Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News
The Newsletter of the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund
Volume 10, Number 2 • March-April 2002
Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat NewsThe Newsletter of the Great Lakes
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by Lynne Olson
Environmental Association for
Great Lakes Education (EAGLE)
Environmental activists and citizens from around northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin gathered on March 2nd for the 10th Annual Living Green Conference. It was a valuable opportunity to learn from local experts about the latest environmental issues ranging from a proposed and dramatic increase in coal-fired power plants in the region to global warming and how Minnesota’s boreal forest ecosystem may, in 40–50 years, be a thing of the past.
Over 225 people gathered to learn, network, and restore that bank of internal energy that provides the fuel to do the valuable advocacy work on behalf of our water, air, and earth resources. Whether she was an activist making key connections or he was a citizen learning about recycling his computer, the afternoon was informative, fun, and also a celebration of many successes.
In the continuing saga of a proposed championship golf course and hotel complex at Duluth’s Spirit Mountain, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recently suspended the authorization process for the proposed conversion of state Land Water Conservation Fund lands that is necessary before the project can proceed.
The City was told that the DNR process will not move forward again until the City makes it clear that there is agreement among city leadership that the conversion request for the project is the desire of both local branches (Mayor and City Council) of government.
Minnesota DNR Commissioner Allen Garber stated, “[T]he project is obviously a very controversial one for the city and it is no longer clear to the DNR what the interests and needs of the city are. We have received and observed conflicting messages from elected leaders and staff. . . .While the city asserts that the Mayor, as authorized by the city charter, has a right to pursue proposals, the DNR must assert its right to require that such proposals have the demonstrated support of the city’s elected leaders from both branches.”
So, for the immediate future, the old growth forest and urban trout stream are safe, but probably only until the work permit issue arises again in June. In the meantime, citizens continue to advocate on behalf of the forest and stream. It’s not over yet.
Known by some as the “Land of Sky Blue Waters,” Minnesota is the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”; it’s also home to headwaters for 3 major watersheds – Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and Red River. Not one drop of water flows into Minnesota; it all flows outward - north, south, or east.
Water is obviously an important and treasured resource for Minnesotans. Therefore, it provides the cornerstone of a state-wide effort by the Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP) to educate and advocate on behalf of the state’s valuable - and vulnerable - water resources. “Protect Our Water” (POW) is the name of the campaign mounted by MEP and the 75+ environmental and conservation groups that make up this state-wide coalition that, all tolled, represents 500,000 Minnesotans.
To turn the tide on the results of years of runoff, pollution, and neglect, MEP drafted an $80 million package that has something for everyone. Twenty-one initiatives comprise the campaign. Elements include making a smart investment for the future by funding conservation bonding projects now; getting fair tax deals for landowners who create conservation easements; and encouraging every Minnesotan to get involved in good stewardship of water resources.
Lake Superior and its watershed would benefit from several of the initiatives. The “Shoreland Buffers” program would protect and restore critical shorelands – including 112 evaluated sites along the North Shore eligible for erosion controls. Two North Shore State Parks would get bigger, and a Scientific Natural Area would protect an old growth pine forest on Duluth’s 7-mile sand spit, Park Point. One program would help more communities address the growing issue of failing septic systems.
As of this writing, the legislative session is still underway, so full results aren’t in yet. A citizen monitoring bill has been signed and passage of mandated use of a phosphorous-free fertilizer looks promising. Bonding initiatives are under negotiation in a conference committee of both legislative houses.
For the first time, legislators heard a unified voice from Minnesota’s environmental community, and, although POW may not have been 100% successful on all 21 initiatives, it has been a good beginning. The coalition’s work planted a good seed for next year’s Health Waters campaign. The health of our waters can no longer be taken for granted; it will take both legislators AND citizens to play a role in creating the solutions that will Protect Our Water.
| Lynne Olson Environmental Association for Great Lakes Education (EAGLE) Serving as Hub for Minnesota 394 Lake Avenue South, #222 Duluth, MN 55802 (218)-726-1828 (586)-816-1974(fax) E-mail: lynne@ecosource.tsx.org Website: www.EAGLE-EcoSource.org |