Friends of the Mississippi River - Working to protect the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities area

Garters

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:39:14 +0000

One of the spectacular events to witness in the spring is the emergence of garter snakes. In the fall, as temperatures decrease, these snakes enter their wintering dens or hibernaculums. They hibernate in groups or aggregations. On a warm, sunny April day, these snakes emerge and get right to it – mating, I mean. Seeing dozens of garters emerging from a den is a true sign that spring has arrived. April is derived from the word, aperire, which is French for open. Throw open your doors and venture out. Let me know what you see.

Learn more about garter snakes:

Videos of garter emergence and mating:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNVNipoEUrY
- http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/other/videos/fooled-by-nature-garter-snake.htm
Websites with garter snake information:
- http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/9/pdf/pub307.pdf

So many great ways to support FMR AND get some awesome benefits!

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:35:42 +0000

Our great local river

Photo: Tim Boyle

You may have heard that 2013 is FMR’s 20th anniversary year. We have accomplished a lot in the last 20 years, and together with our members, volunteers and partners we have a lot that we can be proud of. But the river still needs its friends, and FMR is committed to ensuring that it has them. Whether you purchase Fulton Beer’s special FMR brew, buy some Peace Coffee to enjoy in a thermos by the river, increase your membership renewal or become a member to help us earn the $20,000 match, or volunteer – you are helping us help the river and adding strength to the river’s voice.

If you’re not yet a member, or would like to make a donation to support all the great work you just read about in this month’s Mississippi Messages, you can support FMR right now at fmr.org/support/donate.

Thanks to everyone who has supported FMR in the past, and welcome to all the new friends of the river!

Questions about becoming a member or supporting FMR in other ways? Contact Heather at hhaynes@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x20.

Resource of the Month: Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance Local Resource Management Scorecard

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:32:48 +0000

The scorecard, which is now available on the LPLA website, has two major components: the strategic use and presentation of existing federal, state, and local data, in coordination with more anecdotal accounts of projects in each county. Calculating basic statistics has allowed for a comparison of individual counties against the aggregate average across the Minnesota River Basin.

Understanding the local conditions in each county is a necessary step in addressing the water quality problems of the Minnesota River and Lake Pepin. The Local Resource Management Scorecard provides information in an accessible format for all interested parties and aims to give credit and provide accountability to the counties whose water drains into the Minnesota River and whose soil is settling in Lake Pepin.

For a more detailed overview of the project, including comments from county commissioners and a guide to using this web tool, watch LPLA’s video.

Whose view? From where? — April 2013

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:12:29 +0000

You could receive a small prize if you are the first to correctly identify the photo above, or if we use what you write in an upcoming issue of Mississippi Messages.

Each month in this section, we feature a photo somewhere along the river corridor in the Twin Cities that is in some way significant or important or just plain scenic. Individuals may then e-mail us and identify the view and explain why they believe it is significant to the community or important to them personally. We'll publish some of your responses in the next issue of Mississippi Messages, where we will also reveal the correct answer.

To submit your guess and response, e-mail Bob Spaulding, River Advocate, through our contact form. The respondent to provide the first correct identification of the view and hopefully some interesting thoughts about its significance will receive a valuable prize for their effort. All entries must be received by the first day of the following month for consideration.

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Conditions and Trends Report

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:39:15 +0000

This exhaustive study, entitled “Water Quality Conditions and Trends in the Mississippi National River and Recreational Area 1976-2005,” is an excellent contribution to our understanding of water quality impacts and trends in the metro Mississippi River.

A special thank you to all of the report authors for their dedicated work on this project. Much of this data was made available for use in our recently released State of the River Report. The report is available online at NPS.gov.

Join FMR for Earth Day cleanups, plantings and more

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:08:07 +0000

Families, individuals and groups come from throughout the metro area for the annual Earth Day cleanups — the first of many springtime restoration activities!

Restoration season is finally here. Help jumpstart it on Saturday, April 20th at our traditional inaugural Earth Day cleanups in Minneapolis and Lakeville, or by helping to plant a raingarden in St. Paul’s Crosby Park, Saturday, April 27th. If you’re looking for a longer-term but flexible commitment, consider taking the Pledge to Pull to protect the ephemeral patch in Crosby Park or Pine Bend Scientific & Natural Area this spring.

