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III <br /> <br />T H E <br />TRUST <br />l:' 0 R <br />PUBLIC <br />LAND <br /> <br />Hastings' Greenway <br />Vision Realized: <br /> <br />The City of Hastings designated as a proposed greenway the eastern edge <br />of the city on the Mississippi River between the city's developed urban <br />service area and the rural township including the Gores Pool Wildlife <br />Management Area. This greenway was identified as part of a comprehen- <br />sive greenways plan to <br /> <br />FRIENOS <br /> <br />protect the city's valuable natural infrastructure, <br />prevent growth in sensitive areas, and <br />maintain the quality of life for Hastings' residents. <br /> <br />Now the City of Hastings has an outstanding opPortunity to implement a key piece of fl~Js greenway <br />vision. The Freitag property, a roughly 300-acre parcel on the eastern edge of the city with a mile of <br />Mississippi River frontage, is for sale, and the Department of Natural Resources is ready to help the city <br />by purchasing the land and taking on its long-term ownership and management as a greenway. The pub- <br />lic purchase of this property, the city's gateway to the Vermillion River Bottoms and St. Croix River con- <br />fluence, would help the city implement its greenway plan while leveraging substantial resources for land <br />protection and long-term management from non-city sources. <br /> <br />City Leverage of a Strong Public-Private Funding <br /> and Management Partnership: <br /> <br />The Department of Natural Resources, through its Wildlife, lVfetro Greenways, and Fisheries divisions, <br />has recommended substantial funding for acquisition of the Freitag property to be owned and maintained <br />by the DNR as a Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The Trust for Pubhc Land is leading the real estate <br />negotiations with the landowners, helping raise funds and making a substantial capital contribution <br />towards this land acquisition. Friends of the Mississippi River, w/th funding from the federal North <br />American Wetlands Conservation Act program and in partnership with Ducks Unlimited and others, <br />plans habitat restoration activities for the property. By making a capital contribution towards the acquisi- <br />tion of the Freitag property, the City of Hastings will greatly leverage these public and private funds and <br />efforts for the benefit of the citizens of Hastings. It will also join other cities in the Metro area who have <br />made similar contributions to the preservation of open space in their communities. <br /> <br />0 <br /> <br /> enways <br /> <br />PROTECT * CONNECT * ENHANCE * ENJOY <br /> <br /> <br />