During the month of June, Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR), along with staff from the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA), will help four Mississippi River communities focus on their riverfront assets, on America’s greatest river, over the next decade and beyond.

The workshops are designed to celebrate each community’s unique place within this regionally and nationally significant river corridor.

As the second decade of national park designation draws to a close, elected officials, city staff and community residents are invited to review these riverfront assets, the state of resource protection efforts, and to identify some of the opportunities and challenges in preserving, protecting and enhancing the outstanding resources of these national park communities. Participants are encouraged to join in the discussion about unique places and features in their community and that present particular resource management challenges. Resources available to local communities for protecting the river corridor and its nationally significant resources will also be discussed.

The workshops have been developed in part through the generous support of the Mississippi River Fund, as part of its ongoing support for MNRRA, the only national park devoted specifically to the Mississippi River. The first of the workshops was held in Cottage Grove on June 5, focusing on the potential future uses of Lower Grey Cloud Island.

The remaining workshops will be held as follows:

City of Hastings: Tuesday, June 10 at the Hastings City Hall.

City of Ramsey: Tuesday, June 17 at the Ramsey Town Hall.

City of Brooklyn Park: Wednesday, June 25 at the Brooklyn Park Community Center.

Contact the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area for more information at 651-290-4160.