Join an FMR Earth Day event

Join one of our cleanups the morning of Saturday, April 20th! There are two Minneapolis riverfront sites and one along the Vermillion River in Lakeville.
For an all-day educational event, consider the Hastings Area Birding Festival, Saturday, April 20th.
Help plant a new raingarden Saturday, April 27th, in St. Paul’s Crosby Park, April 27th.
Need a weekday activity? If you have a group of 15 or more, we can arrange a St. Paul stenciling outing or educational water quality presentation.

Looking to contribute a few more hours, but want to control your schedule or bring friends or family with you?

Check out the Pledge to Pull events. There’s one at St. Paul’s Crosby Park May 1st and one at Pine Bend Scientific & Natural Area May 2nd. Each begins with a training and kickoff, and then participants are asked to return to the area and remove invasive species at times that work for them. For the Crosby event, the pledge is required. However, it is optional for those volunteering at Pine Bend SNA. Additional information is available on the FMR calendar.

I’m a service learner. What do you have just for students?

Thanks for checking us out! Please start here.

I'm looking for information to help me and my neighbors, coworkers or fellow club and church members act in my home, yard and neighborhood.

FMR offers experiential water-quality presentations for classrooms and groups of 30 or more in St. Paul. Get in touch via this online form.
In September 2012, FMR the National Park Service released the first-ever State of the River Report, detailing the ecological health of the Twin Cities stretch of the Mississippi River. While the report is available in its entirely at StateoftheRiver.com, FMR and NPS staff are also presenting the report several times over the coming months. The full schedule is available at StateOfTheRiver.com

About FMR events and activities

We know you may not have a lot of spare time, so we aim to make the most of it. With FMR events and activities, we take care of supplies, logistics, directions and everything else, so you can focus on learning about and helping the river.

Part of making the most of your time is making sure your contributions have lasting power. At FMR, every activity is part of a broader plan to benefit the Mississippi River and its watershed. All volunteer restoration activities, for example, take place as part of a larger ecological management and conservation plan, so you’re not only helping to restore the special place you’re working in, but also contributing to long-term, interconnected efforts to expand and improve green space, wildlife habitat and water quality in the Mississippi watershed.

We stretch your time further through partnerships, with your contributions benefitting many organizations at once. Every FMR activity is part of a program with one or, often several, essential partners — city park departments or commissions, state and federal agencies, watershed districts, private landowners, other nonprofits, and community institutions. Thus when you volunteer at, say Pine Bend Scientific & Natural Area, you’re not only volunteering for FMR, but also the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service.

Finally, while we recognize the privilege of working with thousands of people a year, FMR event staff prioritizes individuals’ experiences. We go beyond providing supplies and directions, and pride ourselves on quality communications (comprehensive but never excessive) and, well, the ability to speak conversationally — not just expert- or jargon-speak.

We also strive to offer programming that meets differing needs. As a result, we have over a hundred public and group events each year, varying in size, location, activity and commitment level. Full event descriptions are kept up to date on the FMR calendar, and if you need help sorting through the options, FMR Outreach & volunteer Coordinator can be reached at 651-222-2193 x14 or via the contact form.

FMR welcomes a new Mississippi River Challenge coordinator to the team

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:05:01 +0000

Austin was born and raised in Minneapolis and spent most summers on a lake, swimming or canoeing in the boundary waters. He received a degree in economics in 2006 from Gustavus Adolphus College, which he carried abroad to London, Singapore and China, working with different financial institutions. Living abroad, Austin learned to appreciate what he had back in Minnesota, which helped him hear his calling to learn and share the beauties of outdoor experiences with others.

Austin returned to Minnesota in 2010 and has enjoyed getting more involved with local businesses and food entrepreneurs. He is the founder of Stand Up MN, which offers guided paddleboard tours on the Mississippi. Now living in St. Paul, Austin appreciates the charming neighborhoods, dog-friendly sidewalks, beautiful morning runs along the river and fabulous food trucks. His latest project is called Paddle Taxi, which is a not-for-profit, shuttle system on the Mississippi River for kayak and canoe owners paddling in the Twin Cities.

Inspired by how his new coworkers live their values, Austin says he is excited to bring his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for sharing the river to the Friends of the Mississippi River’s 10th annual Mississippi River Challenge.

