Rice County Development and the Fate of Wetland Survival
As urban sprawl begins to move south from the Twin Cities, cities
such as Northfield and Faribault begin to feel the pressure to expand
their boundaries. Smaller cities are pressured to give up the hometown
feel that they have enjoyed for centuries for the hustle and bustle or
larger cities. Larger corporations knock on their door for a chance
to cash in on an untouched resource. Increased development has always
led to two things: 1) the loss of a community feeling enjoyed by smaller
cities and 2) the loss of natural areas through forests, natural prairie
and especially wetlands. The focus of this project will look at
the growing development of Rice County
and how it has/will affect the surrounding wetlands. I am Andrew
Hatch, a senior Environmental Studies and Biology major, and this project
is a part of the Senior Seminar for the Environmental Studies major at
St. Olaf College.
- What does this mean for the future?
Picture taken from http://www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov/partners/maswcd/scott/wetland_conservation_act_program.htm |