Sign the Critical Area Petition!
A view of the Mississippi River Critical Area, east from Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area
Photo: Tim Boyle
It's not too late to sign FMR's petition for strong rules for the Mississippi River Critical Area, a protected corridor from Dayton to Hastings. We will send it to the DNR Commissioner by the end of the month, so please sign the petition by December 2nd.
The draft Critical Area rules are nearly complete. FMR has been participating as a member of the stakeholder advisory group that began in late March and will complete its work the first week of December. During that time, we have offered many comments and suggestions (a recap of the process and our involvement is available here). We have been pleased with some aspects of the rules, and disappointed with others. Overall, we believe too many of the proposed rules weaken protections compared to the original Executive Orders guidelines establishing the Critical Area in the mid-1970s. This is not in keeping with the legislations directive, which clearly identified resources that must be protected or enhanced (statute 116G.15).
FMR strongly believes that the DNR's role is to write rules that provide the protection required by the law. This petition is an effort to demonstrate that hundreds of citizens share this goal. Please take a moment to add your voice to our growing chorus of support for strong rules for the river!
Next steps, or for more information:
- Sign the petition,
- Review FMRs Critical Area Fact Sheet,
- Learn more from the Department of Natural Resources.
Irene Jones, River Corridor Program Director