The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is initiating updates to the Buffalo River State Park management plan to guide future development and operations.

The new management plan will set the direction for the park for the next 15 to 20 years. It will include recommendations for managing natural and cultural resources and providing recreational and interpretative opportunities to park visitors.

The DNR invites those interested in providing input to an open house on Monday, Dec. 9 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Minnesota State University Moorhead Regional Science Center, 663 164th St. So., Glyndon.

DNR staff will provide information on natural and cultural resources, interpretation and recreation opportunities at the park. The public will have the opportunity to share some of their initial ideas on what they would like to see at the park in the future. There will also be information about the planning process, timeline and how to get involved.

Buffalo River State Park is located 14 miles east of Moorhead and sits along the winding Buffalo River. Many of its facilities were built by the Works Progress Administration in the late 1930s and early 1940s and are on the National Register of Historic Places. The native and restored prairie within the park, and the adjoining Bluestem Prairie Scientific and Natural Area, is judged to be one of the largest and best of the state's prairie preserves. Visitors can enjoy riverside hiking trails through old-growth forest, with plenty of opportunities for picnicking, fishing, birding and wildlife viewing throughout the park. For overnight visitors, there is a seasonal campground and group camp.

For information, visit the park website.

For information about the open house or management plan, contact Gratia Joice, principal planner, 651-259-5328 or [email protected].