• Initial trail construction was completed in October 2020, and the trail is now open as conditions allow.

• Staff and volunteers will continue trail finishing in spring/summer 2021. Weekly trail maintenance will be ongoing as conditions allow.

• Information about trail rules, trail uses, status, etc. can be found on the city’s website.

The City of Minnetonka and the Center for Biological Diversity (Center) have approved an agreement that will help protect the rusty patched bumble bee, an endangered species, and its habitat in Lone Lake Park. The Minnetonka City Council approved the agreement at a meeting on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020.

In August 2020, the Center, a national organization known for its work to protect endangered species, raised concerns about how the city’s planned construction of a multi-use mountain bike trail in Lone Lake Park might impact the rusty patched bumble bee and notified the city of intent to take legal action under the federal Endangered Species Act.

The City of Minnetonka shares the Center’s commitment to protect endangered species and the natural environment, and the two parties successfully negotiated to reach a mutually-beneficial agreement.

“On behalf of the City of Minnetonka, I thank the Center for Biological Diversity for its excellent work to safeguard endangered species, and for collaborating with the city to protect the rusty patched bumble bee in Lone Lake Park,” said Minnetonka Mayor Brad Wiersum. “The City of Minnetonka and our natural resources team are pleased to partner with the Center to ensure the bee and its habitat are protected. Preserving and protecting Minnetonka’s distinctive natural environment ranks among the city’s top priorities.”

“With these new conservation measures for the bee, Minnetonka’s setting a standard for other municipalities in the Midwest,” said Tara Cornelisse, a senior scientist at the Center. “This agreement will bring real, on-the-ground conservation measures to saving the rusty patched bumblebee … with everyone working together, Lone Lake Park will keep providing the habitat that’s so urgently needed for this endangered bee’s survival and recovery.”

Settlement details

Full details of the settlement are available online. The city has committed to numerous measures to further protect the rusty patched bumble bee and its habitat in Lone Lake Park, including:  

• Use the results of its bee survey and habitat mapping to help avoid the rusty patched bumble bee during construction.
• Avoid tree removal, except hazard trees and small trees directly in the trail footprint, during construction.
• Enlist a bee expert to conduct on-site inspections for bee activity during construction.
• Conduct post-project bumble bee surveys for a minimum of three years.
• Limit the use of pesticides and pruning or removal of trees and plants during peak flowering periods for a minimum of five years.
• Create an additional one acre of habitat for the bee and enhance pollinators in other areas of Lone Lake Park.
• Promote bee habitat throughout Minnetonka through policies, education and action.

In addition to these measures, two resident groups – Friends of Lone Lake Park and Minnetonka Off-Road Cyclists – have committed volunteers to protect habitat in Lone Lake Park. 

Construction on the multi-use mountain bike trail in Lone Lake Park will begin Monday, Sept. 14, following a tentative settlement agreement between the City of Minnetonka and the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD).

The proposed settlement was negotiated to protect the rusty patched bumble bee, an endangered species, in Lone Lake Park. The CBD notified the city of its intent to take legal action to protect the bee on Aug. 5, 2020.

The city’s recently-completed environmental studies informed and supported the city’s plan to protect the bee and its habitat during trail construction and use. Click the "Sept. 4, 2020" tab to learn more and view the completed studies.

To ensure protection of the endangered rusty patched bumble bee and its habitat during trail construction and use, the city hired Barr Engineering to prepare a biological assessment of the trail area, and the University of Minnesota conducted a bumble bee survey in Lone Lake Park.

The biological assessment concludes that the mountain bike trail project may impact, but is unlikely to adversely affect, the rusty patched bumble bee in the park.

University of Minnesota bumble bee survey

• The endangered rusty patched bumble bee constituted less than one percent of more than 1,000 documented bumble bee sightings during three months of bee surveying in the park (June-August).

Biological assessment

• After trail corridor restoration, less than one percent (0.88 acres) of suitable bee habitat in the park will be permanently impacted. Construction will temporarily disturb approximately 2.90 acres, or 2.7 percent, of suitable bee habitat.

• Overall, restoration efforts in Lone Lake Park will result in a net increase of flower resources for bees and other insects and wildlife. Reseeding disturbed soil after construction will restore approximately 2.02 acres of vegetation to control erosion and provide habitat for pollinators and other insects and wildlife. Approximately 5.70 acres of buckthorn will be removed from the trail corridor to allow for revegetation of native plants. Tree removal will be minor and limited to small trees (less than four inches in diameter). These steps are in addition to the 35-plus acres of habitat in Lone Lake Park currently under management as part of the city’s land stewardship efforts.

Additional measures to protect the rusty patched bumble bee and its habitat during construction

The city will:

• Use trail building best management practices and construction timing restrictions to minimize the chance of impacts to the rusty patched bumble bee while foraging, nesting or overwintering.

• Enlist an entomologist to conduct on-site inspections for bee activity during construction to ensure the bee and its habitat are protected.

• Incorporate additional conservation measures into trail construction and long-term maintenance plans, such as avoiding removal of flowering shrubs and other floral resources during peak bloom periods throughout the park.

Construction on the multi-use mountain bike trail in Lone Lake Park -- originally set to begin Sept. 1 -- is now anticipated to start Sept. 14.

This two-week period will give the city time to complete its surveying and environmental studies of the area.

