03/16/1989 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 Walkways Center, Washington, D.C. wants to change that. He wants urban walkways to be not only safe, but pleasant and well used. Evens visited Minneapolis and St. Paul recently to talk with officials about improving the usability of this resource. He offered to act as a coordinator in promoting trails and walkways here. He indicated he chose the Twin Cities because of the existence of apathway system around the Minneapolis lakes, a system he believes will make it easier to promote other walk ways. Businesses Support Plan The SL Paul Downtown Council has a plan of its own. They have coordinated efforts with downtown businesses and the City in designating Wabasha Street as a major walkway. According to Don Rutman of Rogers Jewelers, "In May the Downtown Council will unveil Wabasha Street as a major walkway. Wabasha links the State Capitol, science museum, retail core, Kellogg Mall Park and the Mississippi riverfront. I think the thousands of city walkers will be delighted with our new streetscape improvements. Downtown businesses have been involved in planning the project and are sharing in 40% of the costs. We are also developing a plan for walkway maintenance. No one wants to stroll amongst the litter. But an amble down a clean, bright, perhaps flower lined street? That sounds nice." Banners, to be installed in March on the tall light poles will announce civic events. Other elements of the new streetscape include an information kiosk, events calendar, business directories and public art. Decorative lighting will be installed on Wabasha and 5th and 6th streets between St. Peter and Wabasha to help link Rice Park with the center of downtown. Flower baskets are slated for the decorative light poles starting in May. Wabasha may not compete with the skyway in February, but come May? A coalition of government agencies, residential and commercial developers, conservation groups and sports groups recently formed a unique group, the Wetlands Group to address the unique problems all of these groups face when dealing with wetlands in the seven county metro area. Wetland Group Forms Wetlands are nothing special, really. A wetland is a bog or marsh that is flooded or temporarily flooded from time to time and has water -tolerant vegetation and habitat for waterfowl and other species seldom seen on higher ground. Although there are more than 93,000 acres of wetlands complete with their abundance of plants and wildlife in the Metro area it is estimated that as many acres have already been lost to development. In years past, wetlands were viewed as unproductive breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Areas better filled in and built upon. Now highway planners, developers and naturalists agree, filling every sliver of wetland has disastrous implications for the environment. Paul Burke, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, indicated that the Wetlands Group will provide a forum to exchange information on wetlands locations and value early in the planning process so that public interests can be represented in the decision making process. The Service is currently in the process of inventorying metropolitan wetlands and calculating the rate of loss. This information will help the Wetlands Group balance the relative values of wetlands and development. Some wetlands are protected by state regulation. The classification of the wetlands as well as the regulations that protect them were established when much less was known of the true value of wetlands. Those wetlands which are currently protected are a small minority of the total number of acres in the seven county area. Park Notes is published quarterly by the Friends of St. Paul and Ramsey County Parks. Editors are Peggy Lynch and Jeanne Welgum. For additional information call (612) 698-4543.