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<br />, <br /> <br />GOl112 <br /> <br />III. THE SAINT CROIX RIVER <br /> <br />A. Description of the River <br />The St. Croix River {upper and lower) extends 103 miles from Gordon Dam <br />to Minnesota to the St. Croix Dam in Wisconsin. Both sections of the <br /> <br />river are managed by the National Park Service. The upper St. Croix <br />was an initial component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System <br /> <br />in 1968, a so called "instant" river. The lower St. Croix was designated <br /> <br />in 1975. The remaining 25 mile segment between Stillwater and the <br /> <br /> <br />Mississippi River confluence is jointly managed by the States of <br /> <br /> <br />Minnesota and Wisconsin. Unlike the remote Allagash area of northern <br /> <br /> <br />Maine, the St. Croix area is heavily populated and is influenced by <br /> <br /> <br />the cities of St. Paul/Minnesapolis, Duluth and Superior. There are <br /> <br />~ <br />! <br /> <br />numerous towns along the river corridor and land was being developed <br /> <br /> <br />there at a rapid rate prior to designation. The land management' <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />program relies on a combination of fee acquisition, easements and <br /> <br />land regulations such as zoning. <br /> <br />The people who live and work in the St. Croix area have mixed feelings <br /> <br /> <br />about the river designation and the presence of the National Park <br /> <br /> <br />Service as a major landowner there. Most people seem to feel that the <br /> <br /> <br />designation has had important effects in preserving the natural river <br /> <br /> <br />environment. Despite this general feeling however many have soured on <br /> <br /> <br />other effects of the designation. <br /> <br />-9- <br />