As Above the Falls Plan moves forward, FMR calls for design standards

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:00:06 +0000

The Graco plant just south of the Broadway Bridge in Minneapolis is an important part of the corridor. But it could have been a better neighbor if it were subject to design standards requiring greater setback from the river, a greater percentage of window frontage, and materials other than concrete.

Photo: Bob Spaulding/FMR

The Minneapolis City Council is preparing to adopt a key update to its Above the Falls Master Plan. The plan is a roadmap for the future of the Minneapolis riverfront between Plymouth Avenue and the northern city limits. The new Above the Falls Master Plan represents a significant reassessment of a previous plan for the area, adopted in 2000. For FMR, two key issues remain: design standards, and staying the course on the GAF site.

Design standards

The most notable change in the proposed updated plan is around land use. In several parts of the North Side riverfront (on the west side of the river), the older plan proposed housing and mixed use development adjacent to riverfront parks. Instead, the new proposal is geared toward continuing to allow commercial and industrial uses in those locations, while retaining the former plan’s continuous park and trail space along the river.

The City initiated the study and plan revision several years ago. Some City leaders have felt that that previous visions for mixed use development are not as feasible as may have been assumed in the previous plan. That is due to several important realities:

First, the vision for higher-density housing and mixed-use development may not be viable in the private marketplace.
Second, the public resources available to assist mixed-use development have been shrinking.
Third, several areas planned for redevelopment contain industries that are important, but may be hard to relocate.
And fourth, the City’s eminent domain authority has been severely curtailed.

For those reasons, FMR to date has been reluctantly accepting of several of the changes in land use designation along the riverfront. To people who were part of the award-winning 2000 Above the Falls planning process, some of the shifts in the vision has been dispiriting even if they are made for good reasons.

Still the plan retains the core vision of continuous riverfront parks and trails on both sides of the river and support for that public ownership of the river shoreland remains strong. Nonetheless, FMR is advocating that the City put in place smart design standards to ensure that river-adjacent land uses are safe, attractive and bike and pedestrian friendly.

For example, we think controls on setbacks, a minimum requirement for windows and limitations on some building materials make sense. The development of those standards could be part of an upcoming rezoning process.

Right now, the plan indicates some pretty good design directions for each section of the riverfront, but those guidelines are effectively little more than suggestions and are not intended for the zoning code. Only specific standards written into the zoning code will have the effect of ensuring good design.

Minneapolis could follow the lead of St. Paul which is in the process of updating its industrial zoning and design guidelines for properties across the entire city.

Without more intent to establish meaningful design standards, FMR has difficulty supporting a plan to rezone to uses like industrial — uses that tend to be less compatible with a safe and attractive urban riverfront.

GAF site

At the Planning Commission public hearing on February 19 concerns were raised about the long-term intention to transition the site of the roofing manufacturer GAF to parkland. The previous Above the Falls Plan, adopted over a decade ago, indicated that the site of the GAF facility, which does not use the river ,would eventually transition to riverfront parks and trails. The plan recently adopted by the Planning Commission specified rezoning would take place only if and when GAF chose to leave.

Even so, GAF asked for more protection for their properties (this author, a St. Paul Planning Commissioner, is mystified by their arguments). At a recent meeting, City staff presented the Planning Commission with three options: (1) keep the plan as is, (2) add some language that basically maintains the status quo but could soothe GAF, or (3) modify the long-term land-use plan from what it has been for over a decade because of one property owner’s protestations.

FMR prefers option one but would reluctantly accept option two, and strongly rejects option three. The widely acclaimed long-term vision for the Above the Falls reach is for continuous riverfront parks and trails. A large, dirty, non-river-dependent industry on the river is not consistent with that vision and the City’s zoning should conform to and support the plan.

On March 25th, the Minneapolis Planning Commission finished its review of the Above the Falls Master Plan, and forwarded it to the full Minneapolis City Council for adoption. The Planning Commission took option two.

The next stop for the Plan is at the City Council Zoning & Planning Committee on April 18th at 9:30; it is not clear at this time whether public testimony will be taken.

Culminating three years of engagement, St. Paul City Council gives blessing to Great River Passage Master Plan

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:56:10 +0000

For more information on the Great River Passage Master Plan, visit greatriverpassage.org.

Photo: City of St. Paul

On Wednesday, April 10th, after nearly three years of work, the St. Paul City Council adopted the Great River Passage Master Plan. For the first time, the plan sets forward a coordinated vision for St. Paul’s extensive 17-mile-long riverfront. The 309-page document is a visionary guide to future of the riverfront as a key amenity for the city, looking forward 30 to 50 years.

