Letter: Support the herons, support water protection
Preserving the natural area of the heron rookery in Rochester Township supports regional watershed protection and restoration efforts.

News coverage of Township decision
Rochester Township approves developer’s GDP (general development plan) at heron nesting site despite rookery concerns.

PB article: Rochester Township to vote on development plan at heron nesting site
Decision may pave way to road, housing lots at the site of a colony of heron nests.

Press Rochester Township board for win-win result on heron site
Let the township know that thoughtful development means protecting the resources that should belong to all of us -- especially when private citizens are willing to buy and donate the land.

Township Meeting on GDP- Wed, Nov 10, 7PM - please attend!
Reasons the Township Board should deny Pavilion Estate’s General Development Plan (GDP) at the meeting on Wednesday, November 10.



PB Letter: Natural places make Rochester more appealing
Natural places make Rochester more appealing
The heron rookery is a treasure Rochester should keep.

Rookery is front page news!
The Rochester Township board unanimously approved a zoning change Thursday for development on land containing a great blue heron nest colony west of Rochester. The board also unanimously delayed decision on accepting a general development plan for the land until Nov. 11.


Rochester Township meeting Thurs, Oct 14, 7PM - please attend!
We expect the Rochester Township Board to vote on Thursday on whether to accept the developer’s General Development plan.

Post Bulletin: Heron nest advocates file suit with court of appeals
Rochester Post Bulletin article: A group opposed to development at the site of a great blue heron nest colony is going to court to halt the project.

Press Release: The fight to save the rookery continues
The newly formed non-profit, Save the Rookery, along with a group of Rochester Township residents and concerned Minnesota citizens, have appealed the Rochester Township board’s decision NOT to order an Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed Pavilion Estates development of a parcel of hardwood forest where a Great Blue Heron rookery has persisted for decades. On Tuesday the Minnesota Court of Appeals accepted the appeal.

How long have the herons been on the hilltop?
A map may indicate naturalists were aware of the nest colony decades ago. Article from the Rochester Post Bulletin.

Brett Ostby comments on EAW -Part 1
Part of a series of expert commentary on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) produced by the developer’s paid consultant

Dr. Lance Vrieze comments on EAW
Part of a series of experiment commentary on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) produced by the developer’s paid consultant

Carrol Henderson comments on EAW
Part of a series of experiment commentary on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) produced by the developer’s paid consultant


Minnesota DNR comment on EAW
Part of a series of experiment commentary on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) produced by the developer’s paid consultant
Dr. Gerry Niemi comments on EAW
Part of a series of experiment commentary on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) produced by the developer’s paid consultant