On Wednesday, Aug. 5, the city learned the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) intends to take legal action if within 60 days the city does not apply for an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) and develop a habitat conservation plan pursuant to the federal Endangered Species Act regarding the rusty patch bumblebee and the city’s mountain bike trail in Lone Lake Park.

Although the CBD asserts that an ITP is required, the city is still collecting the information necessary to make that determination.

City actions to protect bee habitat
The city is currently developing a mitigation plan to identify and address potential impacts to the rusty patch bumble bee and any habitat in the area of the mountain bike trail. The city hired Barr Engineering to prepare a biological assessment of the area and the University of Minnesota is conducting a bee survey. The city also continues to consult closely in this effort with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency that oversees implementation of Endangered Species Act requirements.

Once these assessments are complete, the city will be able to make a responsible, informed decision regarding whether federal law requires an ITP and habitat conservation plan in addition to the city’s current mitigation plans for the bees.

The Lone Lake Park multi-use mountain bike trail usage policy and metrics list are now available in draft form. The city welcomes your feedback on both documents by Sunday, July 19.

Trail Usage Policy (draft)

Trail Metrics (draft)

• Review the draft trail usage policy and metrics list and provide feedback by July 19 to lonelaketrail@minnetonkamn.gov.

• Feedback should be specific to the usage and metrics documents only.

• The proposed list of metrics will be presented to the park board and city council on an annual basis. Please provide any further metrics you think the city should consider.

• The draft trail usage policy was created by staff with resident input and guidance from other reputable trail systems in the Twin Cities area.

• Staff will review input and include necessary changes to both drafts, which will be presented to the park board at their Aug. 5 meeting.

This interactive map represents the multi-use mountain bike trail corridor alignment that was field sited in Lone Lake Park between October 2019 and April 2020. The alignment will be further refined during construction to avoid impacts to trees. Once trail construction is complete, a final map will be created and posted to document the final alignment.

• Click here to view the interactive trail map.
  • Here are some tools to help you navigate the map.
• A PDF version of the map is also available.

To learn more about the field siting and map creation processes, view this PowerPoint presentation.

City staff continue to consult with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the rusty patched bumble bee and ways the city can minimize any potential impacts to the population in the park.  

• The city recently hired a University of Minnesota native bee researcher to conduct a bee survey to better understand the bee population and how it might be using park resources.

• Staff are also working to develop a mitigation plan that includes trail construction and maintenance best practices, restoration activities in or near the trail corridor and the creation of new bee habitat in other areas of the park. All of these activities follow the guidance and recommendations of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for rusty patched bumble bee protection.

At its June 8 meeting, the Minnetonka City Council approved an agreement for volunteer trail maintenance.

At its May 18 meeting, the Minnetonka City Council began a review of an agreement for volunteer trail maintenance. The council is expected to take action on the agreement at its June 8 meeting.

Click here to view a revised version of the agreement, which incorporates feedback received prior to and following the May 18 meeting. Residents may provide additional feedback pertaining to the agreement by emailing lonelaketrail@minnetonkamn.gov before 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 29.

All comments received by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 29 will be given to the city council and added to the June 8 meeting materials.

• GPS field siting of the trail has been completed.

• A field-sited trail map and diagrams for permitting are underway. The trail map will be posted once complete.

• Trail construction is scheduled to begin in early September 2020, based on updated guidance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

• The Minnetonka City Council will review an agreement for volunteer trail maintenance at its May 18 meeting.

• Volunteer opportunities will become available throughout the summer as COVID-19 restrictions allow.

• Preliminary field siting was completed for 30 percent of the trail network. The remainder of the trail will be sited once snow cover no longer prohibits work in the corridor. 
• The city was awarded a 2020 Hennepin County Youth Sports Grant that will cover a portion of the construction cost for the mountain bike trail in Lone Lake Park.

• An archaeological survey was completed by consulting firm Bolton & Menk, Inc. No cultural materials were encountered in the course of the survey. No further investigation is recommended.

• The city recently hired a University of Minnesota native bee researcher to conduct a survey in Lone Lake Park. The goal of the survey is to understand how the native bee population is using park resources.

• The city's natural resources staff are continually reviewing and adjusting trail location to avoid impacts to high priority trees and to minimize impacts to native species, including the rusty patched bumble bee.

• An Incidental Take Permit is not required or being pursued for this project. However, staff continue to coordinate with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to minimize potential impacts to the rusty patched bumble bee.

• Throughout the summer and during trail construction, natural resources staff are marking native plants for transplantation away from the trail zone.

• Work on buckthorn control and native plant restoration continues in Lone Lake Park.

Volunteers are needed to assist with invasive species removal, trail finishing, planting, park restoration and more.

• Volunteer with Minnetonka Mountain Bike Trail Advocates.

• Contact the city's natural resources division at 952-988-8407.

October-November 2019

• State-certified archaeologist conducts Phase 1 assessment in Lone Lake Park

• City contractor identifies and delineates wetland boundaries

• City staff conducts preliminary field siting to identify trail course

• City staff consults with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Nine Mile Creek Watershed District

December 2019–March 2020

• City staff develops initial trail map

• City staff interviews and selects trail construction company

• City council acts on Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC)

March/April 2020

• City staff conducts additional field siting to refine trail alignment

May-August 2020

• City staff finalizes trail map and applies for construction permits

• The park board will review trail usage guidelines and rules at its Aug. 5 meeting

September 2020

• Trail construction begins

Related Information

• October 2019 Wetland Delineation Report 

• View the feasibility study and learn more about the project approval process.