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territory.' The districts are also compact, with overall and average compactness scores comparable to those of the parties' proposed plans. No house district was divided in the creation of a senate district. Just as importantly, this plan achieves population equality to the greatest extent possible while respecting political subdivision boundaries. The mean deviation for the plan's senate districts is .28%, or 206 persons from the ideal senate district population of 73,425 people. The mean deviation for the plan's house districts is .32%, or 118 persons from the ideal house district population of 36,713 people. No house or senate district has a population deviation greater than .80%.These deviations are lower than those in any of the plans submitted by the parties and significantly lower than the deviations in plans of past decades. While working toward population equality, we concluded .that it was particularly important to respect the boundaries of the state's political subdivisions. Counties, cities, and townships constitute some of Minnesota's most fundamental communities of interest and centers of local government. See LaComb v. Growe, 541 F. Supp. 160,163 (1). Minn. 1982) ("Because minor civil divisions contain people with a community of interests and common local government, the Court gave the highest priority after population equality to respecting minor civil division boundaries."). It was consistently stated by the parties to this lawsuit and in public hearings conducted around the state that drawing legislative boundaries that respect political subdivisions will give political subdivisions a stronger, unified voice, and will minimize confusion for the state's voters. (Criteria Sip. 11 7, 8) (all parties jointly recognizing the need for recognition and, where possible, preservation of political subdivisions); (Zachman Br. on I Where Minnesota's many bodies of water make an area contiguous only by water, we have generally verified that a road within or near the district's boundaries provides access to populated parts of the district.