ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is revising its Upper Mississippi River Master Plan and is seeking the public’s input.
The master plan is a guiding document that governs how the Corps' federal lands are managed for recreation and environmental stewardship. The strategic land use and recreation management document will guide the district’s comprehensive management and development of natural, recreational and cultural resources of the Upper Mississippi River basin for years to come. The master plan, while conceptual in nature, serves as the vision for both environmental stewardship and recreation as the Corps continues to serve the public in the 21st Century.
The current master plan was approved in 1988 and was supplemented with a “Land Use Plan” in 2011, which was an interagency document that also included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands managed for habitat as part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Reviewing the Corps’ master plan affords the public the opportunity to provide input on refuge land use as well.
It is important to note that the plan is not for navigation (locks, dams and associated infrastructure), flood risk management projects (such as levees and floodwalls), dredging and channel maintenance, or environmental restoration programs such as the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program.
“We’re trying to get out in front and give the people who value the river a chance to help steer the direction of the updated plan,” said Megan O’Brien, lead planner. “We are asking, whether you use the river or not but value its existence, to provide us your input on the future of the river.”
The existing plan, interactive map and online comment form can be found here: https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Upper-Mississippi-River-Master-Plan/
Comments can be made via the online comment form at the link below or emailing: UMRMasterPlan2019@usace.army.mil
A public meeting will be held in the future, though a date and venue has yet to be determined.
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Release no. 19-026