More than 1,000 Minnesotans joined us at the Capitol to urge legislators and Gov. Mark Dayton to invest in clean water and protect Minnesota's great outdoors. Now we're keeping up the momentum with the River Guardians and Water Action Daily. 

The FMR advocacy crew is switching gears. After spending 2016 researching how to better connect North Minneapolis with the Mississippi River we're shifting to advocating for those community-identified changes. We marked this transition with a final presentation by FMR's CURA research assistant Eric King and a panel discussion with attendees, covering everything from potential gentrification to a possible land-bridge over Interstate 94.

Fans of The Lord of the Rings will recognize this query of Gollum, the odd underworld creature, as he pondered the riddle of Bilbo’s pocket contents. This month's conservation star is also a creature of the underworld, seldom seen above ground. And like Gollum, these animals have a lead role in the world they inhabit. >>

"When people like [FMR director] Whitney Clark and Steve Morse call out the Minnesota Legislature for a 'full frontal assault' on the state’s traditions of environmental stewardship, for an 'unprecedented' trashing of established and accepted practice, it’s time to take notice," writes Ron Meador in MINNPost. We couldn't agree more.