A record-breaking year for River Guardian advocates

From showing up for the river at three packed town halls with city representatives to standing up for national parks, this year FMR's River Guardian advocates made their presence known across all levels of government. 

Here at FMR, we want to thank you for your powerful advocacy. Here are some of the achievements from this year that River Guardians can look back on and be proud of. 

The most messages River Guardians ever sent

This year River Guardians sent out a record number of messages: more than 6,600 to around 240 decision-makers. These messages made a difference on a wide range of river issues, from Ford Area C, a toxic dump on St. Paul's river floodplain, to calling for environmental guardrails on a federal Sustainable Aviation Fuel tax credit. 

Over 2,000 River Guardians signed an action alert in 2025 or attended one of our 15 in-person events throughout the year. 

This powerful advocacy made a big difference in protecting the river.

Victory in sight for a 20-year fight

St. Paul is finally set to take a vote on the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area ordinance this December after a nearly five-year delay. St. Paul is the last of 25 metro Mississippi cities and townships to adopt these riverfront development rules required by the state, which FMR has championed for almost 20 years.

With over 260 River Guardian petition signatures and dozens of testifiers, the St. Paul City Council heard loud and clear the public's desire for reasonable building height standards and bird-safe glass in new riverfront development. While we thought that the ordinance could have clearer wording to provide more predictable guidance for developers and decision-makers, the final language keeps the door open for good outcomes. 

Though the final ordinance does not include bird-safe glass requirements, the city has promised to do a city-wide bird-safe glass study within the next year — thanks to testimonies from River Guardians. This could potentially expand the scope of bird-safe glass implementation to a city-wide scale: a big win for bird lovers everywhere. We will hold the city accountable for seeing this study through and let River Guardians know when it's time to advocate for an ordinance.  

Protection for clean-water crops and conservation funding

During this year's legislative session, thanks in part to over 600 messages sent from our River Guardians, we were able to protect the Clean Water Fund and the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. 

River Guardians advocated following the Clean Water Council's guidance for appropriating the Clean Water Fund, nearly $304 million this year. This included $5 million in funding for the University of Minnesota's Forever Green Initiative to get clean-water crops on the landscape across Minnesota. 

In fact, the total investment in clean-water crops this legislative session represents a high-water mark in overall funding to help ensure scientists, researchers and other Forever Green staff can continue to develop clean-water crops and the markets necessary for their success.

By advocating for both the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund package and the new Community Grants Program (a package worth more than $100 million), River Guardians helped secure funding for thousands of future research and restoration projects for both existing and new, smaller grantees. This fund has supported many of FMR's successful habitat projects, including Spring Lake Park Reserve, Hampton Woods Wildlife Management Area and more.

Thank you to our River Guardians!

None of this could have been achieved without the efforts of our River Guardians. 

You are making a difference for the river every day by being a member of this powerful group of advocates. Thank you for your commitment. We're looking forward to working with you more in 2026!