Adoption of the plan followed an April 3rd public hearing, where testimony was widely supportive of the plan, with just one or two exceptions. Kent Petterson, who had a number of concerns with the plan earlier, told the Council that, “the plan is leagues ahead of where it was to begin with, and I'm thinking it's looking really good.”

The central remaining tension around the substance of the plan was over a planned redevelopment of Watergate Marina at Crosby Farm Park. The plan envisions a redesigned marina and amenities that present a more coherent and accessible public face, including an environmental education center, availability of food and drink, equipment rental and general information at Watergate Marina. As the plan was discussed, opinions were split among stakeholders about whether Watergate could accommodate such changes.

FMR believes such changes could be appropriate. But, as our testimony to the Council noted, “we also think it’s essential that the new facility be done sensitively, modestly and within the existing footprint of the marina.” The site is nestled in the river valley near bluffs and some of the most ecologically significant areas in St. Paul's river corridor, areas which FMR has had a hand in restoring.

In the end, the City Council embraced the idea of improving Watergate Marina, amending the plan to specifically call for context sensitive design. FMR agreed to the plan with the understanding the City would make context sensitivity a priority, and will work to ensure those principles are adhered to in future improvements at the site.

Other key highlights in the plan include:

A calmed, slowed, and redesigned Shepard Road
Improvements to restore the setting for Hidden Falls Creek in and around Hidden Falls Regional Park
New recreational amenities at the Island Station site, drawing on the ease of access to the riverfront
A new river-focused walkway along the edge of the bluff downtown, from the Science Museum to Union Depot, and beyond
New development and parkland between Wabasha Street and the Lafayette Freeway along the riverfront
Trails and interpretation at Pig's Eye Regional Park
A continuous off-road trail system that for the first time ever would connect the northwest and southeast ends of the City through the 17-mile river corridor
A variety of ecological restoration efforts to deepen the quality of the environmental assets within the river corrridor.

In the media:

Is Asian Carp still a looming threat? You betcha!

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:53:26 +0000

First the good news. A study released by the University of Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center last week found no evidence of Asian carp DNA in the Mississippi or St. Croix Rivers in or upstream from the Twin Cities. These new environmental DNA (eDNA) results call into question the results of a study done in 2011, in which Asian Carp eDNA was detected as far north as the Coon Rapids Dam and St. Croix Falls. Although there is no way to know definitively whether or not Asian carp were present in the Twin Cities in 2011, it looks like we may still have time to stop the invasion before it’s too late.

Now for the bad news. Asian carp are still on their way, and they are still an imminent threat. If left unchecked, Asian carp will soon reach the Twin Cities and beyond, where they will wreak havoc with the river’s aquatic ecosystem and damage Minnesota’s $4 billion recreational fishing economy.

“These new results give us hope that there is still time to stop this harmful species from invading Minnesota’s waters,” said Whitney Clark, FMR’s executive director, “But it doesn’t change the fact that Asian carp are still a serious threat that requires immediate and sustained action.”

Testing for eDNA is a relatively new technology that will likely improve with time. Catching fish, however, has been around since the dawn of humanity and will continue to be the most reliable technology around for awhile. Since the eDNA results were released in 2011, about a half dozen individual Asian carp have been caught in the Mississippi River in Minnesota – an increase of about 500%. This by itself is cause for major concern; Asian Carp are very evasive and difficult to catch.

A statement released by the Stop Carp Coalition (of which FMR is a member) urged continued vigilance and cooperation in the fight top stop Asian Carp: “We need Gov. Dayton, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, our elected state and federal leaders, and all users of the locks and rivers to work together toward a solution to protect all of Minnesota’s waters. Today’s results only tell us it’s not too late to protect our precious natural resources and Minnesota’s proud outdoor heritage.”

The Stop Carp Coalition is a group of more than 20 groups representing sportsmen and women, private property owners, anglers, conservation and environmental organizations that is collaborating to bring attention to the Asian Carp issue in Minnesota, educate the public and elected officials about impacts to our environment and economy, mobilize our combined thousands of members and supporters, and advocate for quick and strategic initiatives to slow and/or stop the invasion of these harmful invasive species in Minnesota waters.

