Reader’s View: Minn. waterways lose in Trump budget

Reader’s View: Minn. waterways lose in Trump budget.
After reading the News Tribune’s June 1 editorial (Our View: "Don’t give up on Great Lakes now"), I am deeply concerned about what the budget proposed by President Donald Trump would mean for clean-water protections in Minnesota.
As the editorial mentioned, Duluth and other places on Lake Superior have benefited greatly from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a program Trump seems to be seeking to eliminate, even though it provides critical tools for cleaning up industrial contamination and pollution.
Sadly, there are other proposed cuts readers also should know about.
Slashing these funds could result in an increase in water pollution across the entire state — not just near Lake Superior.
Clean drinking water, tourism revenue, fishing, recreation and the way of life Minnesotans enjoy all depend on the waterways of the state.
U.S. Sens.
Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken should reject Trump’s proposed budget.
Tasha Statz-Geary Gloucester, Mass.
The writer is from Environment Minnesota.

McFeely: Commissioners get an earful on Star Lake casino project

McFeely: Commissioners get an earful on Star Lake casino project.
1 / 4 PELICAN RAPIDS, Minn.—A steady stream of opponents made their way to microphones inside the Pelican Rapids High School auditorium Thursday, June 15, voicing concerns to Otter Tail County commissioners about a proposed casino project on Star Lake.
"If there ever was a commercial project in Otter Tail County that warranted an EIS, this would be it," said Jason Gorr, a property owner on Star Lake.
At issue is a massive 270-acre complex planned by the White Earth Band of Chippewa, which already runs two casinos in Mahnomen and Bagley.
The Shooting Star Casino and Resort at Star Lake would include a casino, RV park, convention center, restaurant and bar.
It was placed there by the Star Lake Concerned Citizens Group.
Bill Crowell, a tribal member of White Earth, said the casino the band recently completed in Bagley isn’t doing as well as expected and that should be a red flag for the Star Lake project.
After that, commissioners with either forward the casino plan to the county planning commission or call for an environmental impact statement.
The citizens who spoke made clear what they want to happen.
"Why risk an area that has been so special for waterfowl and wildlife for so long?"

Minnesota models: collaborating locally — across sectors and interests — for a better environment

Minnesota models: collaborating locally — across sectors and interests — for a better environment.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged about the state of our environment.
At Environmental Initiative, we believe by working together – across sectors and interests – we can achieve more effective and longer lasting solutions.
Working in this way isn’t easy.
In 2015, Minnesota generated 35 megawatts for community solar subscriptions total.
Emerging Leader – Eliza Clark: Clark is the director of sustainability and environmental at Andersen Corporation, a founding member of the Minnesota Sustainable Growth Coalition, and the Vice Chair of Super Bowl LII’s Sustainability Committee.
Energy and Climate – City of Hutchinson Landfill Solar PV: The City of Hutchinson is home to the largest landfill solar project in Minnesota, made possible by public-private partnership.
Sustainable Business – Promoting Deconstruction and Reuse: According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, more than 80 percent of the 1.6 million tons of construction and demolition waste was landfilled in 2013.
In 2016, Better Futures Minnesota and their partners helped recycle or reuse more than 1,571 tons of building materials that would have otherwise been landfilled.
Mike Harley is the executive director of Environmental Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to building partnerships to solve environmental problems collaboratively.

MN Legislature Blocks Minneapolis From Banning Plastic Bags

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Minneapolis ordinance banning plastic carryout bags will not take effect as previously planned June 1 due to a statute passed by the Minnesota State Legislature prohibiting cities from imposing any ban on the use of bags. Enforcement will not begin on the new ordinance while the city explores potential amendments to address the remainder consistent with new state law, recently signed by Gov. Mark Dayton: All merchants, itinerant vendors, and peddlers doing business in this state shall have the option to provide customers a paper, plastic, or reusable bag for the packaging of any item or good purchased, provided such purchase is of a size and manner commensurate with the use of paper, plastic, or reusable bags. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no…

County critiques water quality efforts

Speltz, the chair of the Winona County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board, is not the only local farmer seeing soil wash away.
“We should look at not expanding, but reducing” the number of agencies and programs focused on water quality, Winona County Board member Steve Jacob said.
“There is still too much pollution going on, but we’re doing more than ever.” Pollution problems Southeast Minnesota does have water pollution problems.
Manure and human waste — from fields, feedlots, septic tanks, and water treatment plants — also contribute to coliform bacteria contamination in local rivers, and soil erosion clouds trout streams.
Big farms are not the problem, others argued, but rather small, less-regulated farms.
On the state level, the Board of Soil and Water Resources (BSWR) doles out funding and sets guidelines for local SWCDs, watershed districts, and other agencies.
The MDA, MPCA, and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) all have different roles for overseeing water quality and working to improve it.
SEMWRB Director Linda Dahl said her organization is exploring the possibility of consolidating with another regional group, the Southeast Soil and Water Conservation Districts Technical Support Joint Powers Board.
In southern Winona County, the new Root River Watershed One Water One Plan (1W1P) Joint Powers Board would replace that, but Winona County will still have to maintain a water plan for the other two watersheds in the county.
Like it or not, Harmes added, sometimes the state and federal agencies require local government to complete studies before they are eligible for funding.

Catch a lake sturgeon sporting a tag? Report it

Six feet – that’s the length of the longest lake sturgeon tagged by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and there’s a chance a Rainy River angler could catch that 6-foot fish or others out of the 8,959 sturgeon tagged to date as part of a long-term study.
“As if catching a lunker sturgeon isn’t enough, catching a tagged fish and reporting it gives anglers and the DNR an added bonus.
Cooperation from anglers is an essential part of this long-term tagging and recapture study.” Anglers who report the tag number on a sturgeon receive an email back from the Baudette office thanking them, along with maps and information collected on their tagged fish and its history since tagged.
The information tells a story of the sturgeon’s travels from when it was captured until it was caught and reported.
Of the 8,959 lake sturgeon tagged so far, 5,484 were longer than 45 inches at the time they were tagged.
“Besides understanding sturgeon movement and reproduction cycles, the tagging effort also allows us to make population estimates.” Population estimates of the number of sturgeon longer than 40 inches in the Lake of the Woods-Rainy River system were made in 1990, 2004 and again in 2014.
“This has been accomplished though improving water and habitat quality, stocking to reintroduce the species and improving fish passage through dam removal and modifications.” Intense commercial exploitation during the late 1800s and early 1900s decimated the once abundant sturgeon population in Lake of the Woods and Rainy River.
After the decline of the commercial fishery, the sturgeon population was unable to rebound due to water pollution and degraded habitat in the Rainy River, the primary spawning area and nursery habitat for young sturgeon.
In the Minnesota waters of Lake of the Woods and Rainy River, anglers can catch-and-release sturgeon Oct. 1 through May 15 and July 1 through Sept. 30.
To report a tagged fish visit http://www.mndnr.gov/taggedfish?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=">mndnr.gov/taggedfish or to report it directly to the Baudette office, find contact information and other management information at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/baudette/index.html?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=">mndnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/baudette.

LPGE students look to eliminate disposable plastic water bottles

LPGE students look to eliminate disposable plastic water bottles.
1 / 2 Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Secondary School students have committed to eliminating disposable water bottles through a "Ban the Bottle" initiative.
Phillips said last year’s area studies students launched a green Initiative with a commitment to do something environmentally friendly for the school, its students, and the community on an annual basis.
The area studies class spent time studying global water resources, plastics, the economics of bottled water, and pollution.
On March 31, all students and staff at LPGE Secondary School attended a symposium led by those involved in the Area Studies Green Initiative.
The students’ presentation emphasized the importance of drinking water and the environmental impact and health risks associated with plastic bottled water.
Students were also given a "Ban the Bottle" bracelet to remind them to use their water bottles wherever they go in lieu of the disposable plastic counterpart.
Students in the Area Studies Green Initiative applied for funding through NJPA’s Small Project Partnership.
"Every dollar raised was from the community, including from NJPA, who is a partner with our school," Phillips said.
"The Small Project Partnership from NJPA really made this happen, because we were finding out it was going to be too much money per sponsor, and they matched everything we did."

Water walkers to begin journey in Duluth

Water walkers to begin journey in Duluth.
For the Earth and Water Walk is an Anishinaabe ceremony to honor the water’s gift of life for all beings.
They’ll then start walking to Quebec along Lake Superior’s south shore, a journey that is expected to take four to six months.
They were able to exist without water pollution, but now, the present and future generations are facing serious consequences.
Humans also have the choice of using bottled water if drinking water is too dangerous, but animals don’t have that choice.
Beeds said she worries about what the world will look like when her 2-year-old granddaughter is an adult, pointing out that Native Americans are taught to think about the impacts their movements will have seven generations from now.
The walk is about that as well.
It’s about honoring those ancestors that made sure that we knew how to take care of the Earth’s water and also honoring the future children that are dependent on us to make sure that we think about the water, that we think about the Earth," she said.
Beeds said a core group of nine people will be walking the full route, but they expect both indigenous and non-indigenous people to join them along the way.
People can follow the walk at motherearthwaterwalk.com and at the For the Earth Water Walk 2017 Facebook page, where people can also view a water walk protocol pamphlet.

Keep usables out of trash use the Choose to Resume website

Keep usable items out of the trash and obtain quality items without buying new with the Hennepin County Choose to Reuse site (http://www.hennepin.us/choosetoreuse).
Choosing to reuse helps us live sustainably by reducing waste, saving natural resources, conserving energy, preventing pollution, and saving money.
The main feature of the Choose to Reuse site is a tool that directs you to the best reuse businesses for your needs.
This is where the Choose to Reuse website comes in to help.
The site can help you with common searches, such as where to buy quality used clothes near you.
Lastly, the site covers all 145 zip codes in Hennepin County, so you’ll be able to find information whether you live in Minneapolis or Independence.
There are benefits of reducing and reusing for our environment, in our communities and our homes.
The process of making new items uses natural resources and raw materials, which can harm the environment for future generations.
Reuse retailers provide residents the option to save money while still getting quality items, instead, of buying new items at a much higher price.
All of these are important reasons to check out the new Choose to Reuse website and start taking action to reuse today.