Last call: Comment on proposed Mississippi River rules today!

A view from the Minneapolis and Saint Paul river gorge, a portion of the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area (MRCCA).

Photo: MNRRA

The DNR is in the process of creating rules for the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area (MRCCA), a 72-mile corridor along the river extending from Dayton to Hastings. Public comments on the proposed rules will be accepted until September 30, 2014.

FMR has made commenting easy! We have drafted an editable sample message, which includes space and sample text and suggested key talking points. Commenting can take as little as five minutes. Please be sure to share your voice, values, and concerns to protect, enhance and restore the Mississippi River corridor and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) in the Twin Cities area for generations to come.

If you have already commented and want to do more, we recommend that you request your city's comments to the DNR on the rules. Some of our members have been surprised and disappointed to learn that their cities have been opposed to strong protections for the river. When reviewing the comments, make sure they align with your community's existing policy and plans as well as your values. If not, your voice could be important in helping your city see the value of comprehensive state rules.

FMR submitted comments on the draft MRCCA rules to the DNR on August 26, 2014. FMR's comments begin by stressing the importance of the rulemaking process to create strong, enforceable rules to protect and enhance the MRCCA long into the future.

FMR identified several portions of the rules that have improved since the last draft was released in 2010, including:

• Clarity and guidance for what is required in local plans and ordinances, project site plans and granting conditional use permits
• Focus on protection and enhancement of primary conservation areas, including public river corridor views
• Requiring structure setbacks for very steep slopes as well as bluffs
• Requiring a permitting process for land and vegetation alteration
• Open space dedication requirements that emphasize public access to the river and bluffs where feasible
• New tools for ecological restoration and management of native plant communities

FMR also points out some concerns with the current draft rules, including:

• Flexible ordinance provision is too broad to provide adequate protection of the rivers resources
• Notification to the public for plan and ordinance amendments, boundary change proposals and other discretionary items needs to be coordinated and consistent
• Scenic protections have been weakened too much through increases to maximum allowed height, removal of performance standards that prevent buildings from protruding above the treeline, decreases in screening provisions, and over-use of the CA-SR district
• Open space dedication requirements for new subdivisions has been reduced by applying a minimum acreage and reducing the percentage to be set aside

If you are interested in learning more about the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area (MRCCA), please visit FMR's MRCCA webpage or contact Alicia at auzarek@fmr.org or 651.222.2193 x29.