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American Heritage Rivers |  |
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American Heritage Rivers Keystone ProjectUpper Mississippi River - 1Projects include the completion of high-priority segments of a 72-mile continuous Mississippi River trail and open space corridor; conversion of more than a dozen brownfield sites to green space; numerous historical and cultural interpretive centers and exhibits such as the Mill City Museum underway in Minneapolis, the Mississippi River National Center underway in the Science Museum of Minnesota in Saint Paul, and the planned center and outdoor sculpture park in the city of Hastings; and support for redevelopment, restoration and recreational projects considered high-priority through a collaborative effort underway in a segment of the river experiencing growth pressures in areas with significant natural resources. Project Summary Congress added the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area to the National Park System in 1988. MNRRA's boundary encircles 54,000 acres of river and adjoining land as the river flows 72 miles through the heart of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The NPS works with many partners to preserve, protect and enhance the river's significant historical, cultural, natural, scientific, economic, recreational and scenic resources. The MNRRA Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) provides a policy framework and guidance for managing the corridor for the next 10-15 years. It prescribes a two-tier approach to achieving MNRRA plan consistency through local government planning and management. Tier I requires that local plans incorporate the State of Minnesota's Mississippi River Critical Area Program and its shoreland management program. Local governments can voluntarily incorporate a Tier II level of planning by including additional land use, resource protection, and open space policies in the CMP. 22 of the 25 local governments in the corridor have demonstrated an intent to do so. Although the enabling legislation for MNRRA authorized a grant program to provide incentives for communities to achieve Tier II, it has never been funded. The Upper Mississippi River, including the Twin Cities stretch, was one of 14 rivers designated an American Heritage River in 1998. Nineteen local governments and over 40 organizations and agencies are implementing a shared plan of action for the river through a 20-member AHRI Steering Committee, both within the MNRRA corridor and beyond. Project Benefit In addition to numerous local projects needing a steady source of funding, the many partnerships and collaborative efforts underway in the river corridor form a ready pipeline of grant program investment opportunities. Several would also further other federal programs or initiatives.
Project Stage/Status The 50 public and private members of the Regional Trails and Open Space Partnership have mapped the preferred route for a continuous Mississippi River Trail, identified completed trail segments, and established a priority ranking system for funding remaining segments. Results will be leveraged nationally through the work of Mississippi River Trail, Inc. a multi-state not-for-profit organization working on the mapping of a preferred route for a trail from the headwaters to New Orleans by the end of 2002. The Minnesota Mississippi River Parkway Commission and the Minnesota Department of Transportation completed a Great River Road Development Study in 1999 that identified opportunities for communities to improve tourism and needed capital improvements. The Minnesota portion of the Great River Road, a nationally designated and signed by-way providing automobile access to the river and its scenic overlooks, also achieved National Scenic By-way status in 2000. A Brownfields to Green Space Working Group has identified 14 polluted river sites with community support for conversion to green space. Many of the sites would ultimately connect to the Mississippi River Trail or other trail and greenways initiatives in or along the river, improving public access and opportunities for restoration of vegetation and/or habitat. Numerous historic and cultural institutions or interpretative sites are underway or proposed from the new, 2,050 seat Guthrie Theatre complex and Mill City Museum in downtown Minneapolis, to the Mississippi River National Center at the riverfront Science Museum of Minnesota in Saint Paul, and an interpretive center and outdoor sculpture park near the lock and dam at the southern gateway to the river in the city of Hastings. The Metropolitan Council is facilitating a collaborative effort to develop an implementation and investment plan for projects proposed for the "Pool Two" stretch of the river from Saint Paul to Hastings, funded by the McKnight Foundation. In addition, Council is partnering with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers on the development of a Surface Water Use Management Plan that will explore ways to balance the navigational and recreational needs of the river, which was the result of a Corps Reconnaissance Study completed in 2001 that determined a federal interest in the project. Resource Needed A competitive MNRRA Grant Program in the amount of $900,000 annually. The grant program would require a 50% local share, leveraging another $900,000 for local projects. Champion Agency: Department of the Interior, National Park Service Initiatives Supported National Park System, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area River Navigator
