Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News
The Newsletter of the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund
Volume 11, Number 1 • Early Spring 2003
Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat NewsThe Newsletter of the Great Lakes
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By: Jennifer Tahtinen
On February 8th, 2003, environmental activists, professionals, and concerned citizens congregated at the 11th Annual Living Green Conference at Peace Church in Duluth. The Conference serves as an opportunity for everyone concerned with environmental issues to gather and share both ideas and information. Forty area environmental groups tabled at the event, but it wasn’t all business. Seated massage, organic food and good conversation were an important part of the success of this year’s conference.
The keynote speaker this year was John Jackson, former president of Great Lakes United, speaking on issues of water privatization. Nine workshops were held throughout the day with presentations on multiple environmental issues, offering something that appealed to every conscientious citizen and group. Building the Superior Hiking Trail through Duluth, cleaning your home without toxins, and transitioning from nuclear power were among the topics. The Conference was an informative and fun afternoon for everyone, from the networking activist to the citizen looking to get involved.
Snowmobiles and ATV’s have used a 35-mile long trail around Tettegouche State Park unofficially for years, but the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposed to designate it an official ATV trail, requiring six extra miles of trail construction. Minnesotans for Responsible Recreation (MRR) filed suit claiming that miles of wetlands were not protected by the DNR during construction of the trail. The DNR claimed there were 1,000 feet of wetlands, whereas MRR claimed it was closer to six miles.
In a recent ruling, a judge decided that the DNR had adequately investigated the environmental effects of the ATV trail.The judge stated that the DNR had both identified environmental concerns and also addressed ways to mitigate potential environmental affects.MRR has not decided whether they will appeal the ruling. This battle in Minnesota will continue, as the DNR conducts an environmental impact survey on a proposed 39-mile ATV trail west of Itasca State Park.
EAGLE has updated the EcoSource directory, Minnesota’s most comprehensive listing of environmental organizations, including nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies. The directory is available in print format or can be accessed on the web through GLAHNF’s Great Lakes Directory at www.greatlakesdirectory.org/mn/mn.htm. The website, a one-stop shop for environmentalists, offers information on many organizations, but also provides newsworthy articles and a calendar of events. The EcoSource Directory, both the hard copy and the online version, supply important organization information that can be difficult to find otherwise. Be sure to check out this valuable resource!
The Environmental Association for Great Lakes Education (EAGLE) has kicked off a massive campaign to educate and mobilize citizens of the Great Lakes Region about water privatization. Corporate bottling companies are pushing to sell Great Lakes water, calling it “Blue Gold.” EAGLE wants to preserve this incredible resource as the global water crisis increases.
The UN predicts that two-thirds of the world’s population will live in water-scarce regions by 2025, many of them in regions previously considered water-rich, like the United States. In other words, water is the oil of the twenty-first century. The Great Lakes hold 20% of the world’s surface freshwater and 95% of the surface freshwater of the United States. EAGLE is taking a proactive stance against this possible privatization, protecting water from corporate profit and preserving this resource for the public, to whom it actually belongs.
To learn more or to get involved visit EAGLE’s website at www.eagle-ecosource.org.
| Jennifer Tahtinen 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: jennifertahtinen@EAGLE-ecosource.org Website: www.EAGLE-EcoSource.org |