For more information:

Water quality policy update

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:49:43 +0000

The Clean Water Legacy Accountability Act (CWLAA) is designed to require that the state’s new watershed restoration and protection strategies (WRAPS) adequately identify pollution sources, and include specific pollution reduction goals, cost estimates, and timelines for successful implementation. These changes will help ensure that state and local governments can work together collaboratively to help our lakes and streams meet basic standards.

The bill also addresses two critical clean water needs for our state.

A statewide nonpoint priority funding plan: Beginning July 1, 2014, and every other year thereafter, the state will prepare and post priority nonpoint restoration and protection actions that take into account water quality outcomes; cost-effectiveness; landowner financial need; and leverage of non-state funding sources. This is a important step forward for our state, and will help ensure that our limited amendment dollars are used for the most cost-effective projects possible.
Stream buffer funding reform: the bill changes funding and reporting requirements for some shoreline protection projects, limiting the use of clean water funds for lands already required to have a 50-foot protective buffer in place. This reform makes sure we avoid overspending on already-protected shoreland areas, while requiring transparency in how our state’s shoreline protection funds are being used across the state.

The Senate version of the bill (SF 1192) is authored by Senator John Hoffman, and co-authored by Senators Dziedzic, Marty, Dibble, and Eaton. The bill was introduced on March 7th, and recently passed the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. It is now awaiting a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee.

The House Version of the bill (HF 1122) is authored by Representative John Persell, with Representatives Hansen, Falk, Kahn and Wagenius as co-authors. The bill was introduced on March 4th and passed the Environment & Natural Resources Policy Committee. The bill has since been incorporated into the Omnibus Legacy Finance Bill (HF1183) and will next be heard by the House Ways and Means Committee.

FMR and our partners remain very grateful for the leadership of Senator John Hoffman and Representative John Persell on this bill. Their hard work and dedication to a collaborative process has been essential to our progress thus far. These authors are committed to working with our state agencies, local governments, water quality and recreation organizations, and all water quality stakeholders to guarantee the successful passage of these bills.

By making modest yet meaningful reforms to our state clean up plans and funding priorities, we can help make sure that our state honors the promise of the Clean Water Legacy Amendment by protecting and restoring our water resources for generations to come.

For more information about this bill, please contact Trevor Russell, FMR’s Watershed Program Director, at trussell@fmr.org or visit mepartnership.org.

Triclosan in Minnesota: An update

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:01:02 +0000

Triclosan derived dioxins in Lake Pepin have increased dramatically in recent years.

As Mississippi Messages readers know, triclosan in consumer products moves through wastewater treatment plants and into the river, where it transforms into dioxins and other carcinogens. Triclosan-derived dioxins have increased by 200-300% in Lake Pepin sediment, while triclosan and its dioxin byproducts are also found in increasing amounts in Minnesota lakes; 58% of U.S. streams contain triclosan, including the Mississippi River.

The Good News: Governor Dayton signed a March 4th executive order requiring state agencies to stop buying products that contain triclosan. This executive order is a tremendous victory for the Mississippi River. With the State’s leadership, Minnesota has taken a big step forward in reducing triclosan pollution to our state’s waters.

Following this executive order, FMR worked with members of the Minnesota House and Senate on a pair of bills (HF 1322 and SF 1166) that would phase out the use of triclosan in household personal care products over time. The Senate bill (SF1322), authored by Senator John Marty, passed the Senate Environment and Natural Resource committee at its first hearing.

The Bad News: Unfortunately, on March 13th SF1322 was defeated on a 7-to-5 vote in the Commerce Committee. Democrats Jim Metzen and Vicki Jensen voted with Republicans against the measure. As a result, additional legislative progress on triclosan will likely have to wait until future legislative sessions.

Next Steps: FMR, along with a developing coalition of environmental and public health organizations, is committed to continuing to advance public awareness and legislative policy on triclosan in Minnesota. We are committed to seeing legislation phasing out triclosan make it through to the governor in 2014.

Consumer Choices: We encourage all river lovers to check labels on soaps and personal care products and avoid those that contain triclosan. The Food and Drug Administration finds no evidence that households that use antibacterial products are healthier than households that use traditional products, and the Minnesota Department of Health recommends that Minnesotans avoid the use of products that contain triclosan for most household applications. Standard personal care products work well without the risks posed by additives like triclosan.

