We are in our second week at the State Capitol and three bills that rollback protections for our air and water have already passed out of the Senate and House Environment committees. Community leaders testified in opposition, including the executive director of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership.  We’ll keep an eye on these bills.  We expect to see more proposals like this.

But thanks to your help, we had a minor victory late last week!  (more…)

Imagine a squad of cheerleaders shouting out “Give me a T”, and the spectators calling back en masse, “T!!!” And then give them an “M”…and a “D”…and finally a “L”.

The spectators look confused. School spirit is suddenly stunningly low. (more…)

What do you like about Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes and 70,000 miles of streams? Swimming? Fishing?

You should know about Beneficial Use Impairments, or BUI’s.

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Ely, Minnesota has been an environmental battlefield for decades. Ely was founded as an iron mining town, and a century later, conflicts today focus on mining.

The conflict came to a head last month at a meeting of the St. Louis County board of commissioners in Ely. Commissioners were hearing testimony about a proposed resolution in support of nonferrous mining in the County. The commissioner chairing the meeting asked the people testifying to state whether they wanted clean water or jobs.

Clean water OR jobs? (more…)

I talked to a Todd County farmer yesterday who uses 100 percent no-till  and other conservation measures to raise his crops. Conserving soil is important to him, and so he’s quite upset at how mobile humus has been on neighboring farms this fall/early winter. “You know that little skiff of snow we got the other day? Well, eroded soil was already mixing with it and blowing around,” the farmer told me. A Minnesota landscape full of Christmas snirt is a rude reminder that we need to stop arguing over if soil erosion is a problem. It is, and the time for action is upon us. (more…)

On my walk to work, I cross Duluth’s iconic Aerial Lift Bridge. During the shipping season, my commute can be seriously disrupted by traffic…shipping traffic that is. The span of the bridge is nearly as long as a city block, and when a boat comes off of Lake Superior, the entire span raises up about 200 feet to get out of the way. Out of any given five days of work, there’s at least one day when I have to wait five, ten, even fifteen minutes to continue to work.

On the flip side, I get to walk down to the edge of the ship canal and experience the boats up close. They are stunning to watch and hear.

Just as these ships are a mixed blessing for my walk to work, they are a mixed blessing for the harbor ecosystem.

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We knew Minnesotans would pitch in for Give to the Max Day, but wow! We are amazed by your willingness to join our efforts in protecting Minnesota’s Great Outdoors.

We always say our coalition works for our core Minnesota values — clean water, clean energy, and a healthy environment for our children and grandchildren — that transcend our differences. We know that despite what some state leaders claim, Minnesotans want our environment to be protected. Your support is even further evidence of this. (more…)

Breaking news: Your donation to MEP will now be doubled!

We are pleased to announce that key supporters and Board Members of Minnesota Environmental Partnership have generously issued a challenge for tomorrow’s Give to the Max Day:

•  Starting at midnight, the first $6,000 in contributions to MEP on Nov. 16 will be matched dollar for dollar!

We need your help to meet this challenge. Please visit our Give to the Max page, GiveMN.org/MEPartnership, and double your dollars all day on Nov. 16. (more...)

We Minnesotans are proud of the Boundary Waters – it’s a world-renowned place where I, like many of us, have made great memories while establishing core environmental values and enjoying Minnesota’s natural beauty.

When future generations visit the Boundary Waters, let’s make sure they can get drinking water from the lakes, and eat the fish they catch, and swim safely in the water – just like we do. (more...)

Give to the Max Countdown: 8 days to go!

We Minnesotans sure love to fish: Dropping a line in our favorite lake, river or stream is part of our way of life.

But a whopping 40% of our state’s lakes and rivers are seriously polluted – contaminating the fish, making them harmful to our health.

So let’s do something about it. (more…)