University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
OP-10: Landscape Management

IPM plans include:
-Monitor plant material for symptoms on a regular basis, as well as check documented problem areas.
-Identify problem causing symptoms; establish life cycle and treatment options.
-Set economic threshold; if threshold is reached a management tactic is selected; monitor; evaluated.
-Document the location, pest, treatment, results, and file for future use.

The general goal of the land care department at the institution is reduce the amount of treatments and work onto the grounds that is economically feasible while continuing to have a beautiful campus for which the community can enjoy. Specific examples below:
-A specific map of all of the trees is apart of the Land Care department to determine which trees have had different special treatments and trimmings so that the care of the landscape is done appropriately and economical.
-Aeration occurs twice a year so that rainwater is better used by turf grass and less watering is needed. On top of this other types of grasses other than blue grass are being explored that require less water.

The University utilizes native plants where and when possible. Native plants were inventoried in 2014 and resulted in a count of 89,268 herbaceous plants, grasses and forbs. There were also 6,350 native trees and 21,862 native shrubs.

Woody plants are used whenever possible for mulch in other parts of campus. All herbaceous material is composted offsite by a third-party.

IPM standards are kept in limiting inorganic fertilizers wherever possible.

As stated above composting is done whenever possible and is given to a third-party company.

From the 2012 Storm Water Master Plan, Section 1.1 Guiding Principals: "The University is committed to minimizing the negative impacts on the natural hydrologic cycle and thereby improving the overall water quality and clarity as much as possible by treating storm water close to where it falls, reducing downstream impacts, recharging groundwater through infiltration as local soils and subsurface conditions allow, and reusing storm water wherever possible."

The snow and ice removal program is designed around mechanical removal with applications of chlorides in the right amount, at the right time, and at the right temperature. Steps include: annually calibrating equipment and training/reviewing with staff proper use of de-icing chemicals; monitoring weather conditions; pre-treating primary pedestrian walkways, roads, parking ramps and loading docks with liquid de-iciers; pre-wetting road salt; minimizing use of sand to appropriate conditions.

Sarita wetlands on the St. Paul campus. Located in the southeast corner of the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus, the Sarita Wetland is what remains of the Sarita Lake, which was drained in the 1800s. The Sarita Wetland Restoration Project began with the creation of the former Sustainable Campus Initiative in 2000. The purpose of the project was to implement innovative storm-water management techniques on a substantial area of campus.

The Minneapolis campus is bisected by the Mississippi River National River and Recreation Area. The river enters the northern corridor as a free-flowing prairie river and moves downstream to plunge over St. Anthony Falls and into the river's narrowest gorge. Eight and one-half miles later, the river exits the gorge to become the country's dominant floodplain river and part of the largest inland navigation system on earth. Through the eight and one-half mile gorge, the Mississippi drops more than 110 feet, the river's steepest descent anywhere. The river's rapidly changing character explains why the national river and recreation area has such a unique concentration of nationally significant resources. The portion of the park adjacent to the University includes the gorge portion downstream of St. Anthony Falls.