Updates and Articles

Why insects matter and what you can do about their decline

In the past few years, news of the decline of insect populations has raised alarm bells. Experts say the world is losing around 1 to 2 percent of its insects each year. By now, most people know pollinators are vital to making about a third of our food supply. But what about all the other insects — does this overall population decrease matter?  >>

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Minneapolis agrees to environmental review before key UHT vote

Community advocates recently secured a big victory: Minneapolis leaders committed to an environmental review of its riverfront Upper Harbor Terminal redevelopment plan before voting on the project.  >>

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MinnPost: UHT plan elicits mixed reactions

A recent MinnPost article about the Upper Harbor Terminal redevelopment in North Minneapolis highlights the wide range of opinions among residents who have been closely involved in the project. Many of them share our concern: Will this project really deliver equity for Northsiders?  >>

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Minnesota gets a bad report card for nitrate reduction (part two)

How do we get a better grade for nitrate pollution reduction? We have to change the mix of what we grow. In this follow-up, we explain why it isn't feasible to rely on incentive payments to farmers alone to move the needle on our water quality problems. And we offer an exciting solution that could improve water quality by AND sustain farmers' livelihoods.  >>

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Saving the baby AND the bathwater: New hope for a sensible Clean Water Rule

Back in 2019, the Trump administration adopted new regulations that significantly undermine how our nation's public water supplies are protected. Now, an independent review has found that the federal government's decision-making process was fundamentally flawed. Will the Biden administration reverse the rollbacks?  >>

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MRCCA riverfront protections update: You made a difference!

Minneapolis is the first city with a new ordinance to guide riverfront development and protections, and thanks to our collective advocacy, their ordinance includes provisions for migrating birds. Will St. Paul and other communities follow suit?  >>

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Minneapolis: Don't skip environmental review!

With 48 acres of city-owned riverfront, the Upper Harbor Terminal site in North Minneapolis presents a rare opportunity for equitable, creative, transformative community development. Unfortunately, the city's plan falls short of this potential.

Tell the city not to approve the plan before conducting an environmental review. >>

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Education intern creates curriculum connecting people and place

Elia Engberg, in their senior year of Environmental & Educational Studies at Macalester College, spent eight weeks as FMR's stewardship and education intern this fall. They worked collaboratively with FMR's team to create new curriculum resources that uplift connections between people and place, highlighting culture and identity relationships as essential parts of environmental education.  >>

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Elia, FMR intern
Congress clarifies future of Upper St. Anthony Falls

The years-long process to determine the future of the Upper St. Anthony Falls lock and dam has had a few interesting twists and turns in recent weeks. Congress has intervened to make sure that future plans are flowing in the right direction.  >>

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River Guardians made an impact in 2020

We're celebrating the successes of more than 1,500 River Guardians who took action in 2020 to hold polluters of a toxic riverfront waste site accountable, to invest in critical infrastructure to ensure safe drinking water, and to protect migrating birds along the metro Mississippi flyway. Thank you! Find out more about your impact and what we're up against in 2021.  >>

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