Owen Dutt Upper Mississippi River - 2Laclede Power Building Project Summary Downtown St. Louis is enjoying a renaissance of public and private investment in facilities that "return to the river" to serve the cultural needs of metropolitan area residents, attract tourism and provide exciting new urban residential options. This revitalization is most immediately apparent in the former garment district along Washington Avenue, where block after block of early 20th century buildings are being renovated to create hotel space, residential lofts, restaurants, clubs, museums, galleries and other amenities. Equally critical are facilities to serve recreational needs for downtown residents and workers. A few blocks from Washington Avenue is the downtown trailhead of the nine-mile St. Louis Riverfront Trail. This paved, multiuse, highly scenic trail along the St. Louis floodwall blends urban industrial heritage with green space, all within sight of the Mississippi River. Bicyclists, rollerbladers, joggers, hikers, fishermen, history seekers and nature enthusiasts all come to the trail to enjoy one of the planet's largest river systems. At this time, no trailhead facility exists to provide them with wayfinding or support services. The Laclede Power Building, located immediately next to the start of the Riverfront Trail, has been acquired for this purpose. Constructed in 1901 to distribute electricity to the St. Louis World's Fair, it features 17,000 square feet of floor area under an impressive 50 foot-high ceiling, with free spanning trusses running the width of the building. It was decommissioned as an electrical facility in 1978 and purchased by Trailnet, one of the Confluence Greenway Project partners, in 2001. The adaptive reuse plan for the Laclede Power Building calls for its complete renovation, seeking to incorporate as much as possible the principles of sustainable design. Under consideration at this time are the use of renewable and alternative energy sources (such as photovoltaic cells), use of building materials with recycled content, and use of native plant materials for landscaping the surrounding the site. Project Benefit The Laclede Power Building will serve a variety of functions: Trail entrance. The building will mark the trail entrance and give Trailnet and the Confluence Greenway Project a visible presence downtown, the main point of entry for growing numbers of greenway visitors. It will serve as an operations center for project management and trail development throughout the region. The building is sited strategically to extend the historic and economic revitalization efforts taking place in downtown St. Louis. Trail. The Riverfront Trail will pass through the building. Visitor center. Community residents and tourists will learn about the Riverfront Trail, the Confluence Greenway and St. Louis history in a gallery-style visitor center. Exhibits and materials planned for the building will transmit information about the economic, social, historical, environmental and industrial aspects of St. Louis' river heritage, as well as the diverse attractions of the Confluence Greenway. Support services. Trail users will have access to such support services as restrooms, showers, bike storage lockers, bike rentals, vending machines, restaurant, telephones, parking and medical and security services. These will support residents, tourists and downtown workers in exploring the Confluence Greenway before or after work, at lunchtime, and on weekends. Dining facilities. Two seating areas will allow visitors to picnic or to purchase food and snacks. One dining area, on the building's second level, will provide a pleasant overlook to the river. Landscaped park. A park like setting around the building can be used as a picnic ground and/or sculpture park. This will be an inviting green setting for congregation, softening the industrial urban neighborhood around the building and serving as a "front yard" for downtown. Activities. The park surrounding the building offers exciting opportunities to meet a variety of family recreation needs, such as skateboarding ramps, climbing walls, and fountains for water play. Longer-term development plans include the addition of a dock from the building to the river, which will serve a water taxi system planned for river tours and permit people to access the river for fishing, bird watching and other leisure uses. Environmental sustainability. The Laclede Power Building will be developed to take maximum advantage of features that can minimize energy use, reduce pollution and achieve other "green" goals that will be evaluated by LEED certification criteria.
