Minnesota Mississippi River Parkway Commission (MN-MRPC)
www.mnmississippiriver.com

About the organization
The Minnesota Mississippi River Parkway Commission is the byway organization for the MN Great River Road National Scenic Byway, whose mission is to promote, preserve, and enhance the resources of the Mississippi River Valley and to develop the highways and amenities of the Great River Road.

Respondent: Andrew Golfis, chairman; Sue Ryan, staff

How important to you is the river or stream nearest your home, and why?
Golfis: Very important. I run along it every morning and never have to cross a street. I live in St. Paul and it is hard to imagine that you can run or ride on trails for more than 50 miles in an urban area and not have to cross a street. The Mississippi is an asset to the quality of life that I enjoy every day.

Ryan: I consider the Mississippi River a national treasure, here in Minnesota and beyond. Known and revered worldwide for its immense 10-state presence, rich cultural diversity, and vibrant American history, it is all too often taken for granted by those of us that live in its own backyard. My thanks to MPR for bringing the issues of Minnesota's rivers to the forefront this week, and to the many dedicated river organizations that help to preserve, protect, and promote the wonders of these waterways today and for generations to come.

How can citizens find out about the condition of the river nearest their homes or communities?
Call the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

What can homeowners do to make their land and property more river friendly? What can farmers do? Business owners?
As a landowner along the river, you need to remember that everything that you put on your lawn ends up in the river. Fertilizer is overused in most urban areas for weed control and green lawns. I only fertilize every other year, which is a 50 percent reduction, and my lawn looks as good as it did before I changed my lifestyle.

What are the most important actions citizens can take to help clean up Minnesota's rivers?
Change your lifestyle. Treat the river as if the water in front of your house would still be there tomorrow and not twenty miles downstream.

What are policymakers doing to enhance the current and future health of Minnesota's rivers? What should they be doing?
Not as much as they could do. They need to educate the public about development pressure on river frontage, with lakes filling up people are moving to rivers in record numbers. Overdevelopment will be the next river problem.

River policymakers must address diverse and often competing elements such as the environment, commerce, flood control, recreation, and land use—but from your point of view, what overarching values should guide how we use, treat, and manage rivers?
To keep a balance of all the activities, and require education programs to increase user awareness.

How can we manage the conflict of private land use and the best management practices for our rivers?
Promote responsible stewardship of all lands, public and private, or a loss of freedoms will be imposed by the state.

What programs are available—and are more needed—to educate and inform citizens, river users, river property owners, and policymakers about river issues?
Not enough. More are needed and should be required in renewal of river use activities.

How does Mississippi River quality change as it flows from the headwaters to the Twin Cities and beyond? What is Minnesota's accountability to the states that have to treat, filter, and use the water after it leaves Minnesota?
Put it back into the river the same as they took it out.

How does air pollution affect our rivers?
Mercury.

What joint efforts (other than testing) have begun statewide to improve the quality of our rivers for drinking and fishing?
Industrial fines.

What measures, if any, are being taken to alert the wide range of cultures living along our rivers not to swim in, drink, or eat fish from the waters of the Mississippi River?
Public service announcements.