I. INTRODUCTION
A. Statement of Purpose
The residents of Normanna are a community of individuals who make their
homes here because they share certain values.
These include, among others, an interest in rural lifestyle, privacy,
peace and solitude, preservation of wildlife, and recognition of the inherent
value of the land on which we live. In
particular, we believe that we have a responsibility to exercise stewardship
over this land to preserve and enhance its value for future generations.
Specifically,
we present this plan for land use in Normanna:
- to ensure
use of the land which fulfills the wishes and needs of Normannas residents;
- to provide
a basis for orderly growth of the township; and
- to preserve
land for useful purposes by future generations.
The future hope for the Land Use Plan is to allow us
to continue the harmony in lifestyle that residents currently enjoy in the
rural nature of the township.
B. Land
Use Plan Update Process
In the
fall of 2000 a committee of residents was established to review and update the
original Long-Range Land Use Plan. A
survey was developed and mailed to all 216 households in the township. The results of the 143 responses (66.2%)
were analyzed and it was decided that a
second survey was needed to resolve unanswered issues. A second survey was conducted in 2001 which
again had a majority of residents participation. Between 2000 and 2003 the committee also conducted three public
hearings and presented the land use recommendations at each of the three annual
town meetings (2001, 2002, & 2003).
The results of two surveys, three public hearings and the feedback
received at three annual meetings provide the basis for this 2003 Long-Range
Land Use Plan.
C. History and
Description of Normanna Township
In 1890 Anton Hjelm came to Normanna and built a
cruisers shack beside what is now called the Jean Duluth Road. He then located section lines and section
corners in that area, which was believed to have been originally surveyed in
1860. Beginning as early as 1892,
families began moving to Normanna and building homes.
In 1899 Anton Hjelm opened a post office in his home
with himself as the townships first postmaster.
The first school was built in 1900 by the residents,
with all of the material and labor donated.
Anton Hjelm taught the first class of nine students until such time as a
qualified school teacher could be hired.
History records that Mae Cummings was the first professional teacher to
instruct at the school.
Eighteen residents and legal voters petitioned to
organize their community as a township, and on June 7, 1904, Normanna was
established as Township 52N of Range 13, with Township 53N of Range 13 added
sometime in July of that year which then separated off to become NorthStar
Township in 1985.
The first town hall, which the townsfolk erected in
1910, was destroyed by the terrible fire of 1918. It was later replaced in 1930.
The replacement hall was torn down in 1997.
Normanna is believed to have been the first rural
township in our area to have installed its own telephone system, which began in
1922.
River and sleigh logging became established as the
main occupation in the area; the logs were sleighed on ice roads to Lake
Superior, and then watered and rafted to area mills. Without a doubt the sleigh
logging was as colorful as railroad logging and required great skill. A Road Monkey, for example, had to inspect
the ice roads to ensure that the road conditions were suitable for sleigh logging.
He also had to have the ability to correctly brake the sleighs when
descending the hills by dropping hay under the runners thereby slowing the
sleigh. The skill lay in using just the
proper amount of breaking so as to descend the grade without overworking or
over-running the team. Logging quickly
evolved into a massive industry which brought on the rapid construction of many
railroad lines. In the wake of the
logging operations, farming activities began to emerge on the cleared land.
Today, Normanna has assumed a character that is
largely suburban. Nevertheless, many
residents maintain vegetable gardening to supplement
their food supplies. Tree farming has
become more prevalent in recent years.
No longer are commercial farms or total subsistence farms found in the
township. Logging is still an important
activity in the township. Very little
other business activity is based in Normanna.
A number of permanent residents are engaged in small, home operated
businesses in fields such as farming, construction, lumber milling and similar
enterprises.
II. INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS OF LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS
A. Population
Although the population of the township increased only
minimally from 1900 to 1950, Normanna has seen substantial growth from 1950 to
present-doubling in population from 1960-1980. Nineteen-eighty to two-thousand population growth is shown in
Figure 1.
Although
a detailed analysis of population trends in Normanna Township is beyond the
scope of this document, projections based on census data since 1980 has some
value in planning for future needs.
The above chart shows a growth rate of
18.3% from 1980 to 1990 and 28.2% from 1990 to 2000. Using these rates as a reasonable range of possibilities, the
2000 population of 637 indicates a population of 754 to 817 by the year
2010. The implications of this
potential increase in population in terms of community services (fire protection, roads, etc.) are yet to be
determined. Continued awareness, ongoing study and effective communication
should enable the township to adequately cope with the inevitable changes which
will accompany this population increase.
(See Appendix for 2000 Census information)
Our survey of
February 2001 (Illustration A) shows the reason residents choose to live in
Normanna Township
B.
Housing
To ensure good quality of life, housing is an
important, basic element. Safe,
efficient, and
attractive housing is encouraged in both permanent and
seasonal dwellings. With the aid of
building permit data, a graph (Figure 2) was constructed to illustrate the
trend in permanent
housing in Normanna. The increase in housing is comparable to the population growth in
our township.