Project Stage/Status Schematic design is complete and design development and structural engineering and environmental studies are scheduled to begin in late Summer 2002. Cost Estimate
Current Funding Sources Project fundraising is targeting a mix of public and private investments. Opportunities to acquire tax credit incentives, such as for brownfields or historic redevelopment, are being investigated. Champion Agency: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Champion Partners US Department of Housing and Urban Development Other Initiatives Supported Greater St. Louis Regional Empowerment Zone River Navigator
Owen Dutt Upper Mississippi River - 3Mississippi River Trail Project Summary Congress added the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area to the National Park System in 1988 to represent the national significance of the Mississippi River. MNRRA's boundary encircles 54,000 acres of river and adjoining land as the river flows 72 miles through the heart of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. Less than 50 acres are owned by the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS works with many partners to preserve, protect and enhance the significant historical, cultural, natural, scientific, economic, recreational and scenic resources of MNRRA. A Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) provides guidance for managing the corridor for the next 10-15 years and a comprehensive policy framework. The general concept for implementation prescribes a two-tier approach to achieving MNRRA plan consistency through local government planning and management. Tier I incorporates the State of Minnesota's Mississippi River Critical Area Program and shoreland management program requirements and is required of all communities in the corridor. Local governments can voluntarily incorporate a Tier 2 level of planning by updating their community plans and ordinances to incorporate additional land use, resource protection, and open space policies included in the CMP. NPS, Metropolitan Council, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) work in partnership to support implementation of the CMP and considerable progress has been made by local governments in adopting the voluntary guidelines. One important vision in the CMP that has received considerable attention is the connection of existing river trails and the development of new segments to provide a continuous trail and system of linear parks that would allow travel along the length of the river corridor. Project Benefits The completed 72-mile trails and open space corridor will provide improved public access to the river and a wealth of diverse experiences. In all its 2,320 miles, nowhere does the Mississippi, North America's greatest river, change more than it does in the 72 miles within the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. It flows from a small, northwoods river with forests and rapids and a tackle-busting smallmouth bass population, through a 15-miles long gorge below the Mississippi's only waterfall, finally opening into the huge valley that will mark the river's course for the next 500 miles, with lush backwaters and high bluffs. These experiences will improve understanding and appreciation of the ecological, recreational and economic value of the river; increase interest in biking as an alternative form of transportation for commuters; provide connections among several cultural and historical sites and major museums , increase tourism opportunities and provides an amenity for residential development. At the same time Twin Cities river corridor communities have been making substantial progress in planning for a Mississippi River Trail, several multi-state efforts have also been underway that provide opportunities to leverage results on a national basis. Upper Mississippi River AHRI communities joined with Lower AHRI Mississippi River communities to achieve a National Millennium Trail designation for the Mississippi River in 1999 and continue to coordinate their efforts toward a shared vision of a Mississippi River Trail from the headwaters in Minnesota to New Orleans. Ten AHRI communities in five states in the Upper Mississippi have identified over 98 miles of urban trails and greenways that need to be planned and constructed in order to complete their river trail and open spaces and continue to work together towards that end. The Minnesota Mississippi River Parkway Commission and the Minnesota Department of Transportation completed a Great River Road Development Study in 1999 which among it many recommendations to improve tourism along the river provided support for completion of a Mississippi River Trail. And finally, the Minnesota portion of the Great River Road, a nationally designated and signed by-way providing automobile access to the river and its scenic overlooks along Highway 61 from the headwaters to the Iowa border, achieved National Scenic By-way status in 2000. Current Partnerships
Project Stage/Status A Regional Trails and Open Space Partnership facilitated by NPS includes over 50 local, regional, and state agencies and organizations. This collaborative effort has resulted in a proposed Mississippi River Trail in the Twin Cities that identifies completed and proposed trail segments throughout the corridor and the establishment of a priority ranking system that identifies trails segments as either high or medium priority, or potential "lost opportunities" to acquire critically important segments. The trail and open space corridor is approximately 60% complete. Funding for the high priority segments would link 50 of the 72 planned miles of trails and open space. Cost Estimate: Cost estimates for planning, acquisition and development of high priority segments total over $11 million. Medium priority segments are estimated to cost over $4 million. Proposed Champion Agency: Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service Resources Needed This project could be funded through the Department of the Interior, National Park Service-MNRRA Grant Program. Although it is authorized, there are no appropriations for this grant program. (This grant program is the Twin Cities AHRI communities' first keystone project.) U. S. Department of Transportation, TEA-21 Funding. Other Initiatives Supported National Park System, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area River Navigator
