Wednesday, February 23 Audubon at the Capitol by Bonnie DeClercq
You probably know that Minnesota has the most surface waters of all 48
contiguous states. After all, we’re the land of 10,000 plus lakes.
However, you may not know that only 8% of our river miles and 14% of our
lakes have been tested for pollution problems, and 40 % of those have
been found contaminated. The Sunrise River is one of those designated as
impaired. These are some of the facts we learned when a delegation of
Wild River Audubon members (Earl Olson, Sue Leaf, Dayle and Bonnie,
DeClercq, Silvia Knepper, Joycelyn Warholm and Bernie Murphey) attended
Citizens Lobby Day at the capitol Wednesday, February 28th, to advocate
for the Clean Waters Legacy and the Off Highway Vehicle legislation. Bus
loads of citizens came from the Brainerd, Alexandria and Duluth areas
and participated with us. The Minnesota Environmental Partnership, a
coalition of more than 40 organizations, coordinated the day and
provided the refreshments, data and training for the 400- 500 of us to
become citizen lobbyists. They also provided us with advance-scheduled
meeting times to talk to our legislators, Peter Nelson and Sean Nienow.
Susan Solterman of the State Audubon gathered Audubon groups together
for a photo on the capitol steps and then we all proceeded into the
rotunda. Signs and banners abounded and construction paper fish dangled
from poles hung over the second floor banister. Several supporters of
the bills spoke and the media caught it all on camera. Our little “gang
of 8” members literally packed the small offices of Pete Nelson and Sean
Nienow and we were warmly received. We believe we left the impression
that we were informed, motivated and would be persistent in our
advocacy. House File 826 sponsored by Dennis Ozment and Senate file 762
sponsored by Dennis Fredrickson propose generating $75-$100 million in
new state dollars annually to test and clean up Minnesota’s waters.
There are both Republican and Democratic sponsors and supporters. The
Off Highway Vehicle legislation acts to support responsible riding and
strengthen the law by holding reckless riders responsible for damage.
This legislation requires no new regulations, no new water quality
standards, and no new agency or program. It enhances enforcement of the
already existing regulations. Feeling that our mission was accomplished,
we headed for our cars and all managed to get home before the rush of
commuter traffic. We felt that it was a productive and enjoyable day.
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Wild
River Audubon Society