Through the Community Partners Program, we communicate the importance of conservation to elected officials, city and county planning staff, builders and developers.  Our work includes recruiting local residents to participate in community planning decisions on issues such as stormwater management, mining, refuge boundary expansion, recreational trails development, agricultural practices and urban sprawl.

In 2003, we helped residents in Belle Plaine conduct a visioning session to identify conservation priorities for their community. Last year, we participated in a project designed to assist with the orderly annexation of Laketown Township in Carver County. This project, led by a team from the University of Minnesota, focused on planned growth and development with a primary goal of protecting natural resources and values.