Owen Dutt Upper Mississippi River - 4Trail of Two Cities:
A Key Component of the Northeast Iowa Legacy Trail System - North Iowa MRT System
Project Summary The Trail of Two Cities will connect Marquette (river mile marker 634.7) and McGregor, Iowa (river mile marker 633.5), on the west bank of the Upper Mississippi in Iowa, and will eventually be expanded to connect with the National Park Service's Effigy Mounds National Monument (639), 4 miles to the north of Marquette, and with the Iowa Pike's Peak State Park, 1 mile to the south of McGregor. To date over $1.82 million has been dedicated for developing the Trail of Two Cities portion of this work. $1 mil from the State of Iowa Department of Economic Development Vision Iowa funds, $556,899 from IDOT Transportation Enhancement funds, $124,943 from IDOT State recreational Tails Funds, $55,000 from Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission's Enhancement Funds, $55,000 from the City of Marquette, and $30,000 from the City of McGregor. Approximately $1.8 million would be needed to complete a pier trail for the Trail of Two Cities, however hopes are to construct a trail along the river by extending the rip-rap in the area with the $1.8 million that is already dedicated to the Trail. Project Benefits This completed trail system will be further enhanced by a developing modern tourism destination that will bring additional economic development when the 200-room resort, 18-hole signature golf course, all-season waterpark and event center are completed that will also be connecting the historic river communities hosting the developments. Completing the funding and construction of the Trail of Two Cities along the Mississippi riverfronts of McGregor and Marquette will provide the missing link to Wisconsin and Iowa trail systems along the Mississippi. It will connect Pikes Peak State Park and the 15-mile Clayton County Great River Road Trail system with a future trail being planned to connect with Effigy Mounds National Monument, 4 miles to the north of Marquette, and further along the Mississippi River and the proposed Mississippi River Trail system. Current Partnerships
Project Stage/Status Due to forthcoming negotiations with existing railroad company, progress is at a standstill, although $1.8 million is currently dedicated toward construction of either an extension of rip-rap or pier trail along the riverfront. An additional $1.8 million will be necessary to construct pier trail. Cost Estimate: Total cost of rip-rap trail along riverfront could be completed with existing $1.8 million already dedicated toward construction. Total cost of $3.8 million for pier trail (See attachment) Resources Needed Funding in the amount of $1.8 million to complete the Trail of Two Cities work, which will include possible rip-rapping along riverfront or the construction of a pier trail along the riverfront in the event that a negotiations cannot be made with current rail company. Champion Agency: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service Champion Partners U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Political Support With an exception of condemnation, an act of Congress or support from a higher authority with local existing railroad may be necessary to construct Trail of Two Cities. Other Initiatives Supported National Park System River Navigator
Owen Dutt Upper Mississippi River - 5Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing
Project Summary In the early morning hours of May 21, 1855 a small group of people, including nine fugitive slaves, crossed the Mississippi River at St. Louis in an attempt to reach freedom in Illinois. One of their accompanying guides was Mary Meachum, a free woman of color and the widow of a prominent African American preacher. The fugitive group hoped to connect with a wagon waiting on the Illinois shore to take them to Alton, but was instead met by slave catchers. In Missouri, where slavery was legal before the Civil War, the activities of the Underground Railroad remain shrouded in mystery. The incredible secrecy required for success has resulted in very little surviving documentation from the period. One rare exception is the Meachum incident, which attracted newspaper coverage because a prominent St. Louis merchant owned several of the escaping slaves. Historical research yielded sufficient documentation to dedicate, in November 2001, the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing as the National Park Service's first official Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site in Missouri. It is one of only 41 registered sites located in former slave-holding states. The Freedom Crossing encompasses 11 acres located on the riverside of the St. Louis floodwall along the St. Louis Riverfront Trail. The trail is a prominent component of the Confluence Greenway, a magnificent 200 square mile urban park and trail system now being developed around the Mississippi River by a collaboration of non-profit and governmental agencies in the St. Louis metropolitan area of Missouri and Illinois. Over the next few years, the Meachum site will be developed as a major cultural tourism destination, offering exciting new educational opportunities to millions of St. Louisans and tourists destined to visit the Confluence Greenway each year and serving as a springboard for economic revitalization in North St. Louis neighborhoods adjacent to the Riverfront Trail, unquestionably among the City's most severely distressed. More than 90% of residents are African American; 42% have annual incomes of less than $10,000; 50% of adults do not have a high school diploma; and 36% of households are female-headed. Many of the area's buildings are abandoned and crumbling, and there are few "anchor" institutions of any kind. To ensure success, a fundamental objective of the planning process is to include as many neighborhood residents as possible in defining the meaning of the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing, its roles in cultural heritage and identity, how these can best be expressed tangibly and artistically and how the site should be used on an ongoing basis. The planning portion of the timetable concerns two sets of activities: the formation