If you had any doubt what impact the work of advocacy organizations and citizen groups can have on local land use decisions, read on.

Wayzata voters approve bonding to protect the Big Woods (November 2003) Last November, Wayzata voters made their views regarding the Big Woods property known: they want it protected and are willing to pay. City voters approved a $3 million bond referendum to help fund protection of the property, one of the last remnants in this region of the Big Woods that once covered a large part of Minnesota's landscape. Together with private contributions, these funds will be used to purchase and permanently protect the forested land from development. "It was a hard fought campaign," said Susan Schmidt, director of the Trust for Public Land's Minnesota Office. "But Wayzata voters have spoken: they want the Big Woods protected to preserve their quality of life now and for future generations." City of Eagan matches DNR grant to explore core greenway (February 2003) Patrick Eagan Park could have been a championship golf course. Instead, it may someday be the center of a virtually unbroken corridor of land that stretches to Lebanon Hills Regional Park. A group of Eagan residents—Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway—who organized to save the park they call the crown jewel of the city, now envision it as part of a greenway that could stretch more than 400 acres. Last February, the city of Eagan announced it will match a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) grant to help study the Eagan core greenway proposal. (The Eagan Core Greenway of one of the Embrace Open Space campaign's 10 Twin Cities Treasures.) Lower Phalen Creek restoration makes progress (November 2002) After a lengthy planning process, the City of St. Paul, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, National Park Service, Lower Phalen Creek Project, and Trust for Public Land last November acquired a 27-acre industrial site located near downtown on Saint Paul's East Side. The site is being developed into the City's newest park and a nature sanctuary in honor of the late Congressman Bruce Vento. This neighborhood-driven, multipartner effort will create a greenway of protected land connecting residents to the river and downtown St. Paul, and providing a vital link in the region's trail and open space system. (Lower Phalen Creek is one of the Embrace Open Space campaign's 10 Twin Cities Treasures.) More information: Trust for Public Land. Dakota County voters approve a $3 million open space protection referendum (November 2002) While the tumultuous events of the 2002 election season filled the airwaves and captured headlines, Dakota County quietly passed a landmark referendum to protect open space for future generations—the first of its kind ever in Minnesota. Fifty-seven percent of the county's voters gave the nod for the "Preservation of Water, Open Space, Natural Areas and Farmland," a bonding act that will provide $20 million of public funding over 10 years to protect some of the best remaining natural areas and key farmlands in the county. More information: Friends of the Mississippi River; and a story update.

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Embrace Open Space is a joint effort among Twin Cities organizations concerned about protecting open spaces in our region. Our primary goal is to mobilize Twin Citians to become more vocal in public decision-making about land use and land protection in this region. Please contact us at: Embrace Open Space, 710 South Second Street, #400, Minneapolis, MN 55401 | info@embraceopenspace.org © 2005 Embrace Open Space, All rights reserved. Web policies. If you use a link on this website which connects to another organization's website, please note that Embrace Open Space is not responsible for the content of that site, nor does the link imply any endorsement of the outside site's operator or the site's content. Use of all links to outside sites is at the user's sole risk.