Help protect the Mississippi River corridor in St. Paul Park

• Review the draft plan - Available at city hall or from the St. Paul Park website
• Attend the public hearing - 7:00 p.m., September 8, at city hall
• Submit written comments - must be received by September 19, 2008

The annexation of 300 acres of undeveloped land within the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area into St. Paul Park presents a unique and significant opportunity for the city to benefit from protected open space along the river. The draft comprehensive plan could be more proactive and direct about this opportunity, and it should state specific goals that will maximize the city's ability to plan for land protection in the critical area.

• The bay, backwaters, bluffs, floodplain islands and forested areas along the river in the Southern Area should be identified and valued by the city as high quality wildlife habitat and a unique community asset worthy of open space preservation.
• Keep the Rural Open Space District designation for the critical area and include a set of goals to meet the designation's intent to preserve the open, scenic, natural and ecological character and functions of lands and waters in this district.
• State the city's goals and intentions to work with stakeholders to study and plan for significant land protection, public open space and restoration within the Rural Open Space District of the river corridor.
• Reduce residential density projections for the Southern Area from 1,800 units or use a range of density (such as 1,200-1,800) to ensure that significant land protection can occur within the Rural Open Space District of the river corridor.
• Differentiate the west side of the road in the Southern Area on the future land-use map. Use a special category of land use to identify this as a "Park Search Area." This will increase the community's chances of seeing some or all of the land protected as open space.
• Add additional acres to the category "Scenic River/Recreational." The 89 acres in question are all islands and steep slopes that would make trail construction extremely difficult. Additional acreage will be needed if the community wants a riverside trail. Additional acres will also be needed to support bird and wildlife watching from land.

Contact Irene Jones, River Corridor Program Director, Friends of the Mississippi River, at 651-222-2193 x11.