Consumers should wash hands with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers to clean hands properly.
Triclosan-free cleaners and dish detergents, including antibacterial versions, are readily available to consumers.
Triclosan toothpastes may be substituted with regular toothpastes, and supplemented by over the counter mouthwashes and other products to kill bacteria without using this chemical.

For more information about products that contain triclosan, visit EWG.com.

Media Updates: For more on recent coverage of triclosan, including editorials in support of a statewide phase-out of triclosan in household personal care products, please visit the State of the River Report news page.

Epic Mississippi River Challenge video goes viral, plus dates to remember

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:43:05 +0000

It’s a wonderful coincidence that FMR’s 20th anniversary is also the 10th year of the Mississippi River Challenge. We have two great milestones to celebrate. With a special registration price (before April 19th) for current FMR members, active volunteers and past Mississippi River Challenge paddlers, the time is right to get on board for what may be the greatest Challenge yet!

What do you think about our promotional video? Does it capture your Mississippi River Challenge experience? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page or Youtube channel.

Haven’t registered to paddle the MRC yet? Sign up today before the price increases!

Also, don't miss FMR executive director Whitney Clark’s presentation on paddling the Challenge at Midwest Mountainering’s Outdoor Expo, Saturday, April 27th, 3:30 PM, Midwest Mountaineering – Expedition Stage.

$2 off Peace Coffee and 20% for the river

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:37:02 +0000

Friends of the Mississippi River and Peace Coffee have come up with a way to benefit you and the river. From now until June 30th, you can get $2 off the purchase of any Peace Coffee roast or blend. For all you coffee drinkers out there, or those of you who’d like to purchase a great gift for the coffee drinkers in your life, now’s the time to stock up.

You can use this printable coupon [PDF] and visit peacecoffee.com to find out where to Peace Coffee is available. Or go to Peace Coffee’s online store to order from the convenience of your home or desk. Enter promo code FMR20YR at checkout to receive $2 off. You can only use one coupon per purchase, but you can print out as many as you’d like and keep going back for more.

Thanks to Peace Coffee for helping keep our water clean!

Save the date: May 25 is the Fulton-FMR beer release!

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:27:44 +0000

All of us at Friends of the Mississippi River and Fulton Beer are grateful for the creative suggestions for naming the new brew. We are still in the process of choosing the name because we received so many great ideas. But rest assured, the author of the winning name is going to get some free beer! As soon as the name is chosen, everyone who entered a name (or two, or six) in the contest will be notified.

While you wait with anticipation, please mark your calendars for May 25th, when the new beer will be released at Fulton Beer’s tap room. For more info, stay tuned to FMR on Facebook and Twitter, or Fulton’s website at fultonbeer.com.

We appreciate the enthusiasm with which you have greeted this fun partnership to benefit the river. See you on May 25th!

Indian Mounds Park Brush Haul & Cleanup

srich — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 01:39:48 +0000

Indian Mounds Park is well known for its views — and with continued volunteer support, we look forward to it also being known for its role in supporting our local wildlife and clean waters.

While Carver's Cave overlook in Indian Mounds Park is most known for its vista — one of the most photographed river scenes in the metro area — it is also home to an exciting restoration project. Since 2011, FMR has been working with Saint Paul Parks & Recreation, local volunteers, and students from nearby Harding High Earth Club to remove invasive species and restore the native bluff prairie on the west side of this historic park's overlook. Now, volunteers are needed to start phase two of the project: expanding the restoration to the east side of the overlook!

Alongside FMR and Saint Paul Parks staff, volunteers will haul and stack invasive brush, including European buckthorn — the non-native woody species that degrades our local native plant communities and wildlife habitat — on the overlook slope. By the end of the event participants should be able to see a real difference. Removing the invasive brush will open up sight lines to a spectacular vista of the Mississippi River valley. This will also open the canopy and make room for a native prairie planting planned for 2014. The prairie plants will help anchor the soil on the steep bluff, preventing erosion and filtering stormwater runoff while improving wildlife habitat.

June 8th, volunteers will also spend some time pulling invasive garlic mustard and weeding and tending to the native shrubs planted on the west side of the overlook last year, as well as picking up trash that may have accumulated over the winter.

Tools, gloves and water will be provided. Please wear sturdy shoes and be prepared to work on steep and uneven terrain. While most FMR activities are family friendly, due to the tools and terrain this particular event is not suitable for small children.

