In the Media
FMR is proud to serve as the voice for the Mississippi River and the people who care about it — at the Capitol, in our communities and in the media. Many thanks to the reporters who take the time to cover important river issues.
From Granite Falls to River Falls to the metro Mississippi, communities are considering dam removal and the benefits for water quality and wildlife it could bring. Hong cites Friends of the Mississippi River's engagement efforts and educational resources.
We helped plan a tour of Minnesota pea protein business PURIS for lawmakers and researchers. Gatherings like these can show us the path forward for clean-water crops and continuous living cover.
As the Army Corps of Engineers begins its study about the future of two Twin Cities locks and dams, organizations and community members are weighing in. FMR Land Use & Planning Program Director Colleen O'Connor Toberman talks about the possibilities we see around dam removal and the questions we still have.
FMR Land Use & Planning Program Director Colleen O'Connor Toberman weighs in on the latest designs for the River Learning Center — a new headquarters for our national park and an education and recreational center on the river.
The North Loop Neighborhood Association has a new stocked toolbox for restoration volunteers to work at James Rice Park on their own time. FMR Conservation Director Alex Roth is quoted on the importance of managing the area for the river.
FMR has long tended the rain garden at Sheridan Memorial Park. At an event this fall, volunteers pulled invasive plants, and Alex Roth discussed further restoration possibilities.
Invasive carp have a new name, thanks to a push by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Unveiled in June, "copi" is meant to better entice fishers and diners to eat the fish — a valuable management tactic for fish that can create ecological harm in our waterways. The new name also steps us away from a history of framing these fish as scary foreign invaders, or inherently bad. Writer Christian Elliott reached out to FMR for our thoughts on how language can shape our relationship with the natural world. (Find out more on this in our article from April.)
Longfellow's Environment and River Gorge Committee partners with Friends of the Mississippi River on cleanups and more. This summer, they also joined us for a lock and dam focus-group tour to learn about the potential for dam removal. FMR Grassroots Organizing Coordinator Maddie Miller is quoted.
This primer explains why we need clean-water crops, their progress so far, and the challenges of developing a market and scaling up production. FMR Executive Director Whitney Clark was quoted.
From sediment issues in Lake Pepin to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River faces enormous challenges. This Wisconsin paper reported on the promise of the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative based on the successes of its model the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. FMR Water Program Director Trevor Russell is quoted. The article was republished through more than a dozen news outlets.
This podcast featured our own Water Program Director Trevor Russell on why it's time for the MRRRI Act and how he got started in the environmental field.
Mill City Times interviewed FMR Land Use & Planning Program Director Colleen O'Connor Toberman about our summer lock and dam focus-group tours, why we're doing them and how to participate.
Aggregate Industries has mined Grey Cloud Island for sand and gravel for decades. Now the company wants to expand operations into areas of the riverbed itself. The Star Tribune talked to FMR Land Use & Planning Program Director Colleen O'Connor Toberman about the possible risks of digging a hole in the river.
In their tour of beautiful metro parks on the Mississippi River, the magazine mentions FMR's advocacy at Pigs Eye Regional Park.
A Mendota Heights property owner's blufftop landscaping was halted due to the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area rules. Colleen O'Connor Toberman, land use and planning program director for Friends of the Mississippi River, commented on the protections and the situation.