Advocacy

South St. Paul stands strong to preserve open space

by Alicia Uzarek

October 27, 2016

FMR would like to thank the South St. Paul City Council and celebrate their recent decision to preserve a city-owned 5-acre site as open space. The site is located near the Mississippi River and adjacent to the Mississippi River Trail scheduled to be constructed in 2017. The council rejected a push to change the largely tree-covered site into a paved industrial railroad storage area.

This is a big win that maintains the city’s commitment to a more public and green riverfront for future generations!

South St. Paul seeks to replace trees with industry along Mississippi River Trail

by Alicia Uzarek

September 12, 2016

As you grab your bike and enjoy the Mississippi River Trail in the coming years, what would you prefer: views of the river through a grove of trees or a long tall fence and a railroad storage yard? The South St. Paul planning commission faced that very question in early September and voted five to one to preserve the trees. But now the question is moving to the South St. Paul City Council.

by Irene Jones

September 12, 2016

During the final phase of developing updated rules for the Mississippi River Critical Area, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recommended a number of positive changes in response to comments from FMR staff and advocates.

Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area

'State of the River Report' Launch + Presentation

July 7, 2016

How is the health of the Mississippi River? Can I safely swim in it? Is water pollution improving? Can I eat the fish I catch? What can we do about Asian carp? Do I need to be concerned about bacteria in the river? How are bald eagles faring?

At FMR we hear questions like these all the time. That's why we've partnered with the National Park Service's Mississippi National River & Recreation Area unit (MNRRA) to update "State of the River Report," first released in 2012, for a current look at the river.

Join us for the highly anticipated release of the updated "State of the River Report" at the Science Museum of Minnesota, Thursday, September 22! (Tickets are free but capacity is limited.)

Brown-Bag Lunch: Reconnecting North Mpls to the Mighty Mississippi

June 30, 2016

As more North Minneapolis riverfront is slated to become parkland, it's important to ensure that new parks and trails are truly accessible to Northside residents. To do this, connections between the community and the riverfront parkland (such as the Broadway bridge over I-94, pictured above) must be improved.

FMR has been working with a researcher from CURA to study Northsiders’ barriers to river access as well as possible ways to overcome them. Join us for a brown-bag lunch featuring a presentation of our findings and discussion about the barriers and opportunities to reconnect North Minneapolis neighborhoods and the Mississippi River.

The desolate and congested West Broadway bridge over I-94 looking towards the Mississippi River

Reconnecting North Mpls to its riverfront

by Alicia Uzarek

June 9, 2016

Currently, the majority of North's residents must make their way over Interstate-94 and through a wall of industry to see and enjoy their riverfront. FMR is working to understand these barriers and identify opportunities to reconnect Northside residents to their Mississippi River. As more of this riverfront transforms from industrial use to parks and trails — changes that FMR has long advocated — we must work hard to ensure that current and future riverfront parks are accessible to area residents.

The desolate West Broadway bridge over I-94

Conjunction dysfunction: A $100 million typo may lead to a special session

by Trevor Russell

June 7, 2016

After Gov. Mark Dayton's pocket veto of the tax bill, a special session appears more likely this month. The governor chose not to sign the bill as it contained a $100 million wording error (an "or" instead of an "and"), letting the clock run out and preventing it from becoming law. A June special session will be needed to correct and re-pass the essential bill, making it likely the Minnesota Legislature will also tackle important transportation and bonding business left undone, including vital funding for state water quality improvements.