Ready to register?

To ensure a high-quality experience and adequate supplies, capacity is limited and preregistration required. To sign up, contact FMR Volunteer & Education Event Registrar Lindsay Hefferan at lhefferan@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x24. Please include: the name of the event, your name, address and phone number and the number in your party.

You will receive a confirmation email and additional details, such as directions and what to wear, from lhefferan@fmr.org within, at most, a week. Please add Lindsay's email address to your contacts to ensure receipt. Otherwise, the event details and directions may end up in your SPAM folder.

If you can't make this event but would like to be notified of future Indian Mounds Park or other restoration and education events, contact FMR Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator sue rich at srich@fmr.org, or sign up for our twice-a-month e-newsletter, Mississippi Messages, by entering your email in the periwinkle box at right.

Whose view? From where? — March 2013

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:43:56 +0000

Kudos to the several of you who correctly identified the landmark in the photo! Dot Drake notes, “That is the Island Station in the background.” (Precisely! More on this in a moment, after a mention of some urban wildlife.) “This past summer I saw a river otter while walking in the area.”

Apparently Dot isn't the only one who has noted the wildlife. Kinnell Tackett writes, “It certainly looks to be the abandoned power plant across from Cherokee Heights Park, and it looks like the photo was taken from the inlet next to the plant. What a beautiful location that is extremely active with eagles, muskrats, otters and beaver.”

Jim McKenzie writes, “This view is ... looking towards St. Paul at the old NSP building.”

Indeed, this is the lovely old power plant popularly known as Island Station, just riverward of the Schmidt Brewery, near Shepard Road and Randolph Street in St. Paul’s West Seventh neighborhood. The plant was built in 1923-24 by the St. Paul Gas and Light Company, and designed by the firm now known as TKDA. The name “island” refers to the fact that the land on which it is built was historically an island, separate from the land around it, known as Ross Island.

The plant was built to use pulverized coal instead of standard coal. The cutting-edge technology had some practical challenges of safety, and never became mainstream. A year after construction ended, it was bought by Northern States Power (now Xcel Energy) and used as a backup to its more traditional coal plant just downstream at the High Bridge.

These and other facts are part of a comprehensive review of the plant’s history, undertaken as part of a recently-completed historic significance study by the St. Paul Heritage Preservation Commission. The review concluded that it is not eligible for designation on the National Register of Historic Places, and thus state and federal tax credits for historic properties are not available to the plant. The City is currently evaluating whether to place it on the local register.

Jonathan Riehle writes, “I visited the site a few years ago when it was featured during a Minneapolis-St Paul Home Tour as a site being developed into condos.”

Indeed, a previous attempt to build townhomes on the property by developer TJ Hammerstrom and others fell victim in the mid-2000s to a poor real estate market, and never got off the ground. That effort would have significantly privatized large portions of the riverfront in this area. In contrast, the Great River Passage Master Plan, just adopted by the St. Paul City Council, envisions this area as a central hub of recreational activity on the river and a possible location for a new National Park Service visitor center.

About “Whose view? From where?”

Each month in this section, we feature a photo somewhere along the river corridor in the Twin Cities that is in some way significant or important or just plain scenic. Individuals may then e-mail us and identify the view and explain why they believe it is significant to the community or important to them personally. We’ll publish some of your responses in the next issue of Mississippi Messages, where we will also reveal the correct answer.

Grasslands to Crops: America’s Disappearing Grasslands

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:41:43 +0000

High crop prices and federal mandates for ethanol production are pushing agricultural operations to tear out prairies and grasslands at the fastest rate since the Dust Bowl era.

A new study by Christopher Wright and Michael Wimberly of South Dakota State University finds that between 2006 and 2011, more than 1.3 million acres of grassland were lost to corn and soybean cultivation in the upper Midwest.

Driven in part by high prices, and bolstered by taxpayer-subsidized crop insurance, increased corn and soybean cultivation is claiming acreage previously devoted to prairies and grasslands that provide essential habitat for wildlife while filtering pollutants our of agricultural runoff before water reached rivers, lakes, and streams.

These staggering losses have been the subject of recent media attention from the corn belt to the beltway. Our friends at the Environmental Working Group covered this issue well.

