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into more &an two senate or house districts. Second, although annexations and population growth have been ongoing even after our geographic data was fixed, district boundaries were drawn in many areas to minimize the long-term impact of these. changes. Third, the plan recognizes that many cities in Minnesota are too large to remain intact in one house district, but are small enough to fit within a senate district and would like to remain intact where possible. (E.g., Letter from Dennis F. Maetzold, Mayor of Edina, to Minn. Spec. Redistricting Panel of Feb. 5, 2002.) The plan keeps many of these cities, including Apple Valley, Eden Prairie, Edina, Lakeville, Maple Grove, St. Cloud, St. Louis Park, and Woodbury, within a single senate district, splitting them only to create house districts of the proper pdpulation. Furthermore, the plan splits only 69 precincts among senate districts and 119 precincts among house districts. While precincts are not entitled to the same deference as political subdivisions, preserving precinct boundaries is another means of minimizing voter confusion in the coming elections. Minimizing precinct splits will also reduce the statutory burden on local governments to draw new precinct and ward boundaries by April 30, 2002. See Minn. Stat. §§ 20413.135, subd. 1, 204B.14., subd. 3(c) (2000). Although this plan places primary importance on the integrity of political subdivisions, it also respects communities of interest in many areas of the state. As tribal leaders have requested, the White Earth and Red Earth Reservations are intact in a common senate district. Detroit Lakes Hearing, supra, at 29 (testimony of Bobby Whitefeather, Tribal Chair of Red Lake Nation); (Joint Letter of Dec. 19, 2001 from Doyle Turner, Tribal Chair of White Earth Reservation, and Bobby Whitefeather to Senate Redistricting Working Group). The plan also recognizes other well-known Minnesota communities, such as the Iron Range, Red River Valley, -5_