Comments on: Gutting Green Acres http://looncommons.org/2008/11/14/gutting-green-acres/ A forum for current and emerging environmental and conservation issues in Minnesota. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:20:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Loon Commons: Dedicated to Protecting and Restoring Minnesota’s Environment » Blog Archive » Time to Learn from Past Green Acres Mistakes http://looncommons.org/2008/11/14/gutting-green-acres/comment-page-1/#comment-596 Loon Commons: Dedicated to Protecting and Restoring Minnesota’s Environment » Blog Archive » Time to Learn from Past Green Acres Mistakes Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:55:16 +0000 http://www.looncommons.org/?p=854#comment-596 [...] As we’ve reported here before, this key farmland conservation program was thrown into a tailspin last year when the Minnesota Legislature made changes to it with virtually no public input. That lack of input has created a mess of a program that’s got farmers, conservationists and assessors hopping mad, and communities in general concerned about the future of their rural landscapes. For a sense of what a mess Legislators have created, just check out what farmer Heidi Morlock has to say in a recent podcast and a letter-to-the-editor she wrote to Agri News. [...] [...] As we’ve reported here before, this key farmland conservation program was thrown into a tailspin last year when the Minnesota Legislature made changes to it with virtually no public input. That lack of input has created a mess of a program that’s got farmers, conservationists and assessors hopping mad, and communities in general concerned about the future of their rural landscapes. For a sense of what a mess Legislators have created, just check out what farmer Heidi Morlock has to say in a recent podcast and a letter-to-the-editor she wrote to Agri News. [...]

]]> By: Cheryl Maser Hakimi http://looncommons.org/2008/11/14/gutting-green-acres/comment-page-1/#comment-595 Cheryl Maser Hakimi Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:21:00 +0000 http://www.looncommons.org/?p=854#comment-595 What a great article! From an ecological perspective, it is important to point out that destroying forested land has a huge impact on the conservation of biodiversity in Minnesota. Fragmentation of the landscape limits the continued support for a diversity of plants, animals and birds. I hope that our legislators wise up quickly. Putting the mighty dollar before Mother Nature has not been a winning situation for the natural world in the history of America. This thinking reminds me of the Dust Bowl days, when farmers were "encouraged" to farm the prairies. Lets not repeat mistakes from the past. Lets get Green Acres back on track. What a great article!

From an ecological perspective, it is important to point out that destroying forested land has a huge impact on the conservation of biodiversity in Minnesota. Fragmentation of the landscape limits the continued support for a diversity of plants, animals and birds.

I hope that our legislators wise up quickly. Putting the mighty dollar before Mother Nature has not been a winning situation for the natural world in the history of America. This thinking reminds me of the Dust Bowl days, when farmers were “encouraged” to farm the prairies. Lets not repeat mistakes from the past. Lets get Green Acres back on track.

]]> By: Loon Commons: Dedicated to Protecting and Restoring Minnesota’s Environment » Blog Archive » Green Acres Repeal Advances http://looncommons.org/2008/11/14/gutting-green-acres/comment-page-1/#comment-594 Loon Commons: Dedicated to Protecting and Restoring Minnesota’s Environment » Blog Archive » Green Acres Repeal Advances Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:00:58 +0000 http://www.looncommons.org/?p=854#comment-594 [...] It’s early in the 2009 session, and the Minnesota Legislature has already taken some serious steps towards fixing the disastrous problems it foisted upon the Green Acres program in 2008. But there’s still a lot of work to do, and calls to lawmakers are needed in coming days to ensure they get the message loud and clear: repeal the 2008 changes now, and fix the program the right way this time. [...] [...] It’s early in the 2009 session, and the Minnesota Legislature has already taken some serious steps towards fixing the disastrous problems it foisted upon the Green Acres program in 2008. But there’s still a lot of work to do, and calls to lawmakers are needed in coming days to ensure they get the message loud and clear: repeal the 2008 changes now, and fix the program the right way this time. [...]

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