Great River Passage Conservancy

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF SAINT PAUL'S GREAT RIVER PASSAGE INITIATIVE, THE GREAT RIVER PASSAGE CONSERVANCY LEADS ADVOCACY AND PRIVATE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS ALONG SAINT PAUL'S 17 MILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. BY ADVANCING MAJOR PROJECTS ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND SUPPORTING UNIQUE PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE THE RIVER IN NEW WAYS, GREAT RIVER PASSAGE CONSERVANCY FOSTERS ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. OUR MISSION IS TO RAISE RESOURCES THAT SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY'S VISION FOR CONNECTING SAINT PAUL'S TWO GREATEST ASSETS: ITS PEOPLE AND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

RIVER LEARNING CENTER - AFTER EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE FINALIZED SCHEMATIC DESIGN IN 2022 AND SECURED $8 MILLION IN FUNDS FROM THE MN LEGISLATURE IN 2023. THE DESIGN WON THE PRESTIGIOUS AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE AWARD AND IS SAINT PAUL'S TOP CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROJECT IN 2024. WE ALSO RAMPED UP ACTIVATION AT THE SITE WITH NEW PROGRAMMING HOSTED BY PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. MISSISSIPPI PARK CONNECTION AND THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PILOTED SEVERAL INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING PARK AFTER DARK, HISTORY CRUISES, AND WONDER AND WANDER WALKS. 704 PEOPLE ATTENDED THESE EVENTS AT THE RIVER LEARNING CENTER SITE! RIVER BALCONY - WHEN SCHEMATIC DESIGN WAS COMPLETED IN 2022, OVER 80% SURVEYED FELT MORE CONNECTED TO THE RIVER UPON SEEING THE DESIGN. IT RANKS AS SAINT PAUL'S THIRD CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROJECT THIS YEAR. WE PARTNERED WITH HR&A REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS TO ESTABLISH GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS COMPLEX PROJECT AND CONTINUED TO ENGAGE THE PARTNERS ALONG THE BALCONY. AS WE WORK THROUGH COMPLEX OWNERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE FOR THE BALCONY AS A WHOLE, WE ARE AIMING TO ACHIEVE EARLY WINS THAT DEMONSTRATE THE POWER OF THE VISION. OVER THE NEXT YEAR, WE WILL WORK TO ACTIVATE THE AREA THROUGH COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ESTABLISH A SIGNED WALKING PATH. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA TO SUPPORT OUTDOOR SPACES THAT WILL BE PART OF THE BALCONY'S TRAILHEAD. EAST SIDE RIVER DISTRICT - THROUGH ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, OUR ESRD PROJECT AIMS TO HEAL THE DAMAGED LANDSCAPE AND CONNECT UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS TO THE RIVER BY ESTABLISHING ACCESSIBLE TRAILS, PROTECTING AND CELEBRATING SACRED SITES, AND CREATING WELCOMING SPACES. DEEP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT-MODELED ON THE ENGAGEMENT OF OUR RIVER LEARNING CENTER AND RIVER BALCONY PROJECTS-WILL ENSURE THAT COMMUNITY VOICE DRIVES OUR PROJECT DESIGN. WE HAVE RE-LAUNCHED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AROUND PIG'S EYE REGIONAL PARK AND THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE. OVER THE NEXT YEAR, WE WILL WORK WITH PARTNERS, INCLUDING URBAN ROOTS AND WAKAN TIPI AWANYANKAPI TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS AND COORDINATE MEETINGS THAT ENGAGE RESIDENTS OF THE EAST SIDE AS WELL AS INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES. POTENTIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDE WALKING FOR THE PUBLIC AND A BIOBLITZ EVENT TO DISCOVER PLANT AND ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY ON THE SITE. IMPORTANTLY, OUR WORK WILL BE DRIVEN BY THE STATUS OF THE LARGER CLEANUP OF PIG'S EYE ITSELF. IN MAY 2022, THE SENATE PASSED A BILL ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO ACCELERATE THE CLEAN-UP AT PIG'S EYE LANDFILL. THE CONSERVANCY WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ADVANCING THIS BILL THROUGH TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE. THE TASK FORCE IS CHARGED WITH COORDINATING EFFORTS TO REMEDIATE AND RESTORE THE PIG'S EYE LANDFILL SUPERFUND SITE AND ADDRESS CONTAMINATION OF BATTLE CREEK, PIG'S EYE LAKE, AND NEARBY GROUNDWATER. THE TASK FORCE HELD ITS FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023 AND THE CONSERVANCY HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PROMOTING THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS. ADDITIONALLY, WE HOSTED AN EAST SIDE CONVENING IN DECEMBER 2023 THAT ENGAGED MORE THAN 60 PEOPLE. DAKOTA ENGAGEMENT - ESSENTIAL TO OUR THREE PROJECTS IS THE CONSERVANCY'S DAKOTA ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE, WHICH AIMS TO RECONNECT INDIGENOUS GROUPS TO THE RIVER IN WAYS DEFINED BY THE DAKOTA. SAINT PAUL'S STRETCH OF RIVER IS DAKOTA HOMELAND, BUT HISTORICALLY THE DAKOTA HAVE NOT HAD A VOICE IN MOST PROJECTS ALONG THE RIVER. CO-CREATION WITH THE DAKOTA CONTINUED IN 2023 AS WE WORKED HAND IN HAND WITH LOCAL NATIVE COMMUNITIES, AND FULL CIRCLE INDIGENOUS PLANNING + DESIGN TO INFORM OUR DECISION-MAKING. THIS WILL BE ESPECIALLY COLLABORATIVE IN OUR ESRD PROJECT, WHERE KEY NATIVE-LED PARTNERS WILL INCLUDE WAKAN TIPI AWANYANKAPI AND PRAIRIE ISLAND INDIAN COMMUNITY. EQUITY PLANNING - IN 2023 WE CONTRACTED WITH A LOCAL EQUITY CONSULTANT, CULTURE BROKERS, TO FINALIZE OUR EQUITY STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. AS AN ORGANIZATION WHOSE VISION IS TO BRING THE MISSISSIPPI BACK TO THE CENTER OF PUBLIC LIFE IN SAINT PAUL, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD A NEW, MORE INCLUSIVE RELATIONSHIP TO THE RIVER. OVER THE NEXT YEAR, OUR EQUITY WORK WILL FOCUS ON BOARD LEADERSHIP AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT.