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…)

Since being signed into law on Oct. 18, 1972, the federal Clean Water Act has helped Minnesota and the rest of our nation limit and clean up pollution in our lakes, rivers and streams.

(For an easy-to-understand summary of the landmark Clean Water Act and how it affects Minnesota, see Minnesota’s impaired waters 101, written by Friends of the Mississippi River, an MEP member organization.)

Unfortunately, many leaders in Minnesota proved unfriendly to our water during the past legislative session.* (more…)

So what happened this past legislative session? Here’s our brief overview:

State Budget

Defending traditional sources of funding for our Great Outdoors was a significant part of MEP’s work at the Capitol this year. (more…)

2011 Regular Session Ends in a Draw

Disturbing Trend for Special Exemptions Threatens Minnesota’s Great Outdoors

While we wait for a Special Session to resolve Minnesota’s budget crisis, it is time to take stock of what happened and what didn’t happen to Protect Minnesota’s Great Outdoors in the 2011 Regular Session.

Heading into the regular session, we knew we would have to play defense.  However, none of us fathomed how much of our energy would be expended to stop bad bills that threaten Minnesota’s lakes, rivers and streams, natural areas, wildlife habitat and Clean Energy Future. (more…)

May 27, 2011

“It ain’t over till it’s over,” said New York Yankee great Yogi Berra.

That’s the way a lot of lobbyists, advocates, agency staff, and legislators felt when the 2011 legislative session came to an end at midnight on May 23. Five months of action and drama, but still no budget and deficit resolve. “Extra innings,” Yogi would say! (more…)

May 20, 2011

What are you doing this weekend?

I will be spending some quality time at the State Capitol as we continue to work with the 201 legislators on legislation of major importance to Minnesotans and to our environment and conservation traditions and values. (more…)

May 13, 2011

I am writing this update on Friday afternoon in advance of a long evening back at the Capitol as the House and Senate confer the environment budget bill. The House version is HF1010 and the Senate version is SF1029. The two sides have met a number of times in the last week and are expected to reach final agreement yet tonight (Friday). (more…)

April 15, 2011

It is Friday afternoon and both the Twins and the Legislature is out of town. The Twins are in Tampa Bay and the 201 Legislators are getting ready to go home for a full week of Easter Break! (more…)

Learn more about the potential damage to our environment being proposed by our Legislature.—
Check out the League of Women Voters- Minnesota website and their Capitol Letter that highlights some of the environmental issues at the legislature today.

Scroll down to the Environment section by Gwen Myers, LWV Minnesota Volunteer Lobbyist and Our Sky-Blue Waters at Risk
http://www.lwvmn.org/Page.aspx?pid=448

More dirty deeds of our legislators.  Please call yours and tell them lowering our water quality standards is not acceptable. And jobs is a smokescreen for the Iron Range legislators. People need to stand up and tell their legislators this is not acceptable.

Read the article from the Duluth News Tribune: http://tinyurl.com/44y9saa