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Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area Rulemaking <br />FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS <br />Winter 2009/2010 <br />Q. Why is the DNR developing rules for the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area ( MRCCA)? <br />A. The 2009 Legislature directed the DNR to adopt rules for the MRCCA in MN Laws 2009, <br />Ch. 172, Art. 2, Sec. 5, (e) & 27. • <br />Q. The legislation requires the DNR to establish districts. What is a district? <br />A. Districts are discrete sections or segments of the MRCCA. The river corridor has unique <br />natural and urban development characteristics, therefore the MRCCA can be segmented into areas <br />which reflect these characteristics. These are referred to as districts. Each district will have its <br />own minimum development standards. <br />Q. The MRCCA already has districts, what will happen to them after the new rules are adopted? <br />A. The MRCCA currently has four districts (Rural Open, Urban Open, Urban Developed, Urban <br />Diversified). The boundaries of the districts were established in Executive Order 79 -19 which has <br />provided standards and guidelines for MRCCA development since 1979. The 2009 legislation <br />directs the DNR to establish new districts for the MRCCA. While the DNR is required to consider <br />the existing districts from Executive Order 79 -19 when developing the new districts, we expect the <br />existing districts will be eliminated when the new rules are adopted. <br />Q. Will these rules affect local zoning? <br />A. Yes. The rules will provide minimum guidelines & standards to be used by local government <br />with planning and zoning authority in developing and implementing plans and official controls. <br />The local controls must meet or exceed the standards established in rule. <br />Q. How can I comment on the MRCCA rulemaking? <br />A. There will be at least 3 opportunities to comment on the rulemaking. The first extends from <br />December 14, 2009 to March 22, 2010, following the publication of a Request For Comments <br />(RFC) in the State Register. The RFC invites interested parties to comment on the subject matter <br />of the rulemaking. While we don't have a draft rule for review at this early stage, interested <br />parties may make suggestions regarding topics for the rulemaking, factors the DNR should <br />consider, or any other recommendations regarding the rulemaking. Comments during this period <br />can be provided through several means including; U.S. mail, email, and/or phone. See the <br />MRCCA Rulemaking Project — FAQs — 1/ 1 41201 0 <br />