Minnesota
Friday, August 8, 2008
Protecting Minnesota’s Wild and Scenic Rivers
Minneapolis-Saint Paul is among the ten major metropolitan areas within a 400-mile radius of Chicago primed to benefit from the advent of a Midwest high speed rail network. A regional high speed rail network would significantly reduce traffic congestion, travel time, air pollution, and urban sprawl. And at 10% of the cost of constructing new highways, a high speed rail network with its hub in Chicago just makes sense. ELPC is working to develop a Midwest high speed rail network that will be good for the environment, create jobs and spur economic development. The high speed rail network would provide fast, modern, comfortable, and convenient new transportation options and will reduce our reliance on auto and air travel.
Protecting Minnesota’s Wild and Scenic Rivers
ELPC’s legal advocates won a 2010 U.S. District Court decision protecting the Lower St. Croix River, which runs along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. At issue was a proposal for a massive bridge that would have defaced a pristine bluff and decimated recreational activities in the area. Our court victory led to a recent determination by the National Park Service that massive bridges should not be built across rivers with a Wild and Scenic River designation. This is an important protection for our most treasured rivers.
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