Management

NPS/Gordon Dietzman

Introduction

The 54,000-acre Mississippi National River and Recreation Area was established by Congress in 1988. A true partnership park, the National Park Service owns very little land within its borders but works with 25 local governments, several state agencies and numerous organizations to protect the globally significant resources along the 72-mile stretch of river running through the Minneapolis/Saint Paul metro area. The following are important documents that readers can use to understand the vision, goals and management of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Superintendent's Compendium

The National Park Service has revised rules affecting the use of nine Mississippi River islands it owns within the 72-mile corridor and Coldwater Spring. These federal rules do not affect activity on private property, on city, county or state park land, or on federal land managed by other agencies. Read the Superintendent's Compendium.

Foundation Documents

Foundation documents explain the purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, interpretive themes and description of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Legislation establishing the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

Public Law 100-696 establishes the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in November of 1988. The part of the law that establishes the park is located on page 29 of this 42 page document.

Strategic Plan

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area staff worked with the Mississippi River Fund and Cinncinnatus, Inc, a consulting firm, to develop a strategic plan that clarifies the goals, visions, and values of the park.

Comprehensive Management Plan

The Comprehensive Management Plan was established as part of Public Law 100-696 and approved in 1995. This detailed plan serves as a guide for development and management of resources in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. The National Park Service reviews local, state, and federal actions in the park to ensure compatibility with the 1995 Comprehensive Management Plan.

Alternative Transportation Plan

The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area's Alternative Transportation Plan (ATP) outlines capital improvements that NPS grants have and will fund that connect non-motorized transit opportunities along the Park's 72-mile long corridor. Local governments are able to apply for an ATP grant directly with the MNRRA.

Water Resources Information and Issues Overview Report

In 2004, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) requested technical assistance from the Water Resources Division (WRD) of the National Park Service. The MNRRA and WRD developed the Water Resources Information and Issues Overview Report, a document that attempts to characterize water resources in MNRRA, reports the outcomes of a two-phase water resources scoping effort undertaken in 2005, and describes the subsequent analysis and conclusions of MNRRA and WRD staff.

Open Space Protection Opportunities

The National Park Service has developed the Open Space Protection Opportunities, a suite of informational tools that includes maps, a guidebook, and spatial data for use in a geographic information system. This information illustrates open space protection and restoration opportunities in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Coldwater Spring

The National Park Service is working to restore Coldwater Spring native plant communities of oak savannah, tallgrass prairie and wetland habitats.