Comprehensive River Management Planning

The scenic river seen from Osceola Bluffs

NPS/Pete Wintersteen

The National Park Service (NPS) has embarked on a planning process to inform future management of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The comprehensive river management plan, once complete, will guide NPS actions and decisions of the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers for the foreseeable future. Input and engagement from stakeholders, partners, and the public will help the NPS develop and build this plan.

Purpose

The purpose of this comprehensive river management plan is to establish overall management direction to protect and enhance the values for which the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway was designated as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and unit of the National Park Service. The rivers contain a free-flowing condition, good water quality, and aquatic, cultural, recreational, riparian, scenic-aesthetic, and geologic values. This plan identifies river-specific desired conditions, user capacities, monitoring and data needs, land and facility development protocols, communication goals, and other management practices necessary for protecting and enhancing river values. The plan will then provide a framework for NPS management decisions.

 

Next Steps

Updated draft documents will soon be available for review via the first link listed below. The park encourages the public to read, review, and comment on those documents once they become available. Their release will be announced early in the new year.

Links:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/sacnriverplan (PEPC)
St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (StoryMap)

 

Project History

During the public comment period of this project, the park received over 100 comments. Public envolvment is greatly appreciated during this planning process.

To better share information publicly, the Riverway has prepared this web presentation that explains many aspects of proposed management decisions. St. Croix National Scenic Riverway

The period of public comment that ran from November 8 through December 31 is now closed. We thank all who participated and provided their insight.

Public meetings were held at the following locations:

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

• Spooner DNR Office at 810 W Maple St, Spooner, WI 54801 from 1pm-3pm
• Holiday Inn Express in Hayward at 15586 Country Rd B, Hayward, WI 54843 from 5pm-7pm

Thursday, November 21, 2024

• Stillwater Public Library at 224 Third St N, Stillwater, MN 55082 from 1:30pm-3:30pm
• St Croix Falls Visitor Center at 401 N Hamilton St, St. Croix Falls, WI 54024 from 5pm-7pm

Initial Planning: 2023

To start, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway will hold five listening sessions in locations throughout the park. At each session, NPS staff will give a short presentation about the river management plan and the planning process. After the presentation, NPS staff will be at designated stations to foster conversation, gather feedback, and answer questions.

The presentation will be the same at each session. Listening session participants' comments will be recorded. However, if you would like to provide comments but are unable to attend a session, the presentation and materials are available for review at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/sacnriverplan by clicking the Open for Comment tab on the left. Public comments will be accepted online from July 7th through August 8^th. The presentation will be available beginning July 20th.

See the attached document for an overview of the planning process and timeline, as well as your opportunity to provide information.

Listening sessions were held:

Thursday, July 20, 2023

• Minong Town Hall at W7095 Nancy Lake Road, Minong, WI 54859 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, presentation starts at 2:15 pm.
• Cable Community Center at 13660 Co Hwy M, Cable, WI 54821 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, presentation starts at 6:45 pm.

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

• Stillwater Public Library, Margaret Rivers Room B at 224 Third Street N, Stillwater, MN 55082 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, presentation starts at 2:15 pm.
• NPS Headquarters at 401 N Hamilton St, St Croix Falls, WI 54024 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, presentation starts at 6:45 pm.

Thursday, July 27, 2023

• Crex Meadows Wildlife Area at 102 Crex Ave, Grantsburg, WI 54840 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, presentation starts at 3:15 pm.