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National Parks and Federal Lands <br />Hennepin County is also home to the Minnesota Valley <br />National Wildlife Refuge and the Mississippi National <br />River and Recreation Area (MNRRA). The Minnesota <br />Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a corridor of land and <br />water along the Minnesota River that stretches from <br />Bloomington to Henderson and is managed by the U.S. <br />Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge was established in <br />1976 to provide habitat for a large number of migratory <br />waterfowl, fish, and other wildlife species threatened by <br />commercial and industrial development, and to provide <br />environmental education, wildlife recreational <br />opportunities, and interpretive programming for Twin <br />Cities residents. <br />The 54,000-acre Mississippi National River and <br />Recreation Area was established in 1988 and is a unit of <br />the National Park Service. The National Park Service <br />owns very little land within its borders but partners with <br />local governments, state agencies, and organizations to <br />protect the significant resources along the 72-mile <br />stretch of river running through the region. Several <br />regional parks and trails, which are owned and <br />operated by regional park implementing agencies, are <br />located within the MNRRA corridor. (Source: <br />Metropolitan Council Park Plan). <br />8 <br />