A local citizens group is hosting a Community Forum to address riverfront issues and the conservation of unique lands along the River.
Friends of Grey Cloud, which formed to address concerns over the development of the former Mississippi Dunes property, invites the public to attend the event on Jan. 13 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m at Park Grove Library on 80th Street South. The event is free.
Co-coordinator of the Friends group, Lisa Mueller, shared her hopeful outcome for the event:
”We hope to share important information about the cultural, historical, and ecological resources in the area,” she said recently. The program will begin with a land acknowledgement and description from a local indigenous leader as to why this area is significant to native peoples. We will also hear from Christopher Smith, a certified wildlife biologist and curator of Minnesota Naturalists about the many rare plants, animals and natural communities that are present in the area. The program will include information on the fragile soils and geology of the Dunes’ which make them inherently unsuitable for development.”
After the program, there will be a break with refreshments followed by an opportunity for local citizens to gather in small groups to discuss their concerns about some of the development that is occurring in Cottage Grove, especially along the Mississippi River and the MNRRA corridor. The program will close with a list of action items.
Mueller said that Minnesota Representative Rick Hansen has been invited to attend to provide an update on funding that was allocated by the State for the purchase of the former Mississippi Dunes property.
Once again, the Community Forum by Friends of Grey Could is scheduled for Jan. 13 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Park Grove Library, in Cottage Grove.