Friends of the Mississippi River Newsletter - March 2012

FMR Updates We need your help to get out the vote today! — Help us win the $25,000 MillerCoors River Network Watershed Grant We know we've been posting, tweeting and emailing like crazy but competition is VERY stiff and we're in 2nd place! Help us reach 1st place. We know you want this $25,000 to come to the Twin Cities for habitat restoration and stewardship! It takes just a few clicks — choose Friends of the Mississippi River, add your email, city, and state — and you're done! Please vote and share the link. Voting ends at 7:00 p.m. local time, Monday, March 19th! Read more » Congress introduces bipartisan bill to stop Asian carp After months of being warned that Asian carp eDNA test results portend an all-out invasion into Minnesota’s waters, a big-head and silver carp — two of the four Asian carp species — were caught in the Mississippi River near Winona on March 1st. Within days, bipartisan legislation was introduced in Congress calling for possible closure of the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock in downtown Minneapolis, among other steps intended to stop the dreaded carp. Read more » South metro cleanup plan open for public comment! The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is requesting public comments on the draft South Metro Mississippi Total Suspended Solids TMDL report through April 27th. Following the comment period, the MPCA will revise the draft TMDL report and submit it to the federal Environmental Protection Agency for final approval. Read more » Welcome new FMR staff! Please join us in extending a warm and hearty welcome to new FMR staff! Marlis Schmidt, Adam Flett and intern Kalei Holt make up the new Mississippi River Challenge team, while Katie Clower and intern Christian Anderson are the new friendly faces in the outreach and events corner. Read more » Join FMR for Earth Day! Whether you prefer working to clean up the river right in the heart of the city, digging in the dirt of a more “off-the-beaten-path” site, or learning what you can do in your own backyard to help water quality, we have the Earth Day event for you. Read more » Summer internship openings with FMR Help the Mississippi River while gaining academic credit and valuable experience as an intern for FMR. Applications are now being accepted for the summer Restoration and Education Events and Mississippi River Challenge Communications and Marketing internships. Read more » Mississippi River News A national ban on coal tar sealants? A recent editorial in Stormwater Magazine (yeah, we read that kind of stuff around here) highlighted the increasing push for a national ban on coal tar-based sealants. Currently used on asphalt driveways and parking lots, the sealants contain high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs — highly carcinogenic compounds that grow increasingly problematic when they run off pavement and build up in lakes and urban stormwater ponds over time. (The MPCA's factsheet is available here.) Currently, 13 Minnesota communities have coal tar-based sealant bans of some kind, while the State of Minnesota has its own restrictions for state agencies. The Stormwater article explores the question on the minds of public health and natural resources managers everywhere: When will coal tar sealants be phased out for good? Read more » 'West Side Flats plan could get new life as apartments in St. Paul' Developer George Sherman hasn't given up on the prospect of building a 175-unit housing complex in St. Paul's West Side neighborhood. Just across from downtown, near Harriet Island, the apartments would be but a stone's throw from the riverfront — if public agencies agree to the financing. Read more from the Pioneer Press article by Frederick Melo. Read more » Calendar of Events South Creek, Vermillion Stewards Earth Day Cleanup Saturday, April 21 — 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon South Creek, Lakeville Help clean up South Creek, which feeds the Vermillion River, an important tributary of the Mississippi River and trophy trout stream. This cleanup is part of the city of Lakeville's Watershed Cleanup Day. A light lunch will follow for all Lakeville cleanup volunteers at a central location. This event is also part of the Vermillion Stewards program, which helps local residents learn about the watershed while working to protect and enhance its unique natural resources. Read more » Earth Day in the City: Minneapolis Watershed Cleanup Saturday, April 21 — 9:30 a.m.-12:00 noon E. 36th St. & E. 44th St. at W. River Pkwy, Mississippi River Gorge, Minneapolis Join this Earth Day tradition in the Minneapolis River Gorge! People come from throughout the local river corridor neighborhoods and metro area to contribute to the health and vitality of the Mississippi River Watershed. All ages are welcome and all supplies provided. We’ll meet at two sites along the parkway and bluff-top. Pick whichever works better for you — the oak savanna at East 36th Street and West River Parkway, and the maple basswood forest at 44th and the parkway. No registration is required and complete details and directions are available on the event page. We look forward to seeing you there! Read more » Schedule your stenciling outing! Mid-April through mid-October, 2012 City of Saint Paul If you're looking for a great service outing that is educational, active, outdoors and provides a significant community benefit, consider storm drain stenciling. It's just one and a half to three hours in length, and can be set at a time and St. Paul location convenient for your group. Reservations are now being taken for April through October 2012. Read more » Bittercress and Garlic Mustard Pull at Pine Bend Thursday, April 26 — 6:00-8:00 p.m. Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area, Inver Grove Heights Learn about one of the most beautiful areas in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area, and assist with critical habitat restoration work in this hidden gem. Volunteers will work with FMR ecologist Joe Walton to identify and remove invasive narrowleaf bittercress in an effort to improve the ecological health of the natural communities that are found there. Narrowleaf bittercress is an invasive species that has only recently been reported in Minnesota but is spreading at an alarming rate along the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers. Removing this weedy species will help to enhance Pine Bend's ecological integrity and protect its threatened native plant species. To learn more, or sign up, please see the event listing or contact Katie at kclower@fmr.org or 651-222-2193 x23. Read more » Join the Pledge to Pull at Crosby Park! Wednesday, May 2 — 6:00-8:00 pm Crosby Park, Mississippi River Gorge, St. Paul Enjoy the beauty of early spring at a riverside park while helping protect native plants from an invasive species. The area volunteers will be working in is home to a striking array of spring wildflowers native to Minnesota — Dutchman's breeches, trout lily, and Jack-in-the-pulpit to name a few — all in need of volunteer assistance. After a brief training and certification, participants will be asked to commit to returning to the area for an additional six hours to continue removing invasive species at times convenient for them. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to make a difference but needing to set their own volunteer schedule, or looking for a way to return to a specific area to make a difference with friends and family. To learn more, or sign up, please see the event listing or contact sue at 651-222-2193 x14. Read more » Native Plants, Raingardens and Lawn Care for Water Quality Tuesday, May 15 — 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wilder Center, St. Paul Whether you're interested in a smaller native planting or want to transform your whole yard into a force for clean water, this free FMR workshop can get you started. Taught by FMR's Stewardship Coordinator Karen Solas, the presentation receives rave reviews from participants, who also appreciate the high-quality and concise take-home materials. This workshop takes a how-to approach, suggesting local resources and quickly covering the most relevant information so you can begin taking steps to protect water quality this gardening season. Topics include rain barrels, composting, landscaping with native plant species, the proper use of lawn fertilizer, soil testing, raingardens and more innovative approaches to managing stormwater. Classroom capacity is limited and preregistration required. To sign up, view the full event listing and contact FMR Program Assistant Katie Clower at kclower@fmr.org. When emailing, please include the name of the event, your full contact information and the number in your party. Read more » Phenology Divebombing for love While it may ring a little hollow considering this year's "winter," we're excited to say that spring has finally sprung. For one piece of evidence, look to the skies: bald eagle mating dances. Read more » Whose View? From Where? March 2012 Each month in this section, we feature a photo from somewhere along the river corridor in the Twin Cities that is in some way significant, important, or just plain scenic. Individuals may then e-mail us and identify the view and explain why they believe it is significant to the community or important to them personally. Read more » February 2012 Answer We received two correct guesses this month — thanks to both of our entrants! Read more » Resource of the Month Free prescription drug disposal In response to the growing problem of pharmaceuticals polluting our waters, many counties now offer free prescription drug disposal. To find out more about proper medicine disposal, select your county: Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Washington or Anoka. Carver county also recently began an anonymous medicine take-back program, citizens are encouraged to drop unused medications at the drop box in the sheriff's office at 606 East 4th Street in Chaska, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Supporting FMR Support FMR with Special $15 gift and volunteer memberships through June 1st! Have a graduation, birthday or other gift-giving occasion coming up? Want to give a meaningful gift for Earth Day? Or are you an FMR volunteer but not yet a member? Please join or give a gift membership now for just $15. In addition to the other benefits of being an FMR member, new and gifted members receive a free year's subscription to Big River Magazine courtesy of Big River and the McKnight Foundation (the full gift goes to FMR's work). Please note gift recipient info and the code "2012 Earth Day Member Drive" in the Gift Details box! If you'd rather not receive this subscription, please note that in the 'Gift Details' box as well. And please don't forget to vote and spread the word about the $25,000 MillerCoors River Network watershed grant! Voting ends Monday, March 19th, at 7:00 p.m.! Read more » Quote of the Month “You and I, and our government must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow.”         - Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961

FMR Updates We need your help to get out the vote today! — Help us win the $25,000 MillerCoors River Network Watershed Grant Congress introduces bipartisan bill to stop Asian carp South metro cleanup plan open for public comment! Welcome new FMR staff! Join FMR for Earth Day! Summer internship openings with FMR Mississippi River News A national ban on coal tar sealants? 'West Side Flats plan could get new life as apartments in St. Paul' Calendar of Events South Creek, Vermillion Stewards Earth Day Cleanup Earth Day in the City: Minneapolis Watershed Cleanup Schedule your stenciling outing! Bittercress and Garlic Mustard Pull at Pine Bend Join the Pledge to Pull at Crosby Park! Native Plants, Raingardens and Lawn Care for Water Quality Phenology Divebombing for love Whose View? From Where? March 2012 February 2012 Answer Resource of the Month Free prescription drug disposal Supporting FMR Support FMR with Special $15 gift and volunteer memberships through June 1st!

Mississippi Messages is a twice-monthly e-mail update distributed by Friends of the Mississippi River to help our members and subscribers stay informed on issues, FMR events, and opportunities related to the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities area. All subscribers' names and e-mail addresses are kept confidential. Original contents copyright 2012, Friends of the Mississippi River http://www.fmr.org