The
Confluence is the monthly
electronic newsletter of
In this
issue:
~ Action Needed on
Key Legislation
~ New Website
Launched
~ Upcoming
~ Staffing Changes at
~ Study of
Resources for
Conferences, Confabs
and Conglomerations
The Bucks Start Here-
Funding Resources
~
Action Needed on Key
Legislation
Minnesota Waters asks
its members and supporters to contact their legislators on two important issues
that need immediate legislative attention.
Increased Funding for
Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention and Management
In the Governor’s
Budget proposal for the FY08/09 biennium, the DNR is proposing a $2 million per
year increase in funding for aquatic invasive species (AIS) management to be
funded through an increase in the current watercraft license surcharge,
dedicated to AIS, a new $2 surcharge on out-of-state fishing licenses, and a
one-time surcharge on utility trailers and towed recreational vehicles. While
Minnesota Waters supports the DNR proposal, we also believe it does not have
adequate funding for preventing the spread of AIS and still falls short of the
needed $6 million per year funding to adequately manage AIS in
http://www.minnesotawaters.org/index.php?uberKey=300&page=4880
Reduction in
Undeveloped Shoreland Property Taxes (HF1900; SF1420)
Minnesota Waters is
supporting the Minnesota Seasonal Recreational Property Owners (MSRPO)
legislation, affectionately called the “Blue Waters” bill, to provide tax
incentives for keeping undeveloped lakeshore in its natural state. Currently,
developed and undeveloped lakeshore are taxed the same. This legislation will
give property owners a financial incentive to keep land undeveloped, and
ultimately help water quality. For the details of the legislation, see:
http://www.msrpo.org/get_educated_blue_waters_legislation.htm
Please keep in mind
that legislative actions change quickly at this time during the legislative
session. For the most
up-to-date information on bills of interest to you, how to contact your
legislator, committee memberships and schedules, and weekly reports, see the
legislative website at: http://www.leg.state.mn.us/ Watch
for a Minnesota Waters Legislative Alert next week.
New Website
Launched
The long-awaited new
website for Minnesota Waters has officially been launched. See: http://www.minnesotawaters.org for program
information (citizen monitoring, public policy, watershed stewardship); events;
Minnesota Waters publications, newsletters, and resources; lake association and
river group lists and websites; and information on how you can support the work
of Minnesota Waters. Check back often for updated information.
Workshop I: Saturday March
31, 2007
Volunteers will
receive training on how to take water samples and proper protocols to ensure
high quality data. We will also practice with monitoring equipment;
identify sites for sampling; and set-up timelines for monitoring and reporting
data. Because citizen monitors are an important part of the
data-to-information-to action pathway – we’ll talk about data use and establish
an action plan for each individual monitor. If you are a new or
current monitor in these watersheds below, please join us to monitor the health
of our waters. Partners:
How To
Tuesday April 3, 2007; Hamel
Community Center 9:30 am – 2:00
pm
Join us for a fun day of
learning. We will start with a discussion on the state of
Friday, April 20, 2007; location to
be determined; 1 pm to 4:30 pm
Partnering with the
Sauk River Watershed District, Minnesota Waters will providde training to help
volunteers assess
stream health. Training will include sampling site selection, equipment
maintenance, and proper protocols for collecting, storing and transporting water
quality samples. We’ll also talk about data use and establish an action
plan for each individual monitor. The Minnesota Legislature, through the
MPCA, has provided State funds through the Clean Water Legacy Act for Surface
Water Assessment Grants for this workshop. For more information and
registration, contact the Amy at Sauk River Watershed, 320-352-2231,
Friday, May 4, 2007;
Have lake data, but not sure how to
analyze and interpret it? If yes, this interactive workshop is for
you! You will be guided step-by-step through the process of gathering,
organizing, “crunching” and interpreting your Secchi disk, total phosphorus and
chlorophyll ‘a’ data in conjunction with data from other sources. A
step-by-step lake assessment guide and lunch will be provided. Space is
limited to two participants per lake. Acceptance is on a first come basis.
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural
Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota
Resources (LCMR). For information or registration contact: Sandra Holm, 218 765
3309, RNSholm@brainerd.net
Wednesday May 9, 2007; location and
time TBD
Minnesota Waters is working with
the Crow Wing County Soil & Water Conservation Department to develop a
training workshop for citizen water quality monitors in
Ever wonder what all those plants
are growing in and around your shoreland and why they’re there? Then join
us for an exciting day of learning about aquatic and emergent plant
identification and monitoring basics for lake and lawn. Session is interactive
and informal. All materials, including a laminated field guide will be
provided. Lunch and refreshments are also included. Registration is
$15, although scholarships are available for citizens. Funding for this project
was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as
recommended by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR).
For information or registration contact: Sandra Holm, 218 765 3309, RNSholm@brainerd.net
Partnering with the
Sauk River Watershed District, Minnesota Waters will train citizen volunteers in
assessing lake health
in the watershed. Training will include sampling site selection, equipment
maintenance, and proper protocols for collecting, storing and transporting water
quality samples. There will also be hands on experience collecting
samples. Parameters included are total phosphorus, chlorophyll ‘a’
and Secchi disk. The Minnesota Legislature, through the MPCA, has provided
State funds through the Clean Water Legacy Act for Surface Water Assessment
Grants for this workshop. For more information and registration, contact
the Amy at Sauk River Watershed, 320-352-2231,
Want to Be Added to
If you would like to
be added to the citizen monitoring email list to receive notification of
trainings, please email your contact information (name, address, phone number
& email) to angiek@minnesotawaters.org and put “Citizen
Monitoring List” in the subject line.
Staffing Changes at
Mary Karius, Citizen Monitoring
Coordinator,
will be leaving Minnesota Waters this month to take advantage of a new
professional opportunity. In submitting her resignation, Mary said “I have
enjoyed working for Minnesota Waters and have met so many wonderful and
dedicated people. I will miss them but know the fantastic work Minnesota Waters
is known for will continue. I wish all of you my best.” Mary’s last day will be
March 27th, 2007. Mary’s energy and strong technical skills were a
significant contribution to the Minnesota Waters Citizen Monitoring Program, and
she will be missed. We wish her all the best!
Courtney
Kowalczak will
be joining the Minnesota Waters team on March 31 as our Citizen Monitoring
Coordinator. Courtney brings a wealth of experience with water
quality monitoring and citizen programs, most recently working with over 30
schools throughout the western
Angel Samolytz, Communications
& Development Support, finished up her work as a full time
Minnesota Waters employee as of March 15. Sadly, the Communications &
Development Support position was eliminated in February due to limited operating
funds. Angel’s most recent accomplishment was coordinating the set up of
Minnesota Waters web site and supporting over 100 groups hosted on the site.
Angel will continue to provide limited support for the web site for another two
weeks. We wish her well as she pursues new career opportunities.
Most cabins and lakeshore homes are
nestled into forest settings because Minnesotans like trees and feel at home in
the woods. We burn up the wood from dead and diseased trees and even bring
firewood from home to fuel bonfires and woodstoves while up north. Did you know
that firewood can harbor harmful insects and diseases that they can be
inadvertently spread to new locations by transporting it around the state and in
from other states? These include insects such as the emerald ash borer
(EAB), Asian longhorned beetle, Sirex woodwasps, gypsy moths and diseases such
as oak wilt and others. Where states have attempted to eradicate EAB, removing
all ash trees within a ½ mile of the site, the cost has been about $1 million
per site. Where EAB is established, it has eliminated all ash trees;
cities and towns have been stripped of their street trees and lowlands forests
were decimated. State and federal quarantines restrict the transportation of
infested nursery stock and forest products, but restrictions on firewood do not
address the vast amounts of firewood moved by the public so may not be effective
in protecting our state’s resources.
Moving personal firewood supplies
from your home to your cabin or lake home is not regulated like transporting
them into state campgrounds. It’s up to you to prevent the “bad bugs” from
moving into the trees and forests near your land. So, leave your firewood
supply at home and make sure that your firewood supply is purchased from an
approved dealer near your destination.
Regional Workshops: The DNR will be holding several
regional meetings around the state to inform interested local units of
government, agencies, and organizations about the threat of invasive organisms,
the proposed legislation and what we all can do to prevent the spread of exotic
pests. Please watch for meeting announcements on this website:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/firewood/index.html
Learning About
The results of the
Portage County, Wisconsin Lakes study helped galvanize support from citizens,
municipalities and county government on lake conservation issues. The three-year
study completed in 2005, compared data from a 1975 study of
Biologists
are concerned that spiny water fleas found in
While
adult spiny water fleas are fragile and will die out of water, Montz said the
eggs resist drying, freezing and extreme temperatures. They even pass through
the digestive tracts of fish and birds without harm. Spiny water fleas and their
eggs also can spread to other waters on boats, bait buckets or fishing gear.