Normanna
is primarily a community of single family dwellings (97.9%). Most of the new residents are building new
homes with the increase being primarily in younger residents. We encourage the
construction of attractive permanent homes rather than the use of transient
mobile dwellings. However for obvious
economic reasons, there is a need for mobile housing.
Living
in Normanna provides a feeling of separation from the confines of city
living. In our township, residents
enjoy a rural lifestyle with a majority wanting even greater distance between
homes. The potential exists to overpopulate the area, so there is a great need
for some regulation. The Land Use Plan
adopted can assist all residents by developing a guideline for future housing
and population growth.
C. Natural
Features
1. Topography
Normannas elevation ranges between about 1200 and
about 1500 feet above sea level. Much
of the land consists of swamps and wetlands.
There are identifiable bodies of water in addition to two major river
systems (Sucker, French). The majority
of the land is gently rolling woodland consisting of northern deciduous and
coniferous forest.
2. Soils
The soil overburden in Normanna is between 40 to 50
feet and it overlies primarily bedrock of gabbro. Principal soil types native to Normanna are related loams with a
small proportion of ahmeek capable of supporting agriculture. Wetlands of the township consist of soils
related to peat (various types of muck).
A detailed list of soils can be found in Illustration 2, and their
distribution is shown in Figure 3.
|
Illustration B. Major Soil Types in Normanna (in order of prevalence) |
|
|
Soil Type |
Description |
|
Unnamed Loams of the Ahmeek Type |
Well-drained soils with glacial till; surface layers
of dark brown loam; most areas are found in woodlands. |
|
Cloquet Fine Sandy Loam |
Excessively drained soils; surface of black silt
loam; mostly found in woodlands. |
|
Seelyeville Muck |
Deep, very poorly drained soils formed in organic
material, formed under marsh vegetation; found in depressional area. |
|
Moose Lake Muck |
Very poorly drained soils in upland bogs; most areas
in native vegetation. |
|
Duluth Silt Loam |
Well to moderately-well drained soils with glacial
till; surface layers o dark brown sandy loam; most areas in forest. |
3. Water
Quality, Drainage and Aquifers
There is an abundance of water sources in Normanna
Township; they are in the form of wetlands, marshes, small lakes, and
streams. Such areas store or hold
substantial amounts of water that can seep into the ground to recharge our
underground waters. These waters are
therefore essential to maintaining the capacity of shallow wells (less than 50
feet) to provide water.
Because water is held in lakes, marshes, and streams,
such areas furnish a place for water to go in times of excess, as well as an
important reserve of surface water in times of drought.
Lastly, wetlands, marshes, lakes, and streams provide
an environment for aquatic vegetation and animal organisms to purify much of
the water that may have been contaminated with suspended soil (erosion),
nutrients (fertilizers, animals, and human wastes), and other pollutants.
Both shallow and deep water wells are used as a source
of drinking water by residents in the township. Shallow wells are usually dug and may extend to the underlying
bedrock. The soil overburden varies
between 35 to 50 feet. The deep wells
penetrate through gabbro bedrock and rely upon seepage or aquifers for their
water supply. The depth of these wells
frequently exceeds 200 feet and may reach 700 feet. No surveys of water quality are available for Normanna,
In general, surface water drainage follows the contour
of the land in a southeasterly direction to supply rivers and streams that
empty into Lake Superior. No
information is available on the number, direction, and capacity of aquifers in
the township.
Jurisdiction over the use of surface water (wetlands,
lakes, streams) is in the hands of the State of Minnesota even though such
waters may be surrounded by privately owned land. Thus, any work below the ordinary high water mark requires a
permit from the State Department of Natural Resources. In addition, several streams originate
within or pass through the township.
Listed in Illustration C are those which have been designated trout
streams by the Commissioner of Natural Resources, Order No. 2062.
|
Illustration C.
Designated Trout Streams Within Normanna Township |
|||
|
Stream |
Township |
Range |
Section |
|
Carlson Creek |
52 |
13 |
14, 15, 23, 24 |
|
French River |
52 |
13 |
8, 9, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 35 |
|
Lester River |
52 |
13 |
32 |
|
Ross Creek |
52 |
13 |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
|
Schmidt Creek * |
52 |
13 |
25, 36 |
|
Sucker River |
52 |
13 |
1, 12, 13, 24, 25, 26 |
* The upper reaches of the Schmidt Creek found in
section 25 and 26 are not designated trout waters but are listed as protected
waters.
4. Wildlife
The vegetation in Normanna supports considerable
wildlife. Species that are native
include deer, moose, bear, timber wolves, coyote, cougar, fox, otters, as well
as a large variety of small game, such as fishers, marten, beaver, muskrat, mink,
skunk, rabbits, and squirrel. Also, a
number of important bird species can be observed within Normannas boundaries;
these include waterfowl, game birds, herons, bitterns, a large variety of
raptors, and numerous song birds. It
should be noted that some of the species found in Normanna are on the protected
species list. Major species found in
Normanna are listed in Illustration D.
|
Illustration D.
Major Wildlife Species Found in Normanna Township |
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|
Major Species |
|
Protected Species |
|||
|
Weasels |
Coyotes |
Deer |
|
Wolverine |
Eagles |
|
Fisher |
Fox |
Moose |
|
||