and operation of the project Advisory Committee and Design Team, and the solicitation of public input through community presentations and interim celebratory events at the site. The Confluence Greenway partners, led by Trailnet and Grace Hill Settlement House, will retain oversight and ultimate decision-making responsibility for the project. The guidance and contacts of the Advisory Committee will be key to the success of the planning process. This committee will create the vision for the site, address critical issues of site access and amenities on the dry side of the floodwall, participate in community information-gathering processes, build political and community support for the ultimate plan, and assist in fundraising for the planning and construction phases of the project. It will broadly represent the many stakeholders in the site and have sufficient participation by representatives of government to assure that the process is grounded in political realities. The St. Louis Planning Commission formally adopted a long-range plan for improving and enhancing the Riverfront Trail in June 2001, prior to the site's national designation. It will be critical to involve city planning officials in the current project. The Advisory Committee and Confluence Greenway partners will select a multi-disciplinary Design Team, representing landscape architecture, planning, history and art. The Design Team will be charged to develop an implementation plan, including physical aspects of the site, recommendations for operations and maintenance, and opportunities for interpretation and education, for informal visitors and schools. The team will also provide cost figures associated with all these aspects and present the final plan for approval. Two distinct types of community data gathering procedures are planned:
Once the design has been established, the Confluence partners will proceed with site development, including artistic installations and landscaping, and the creation of educational and interpretive plans. The process will culminate in a major celebration of the site's completion in May 2005, the 150th anniversary of the Mary Meachum event. Project Benefits The Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing will: Current Partnerships
Project Stage/Status Planning and design, 12 months to commence October 2002 Site development, creation of education and interpretation resources, 20 months, culminating in 150th anniversary celebration of Mary Meachum event in May 2005. Cost Estimate:
Current Funding Sources Project fundraising is targeting a mix of public and private investments. To date, $35,000 has been received from the National Park Service and the Saint Louis Regional Arts Commission to support public process components. Champion Agency: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service Champion Partners U.S. Department of Education Other Initiatives Supported National Park Service - Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program River Navigator
Owen Dutt Upper Mississippi River - 6Mississippi Headwaters Board (MHB)
Protecting the First 400 miles of the Mighty Mississippi River
Project Summary Implement and publish the amended/updated minimum standards of the MHB Comprehensive Land Use Plan adopted in July 2002 by the eight counties of the 1980 Joint Powers Agreement, and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Other Partners by cooperative agreements or annexation include the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), the U.S. Forest Service-Chippewa National Forest (CNF), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (PCA) and the Cities of Little Falls, Palisade, Cohasset, Brainerd, and Cass Lake. The mission of the MHB is to consistently protect and enhance 5 values along the first 400 miles of the River. The values are scientific, natural, historic, cultural and recreational. Project Benefits Over the last 22 years water quality of the Upper Mississippi River has been enhanced and protected. Areas that were not swimable or fishable have become destinations of delight for recreators and migration corridors for wildlife, birds and insects. Sites of cultural and historical significance have been protected and preserved. Development has taken place in a manner that protects and enhances the sustainability of these resources. Current Partnerships
Project Stage/Status The amended plan has been completed and prepared to present to the 2003 Minnesota legislature for approval. All eight counties have adopted the amended Plan. Municipalities need to be informed of the amendments. Informational brochures, maps and copies of the plan summarizing process and standards for land use applicants and county administrators. Cost Estimate: Funding Analysis
Resources Needed Additional resources are needed to effectively implement the Plan, provide the public with adequate information and notice of minimum standards. Helpful programs such as a Realtor Certification Program, Bioengineering/Lakescaping workshops, youth programs such as River Watch, and oral histories and corresponding materials are requested according to the table below:
Cost Estimate: TOTAL REQUEST: $64,000 Proposed Champion Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Proposed Champion Partners: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Political Support MHB has enjoyed the bipartisan political support members of the legislature, County Commissions and citizen groups. MHB is seen as a regional coordinator and important player in protecting Minnesota's source water. Over half of the residents of Minnesota depend on the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) for a drinking water supply. The UMR is the most pristine area of the Mighty Mississippi River. It is valued as a National treasure and protected accordingly by local levels of government who take this responsibility seriously. MHB considers these facts in its zoning actions, partnerships and informational activities. MHB effectively coordinates the needs of local stakeholders with that of the greater good, provides technical assistance, and facilitates open process/communication across diverse ethnic, political and social communities. Local Partner Jane E. Van Hunnik, MS River Navigator
Owen Dutt
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