Nature on Track

A small herd of deer crossed East Seventh Street last night just east of Johnson Parkway. Impressive deer -- the type that could do real damage to a configurable Flexify light rail train by Bombardier.

Most of the nature of the area is harmless and fragile.

This part of town has bald eagles, white pelicans, hummingbirds, several types of warblers and flycatchers and grebes. It has wood turtles and snapping turtles. It has prairie milkweed and asiatic lilies. It has butterflies, dragonflies, leafhoppers, skippers, jumping spiders, and orb weaver spiders.

Nature is right on track on the East Side of Saint Paul.

The Gateway Corridor DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is being developed in summer 2012. The $3 million DEIS will explain how the Gateway Corridor will bypass nature or ignore it entirely. The Federal Alternatives Analysis program may cough up as much as $2.8 million for the DEIS process.

           Gateway Corridor DEIS plan

           Minnesota Environmental Review process

           Federal Environmental Review process

           Federal Alternatives Analysis program