Montz says it's too soon to say what impact spiny water fleas will have on the
ecosystem of
Jay
Rendall, Invasive Species Program coordinator for DNR Ecological Services, said
the agency is readying a "multi-pronged" response to the spiny water flea
outbreak on the border lakes. The effort will focus on the area from Lake of the
Woods and east to Rainy and Namakan, Rendall says, and also
~ Resources for
New Publication:
Citizen’s Guide to Influencing Local Land-Use
Decisions
Online:
http://www.minnesotawaters.org/documents/CIT%20Guidebook.pdf
Hot of the press-
Minnesota Waters announces the availability of its new publication—A
Citizen’s Guide to Influencing Local Land-Use Decisions-- written in
collaboration with 1000 Friends of Minnesota. The 52-page booklet was written to
create a well-informed, well-organized, well-prepared citizenry ready to address
increasing shoreland development proactively, instead of reactively, in the name
of balanced, well-planned growth and development. To receive a copy, send $5, to
cover postage and handling, to Minnesota Waters:
Legislative Bill
Tracker
To see the latest status of
environmental legislation in
Free Kit to Help “Get
the Lead Out!”
Order a free “Get the Lead
Out!” kit for your next lake association gathering and help encourage anglers to
use environmentally friendly lead-free fishing tackle. This is the third
year educational kits have been offered to Minnesota-based lake
associations. The attractive kit includes a table top sign, fact sheets, a
list of lead-free retailers and manufacturers and sample packets of lead-free
jigs and weights.
Lead poisoning of loons, eagles and
other wildlife is avoidable. Help us spread the word about safe and
effective alternatives to lead tackle. For more information visit:
www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/reduce/sinkers.cfm or contact Dan Miller of the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency at 651-297-8319, toll free 800-657-3864 or by
email at daniel.miller@pca.state.mn.us.
Useful Fact Sheets
for
The
Ever
For the list of lake
classification, county-by-county in Minnesota, see: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/shoreland/lake_shoreland_classifications.html
Questions and Answers
About
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/pwpermits/water_law_questions_and_answers.pdf
~ Conferences, Confabs
and Conglomerations ~
◊March 22, Mankato ◊ March 28
,
April 4, 2007,
Holiday Inn,
The Shallow Lake
Management Forum IV will build on the foundation of the prior three Forums and
focus on the assessment, management and restoration of
Classes Without
Quizzes
April 14, Borlaugh Hall,
The University of Minnesota College
of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences (formerly
For more information visit:
www.cfans.umn.edu/cwq
April 21;
The Lake Benton Association, with
co-sponsor Minnesota Waters, will host their first annual lake management
seminar focusing on Curlyleaf pondweed management.
2007 Land-Use
Planning Workshops
The Government Training Service
(GTS) announces its 2007 schedule for Land-Use Planning Workshops, including:
Your Role as a Planning Commission Member, Basics of Planning & Zoning,
Beyond the Basics of Planning & Zoning, Site Planning Basics for Non-Design
Professionals, Getting the Most Out of Your Comprehensive Plan, Spotlight on
Sub-Divisions, and How To Avoid Drowning in Lakeshore Development. Classes
will be held in
2008 Lakes and Rivers
Conference—Mark Your Calendar’s Now
The 2008 Lakes and
Rivers Conference will be held September 11-13, 2008, at the
~ The Bucks Start Here
~ Funding Resources
BWSR Local Water
Management Challenge Grants—Application Deadine April 15
Local Water
Management Challenge grant proposals must implement a priority action in an
approved local water management plan. Eligible projects include: land and water
treatment (i.e. install erosion or water quality improvement practices);
planning and environmental controls (i.e. developing a lake plan or special area
ordinance); or monitoring and modeling (i.e. water quality data or watershed
modeling). Special consideration will be given to projects that develop and
implement innovative practices, programs, or plans to protect or restore surface
and groundwater. Local governments, including counties, watershed districts, and
watershed management organizations, and soil and water conservation districts
with delegated local water management responsibilities may apply.
Minnesota Waters
promotes responsible
stewardship of our water resources by engaging citizens, state and local policy
makers and other like-minded partners in the protection and restoration of our
lakes and rivers. We achieve our mission through watershed education,
citizen monitoring, supporting conservation stewardship, influencing public
policy and empowering citizen groups to manage their local water
resources.
****JOIN MINNESOTA WATERS
TODAY!****