FMR Updates

Produced for FMR by award-winning local filmmakers John Kaul and Tom Reiter, and narrated by Minnesota Public Radio's Steve Seel, this 30-minute documentary tells the story of how one man’s vision — combined with smart citizen advocacy and effective political leadership — created the Mississippi River's first and only national park right here in the Twin Cities. Enjoy the film online, request a copy for your local library, school or organization. 

Water levels in White Bear Lake have fallen dramatically in the last decade, leading some to call for augmentation by pumping in water from nearby lakes, each of which is in turn backfilled by the Mississippi River. FMR has long advocated against such an expensive and uncertain system, instead promoting longer-term solutions to address the north and east metro's larger groundwater supply and demand issues. Thankfully, the author of the Minnesota Senate bill agrees and has removed all funding for augmentation while calling for investments in a more sustainable water supply for this area. Yet, $2.2 million in provisions supporting augmenting linger in the House.
 

FMR encourages all river-lovers to contact Judge Lipman by July 6, 4:30 p.m. to let him know that you support strong river development rules in our national park, tell him why the river is important to you and share what you would like to see protected or improved. Read on to learn more about the proposed rules for the metro-area stretch of the Mississippi River and how to contribute your voice.