Seasons The Greening of Maplewood
Summer 2012 Fish Creek Forever The stars are beginning to align over Fish Creek in south Maplewood. For over 20 years, the dream of preserving a 70-acre parcel of land south of Carver Road has been gathering momentum (see map on page 3). Maplewood’s Open Space Committee ranked this site as a high priority for acquisition 18 years ago. The land was later slated for development but the economic downturn intervened. Now, the dream of preserving this parcel is within reach. The Fish Creek Natural Area Greenway stretches from Carver Lake in Woodbury, through meadows and forests in Maplewood, to the Mississippi River in St. Paul. The heart of the greenway is picturesque Fish Creek and Ramsey County’s 142-acre Fish Creek Open Space. The creek is especially intriguing in St. Paul where it carves a narrow channel through bedrock, an area known locally as the Fish Creek Canyon. In 2010, Maplewood convened a commission to develop a vision for the Greenway. That
vision calls for protection and stewardship of natural areas and for improved hiking trails and access to public lands. Soon after the Maplewood City Council approved the plan for the Greenway, a key parcel of land in the Greenway came up for sale—a 70-acre site south of Carver Road, which is surrounded on three sides by County open space. The time was now or never for acquiring and preserving this parcel. This beautiful site is perched on top of the Mississippi River bluffs. From the bluff top you can look out over the Mississippi River Valley to the far western horizon. The open rolling hills are graced with oak and aspen woodlands, old pastures, and a small prairie remnant or two. As part of the Mississippi River flyway, the site is home to raptors, songbirds, and wildlife species such as fox, coyote, deer and opossum. Protecting this parcel will increase the buffer for Fish Creek, preserve wildlife habitat, provide public access to the bluff top, enhance access to existing county open space, and provide a segment of land needed for the Fish Creek Hiking Trail.
Maplewood does not yet own the Fish Creek parcel. An additional $629,000 is needed to complete acquisition. For information on how you can help, visit www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/fishcreek.
The Conservation Fund purchased the site in Fall 2011. Now the City and its partners have 1-1/2 years to raise the funds needed to acquire the site and preserve it for all to enjoy. To date, the City has secured 70% of the $2,160,000 price tag! The City continues to pursue grants for this project, but support from residents and businesses is essential if we are to successfully raise the funds needed to protect Fish Creek forever. The Fish Creek Committee invites you to join us on the bluff top June 16 to explore this beautiful parcel and see why it’s so special.
Benefits of Preserving Fish Creek Parcel
Expand buffers for Fish Creek
Protect Mississippi River bluff top from development
Preserve large contiguous area of habitat
Create Fish Creek Hiking Trail