EWG’s work on the issue is also a potent reminder of last year’s failed attempts to redraft the U.S. Farm Bill. Current proposal in both the U.S. House and Senate cut billions in conservation programs, designed specifically to work with farm operations to protect vulnerable lands.

The report from the Environmental Working Group makes the case that any new U.S. Farm Bill must protect water quality by protecting vital landscapes, and reforming the crop insurance subsidies and ethanol mandates that are driving grassland losses throughout the nation.

It’s time for YOU to take on the Challenge!

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:39:12 +0000

One of the most visible components of FMR’s work is connecting our community to the river that flows in our midst. Every year, we work to connect people to the Mississippi River and its watershed through dozens of volunteer events, interpretive and educational events and outings, watershed workshops and more.

For the past nine years, the Mississippi River Challenge has been the largest of these events, bringing as many as 600 paddlers and volunteers to the river for an incredible two-day experience. You can register on the event website at MississippiRiverChallenge.org.

Up until 2012, paddlers were able to experience the Minneapolis riverfront and go through the locks on day one, as they paddled from Coon Rapids Dam to Fort Snelling. But in 2012, FMR walked our talk about preventing the spread of Asian carp further into Minnesota waters. We changed the day one route to the Minnesota River to avoid using the locks – because closing the locks is the only sure way at this point to keep the carp from moving upstream on the Mississippi River.

The Minnesota River doesn’t offer all of the diversity of the Minneapolis stretch, but its abundant wildlife and peaceful paddling were considered good compensation by last year’s paddlers.

Participating in this year’s 10th annual Mississippi River Challenge, and encouraging others to participate as well, are critical ways you can help FMR to raise awareness of the Asian Carp issue as well as all of our other work, AND raise the funds to get this work done. We will have all of the benefits past participants have come to expect – great food, great scenery and wildlife, great music, the celebration at Fort Snelling, camaraderie and support, and more – along with some new incentives, including team fundraising and monthly meet ups.

So if you’ve paddled or volunteered before – we hope you’ll come back for this very special 10th year and bring your friends! If you have yet to take on the challenge, this is the year to do it! (And bring your friends!) Register and find out more at MississippiRiverChallenge.org.

If you’re really not able to participate this year, please still help us spread the word and encourage others to get involved, and consider pledging for a paddler OR pledging for the event itself at MississippiRiverChallenge.org. On behalf of all of us at FMR, and on behalf of the river, thank you!

The spring chorus begins

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:35:58 +0000

As I gaze out the window at the recent addition of 8 inches of snow, it hardly seems like spring, though the vernal equinox is just two weeks away. But one step outside is an immediate reminder that things are changing. Even on very cold mornings, the sun is now so high in the sky (see the Feb 2013 Phenology article) that if feels quite warm. And close inspection of some tree buds, such as aspen, reveals some swelling. Most notable to me, however, is the exuberant birdsong bursting forth from the trees. Northern cardinals, black-capped chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, bluejays and other year-round residents are feeling the seasonal change and belting out their mating calls. Red-bellied, hairy, and downy woodpeckers are all drumming out their mating patterns.

But what hits me more than anything is the chorus of song from the finches. In my particular location it’s American goldfinch, pine siskins and common redpolls, with occasional purple finches. A large mixed flock hangs out by our feeders and regales us with their spring songs. While all but the goldfinch will be heading north to breed (primarily to Canada), they are “warming up” their breeding-season songs now.

Several of the finch species have similar-sounding songs, but one can pick out the pine siskins (/Spinus pinus/), by their nasal sounding phrases, punctuated by an ascending “tziiiiiiiip!” These little birds have a modest appearance – somewhat plain, brown streaked, with inconspicuous yellow edges on the wing and tail – but they are quite a marvel of nature. Pine Siskins primarily nest in Canada, coming to our relatively warmer region to spend the winter. They are, however, well adapted to very cold temperatures with a metabolic rates 40% higher than other songbird of their size, and they can increase that rate up to five times to survive temperatures as low as –70°C (–94°F). They also put on 50% more winter fat than the common redpoll (/Acanthis//flammea)/and American goldfinch (/Spinus tristis/) (Source: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology).

The darling of the finches mentioned here, however, is the common redpoll, with their black chin, little red caps and, and red blush on the front (males). We’ll miss all these little friends who have braved the winter with us!

If you want to get an idea of what birds to expect next, check out this blog post from Tennessee.