Updates and Articles

Star Trib commentary on exciting new federal river initiative

June 15, 2021

As FMR Executive Director Whitney Clark and Congresswoman Betty McCollum recently wrote in the StarTribune: it’s time for Congress to make the same commitment to the Mississippi River as they have to Puget Sound, Chesapeake Bay, and the Everglades.

Read their commentary and join the call for a new, dedicated federal funding program for our remarkable river! >>

Annual park rankings highlight racial and economic disparities

by Colleen O'Connor Toberman

June 7, 2021

St. Paul and Minneapolis are known to have some of the country's best urban park systems. But how well do they deliver equitable park access to all residents? >>

Beat the heat with a paddle to Settler's Island

June 7, 2021

Looking to get out on the river? Pair your paddle with a visit to FMR's Settler's Island restoration and enjoy a respite in the shade of the island's canopy as you take in the quietude of the Mississippi River's back channels. >>

Special Session Action Alert: Support conservation & our environmental agencies [CLOSED]

June 3, 2021

The fate of this year's omnibus Environment Bill will be decided in the upcoming special session. Please send a quick message to your legislators to support the ENRTF, fully fund our environmental state agencies, and say no to unnecessary changes to the Public Waters Inventory process. >>

Write to the River's last chapter

by Ellie Rogers

June 2, 2021

After four years and 17 editions, we're wrapping up Write to the River, FMR's community creative writing project run by our dedicated volunteer Leslie Thomas. >>

Write to the River prompt photos of the river through the seasons

Something's rotten in the state of Minnesota

June 1, 2021

The latest act in the "Pinelands to Potatoes" saga is a blow to environmental protection. >>

Flood data needed at Ford Area C

by Colleen O'Connor Toberman

May 27, 2021

Area C, Ford Motor Company's hazardous waste dump on the Mississippi River floodplain in St. Paul, hasn't been in the news lately. The site is being better monitored than in the past, but we're waiting for flood data to give us a fuller picture about what risks the pile may pose. >>

Special Session Action Alert: Support clean water bonding [CLOSED]

May 27, 2021

Next up for this special session: the bonding bill. Join us in calling on legislators to support two important water infrastructure projects: #FixthePipes and CREP. >>

Special Session Action Alert: Support clean water & oppose raids to the Clean Water Fund [CLOSED]

May 26, 2021

The Minnesota Legislature is coming back for a special session! We're asking River Guardians and others to weigh in on three priority environmental bills to make sure lawmakers get this right. First up: the Omnibus Legacy Bill. >>

The clock runs out on the Minnesota Legislature

by Trevor Russell

May 19, 2021

On the final day of the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers agreed to a $52 billion two-year state budget, but the clock ran out before they could pass any meaningful legislation. Here’s where major water-related environmental bills stand as we prepare for a special session. >>