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 inding northeast along the border between Hennepin and Wright Counties through a landscape still rich in rural charms, the lower Crow River might at first glance seem far removed from urban sprawl. Two major park reserves along its course to the Mississippi River—Lake Rebecca and Crow-Hassan—provide habitat for a variety of wildlife, including fox, hawks, trumpeter swans, and eagles. Area residents have ready access to a range of outdoor recreational opportunities, from hiking to fishing and boating.
But with a million new residents projected for the seven-county Twin Cities area over the next 20 years, it's not a question of whether communities at the outskirts of the region will grow, but how. Communities along the Crow River are now devising local plans to guide the coming growth in a way that maximizes economic and social benefits while preserving the natural areas and rural charm that residents value. Cities such as Hanover and Greenfield are identifying significant natural resources and revising local comprehensive plans to better protect habitat and open space. Hanover, Greenfield, and Rockford have been working with other partners to develop greenway plans that would preserve an ecological and recreational corridor linking Lake Rebecca Park Reserve with Crow-Hassan. The Crow River also has been targeted as a focus area for conservation efforts by the Metro Wildlife Corridors project, a state-funded program that could be in jeopardy due to budget shortfalls.
Such approaches to urban planning represent a major paradigm shift. Often viewed in the past as an impediment to growth, natural resources are now increasingly being recognized as a key factor in communities' economic vitality and long-term quality of life.
About the photographs
In conjunction with this campaign, we invited 10 Minnesotan photographers to photograph each of our Twin Cities Treasures. This page includes low-resolution images of the Crow River area by Gary Hallman, who also received McKnight Artist Fellowships for photography in 1982 and 1990.
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