington CBC.  We are soliciting information on 
birds seen recently in or near the count circle (Sunfish Lake, Mpls 
airport, Acacia Cemetery, L. Nokomis, Edina Realty ponds in Edina, Izaak 
Walton, the NE tip of Murphy-Hanrehan, or anywhere in between.  If you 
found something this wekend, or encounter a good bird during the week, 
please e-mail either pebudde@stthomas.edu (Paul Budde), or 
dac@skypoint.com (Dave Cahlander) or call me at 824-9505.  Thanks!


Short biographies of MnBird members with references to Acacia Cemetery 
(linux.winona.msus.edu/mnbird/biographies.html)

Stephen L. Ewing writes that he and his wife have been birders in the 
Twin Cities since the late 70s. “We have been slowed down in our birding 
since kids arrived in 1986. Now that [our] kids are 5 & 7 we are hoping 
that we can bird more. Our kids really enjoyed the good look at the 
Long-eared Owl at Acacia Cemetery.”

Kevin Healy writes that after getting his oldest son started at 
Macalester for his frenshman year was time consuming “consequently our 
only stop was at Acacia Park Cemetery this afternoon. There was very 
little activity;  the big thrill was an eight-point buck running out of 
the brush on the north side of the cemetery and down the hill toward the 
highway.”