THE WETLANDS SUMMIT
Diverse Groups Gather to Plan Wetlands Conservation
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| At work at the Ike booth at the Welands Summit is State Treasurer Jill Crafton who along with her hard working Bush Lake Chapter Members helped make the Summit a success. Office Manager Noreen Tyler put in hours and hours of prepartion for the event. Many thanks to these people and others who contributed their time and ideas. |
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| Dell Erickson of Breckenridge Chapter sets up his camera to film action at the Wetlands Summit. |
Wetlands ABCs Wetlands
improve water quality
and wildlife habitat,
reduce runoff, retain
floodwater, reduce stream
sedimentation, restore
groundwater besides offering
visual beauty. |
The challenge to restore and protect Minnesota's shrinking wetlands drew a packed house crowd of 324 conservationists, environmentalists, representatives of governmental groups, and waterfowl supporters to the First Annual Wetlands Summit. Held at Normandale Community College, Bloomington, on February 4, a full day of presentations outlined the status of wetlands in our state: the history, regulations, successes and failures plus ideas for change that can initiate action for wetlands restoration and protection. Fifty percent of Minnesota's wetlands have disappeared and 90% have been lost in the western prairie pothole area of the state.
The dedicated efforts of Summit Co-chairs MN Division President Bill Henke and Harvey Nelson of the Minnesota Waterfowl Association, MN Outdoor Heritage Alliance, and Leech Lake Area Watershed Foundation, paid off big time. The diverse group of attendees speaks to the partnerships necessary to carry on a long term, concerted effort to turn the vanishing wetlands tide.
A Minnesota wetlands report by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy released just days before the Summit listed these reasons for wetland loss and destruction: 1. Exemptions in wetland protection laws. 2. Inadequate enforcement of wetland protection laws. 3. A series of complicated, outdated or mismatched wetland and drainage laws, rules and procedures. All were discussed during the Summit sessions.
About 30 presenters representing a multitude of governmental programs and conservation and environmental groups spoke during the day. Morning sessions which included all attendees covered wetlands history, programs, problems, federal regulations, wildlife restoration programs and regulatory issues. Discussion was lively. Afternoon breakout sessions discussed methods of restoring our wetland heritage. Panelists presented more detailed information and attendees came up with recommendations for action.
The Federal Farm Program section recommended reform of the Farm Bill due to be renewed in 2007 and suggested capping commodity subsidies and using excess funds to reward sustainable farming practices. The Role of Private Lands session called for dedicated funding for conservation and economic accountability for educational efforts. The MN Wetland Conservation Act and Ditch Laws group wanted wetland regulation enforcement for conservation officers and citizen involvement in the front end made easier and the process more transparent.
All participant's opinion questionnaires will be reviewed by the Summit facilitators and added to group recommendations to form a position paper that will guide future legislative efforts.
Noon Speaker, Tony Dean
His words always thought provoking, Tony Dean, dedicated sportsman and media guru, gave the noon audience some ideas to chew on. He called for the need to do a better job of explaining the value of wetlands as he pictured the endless skeins of waterfowl that yesteryear filled flyway skies. He lauded the still fertile prairie potholes of the Dakotas where waterfowl flights now originate. Minnesota is missing that bounty.
He stressed the value of short term wetlands and bemoaned the growing problem of access to public hunting and increasing drainage apparent along I-29. He mused on the possibility of the desertification of Dakota potholes due to global warming. He reminded us that successes start locally. So we had better spring into action.
April 22 Wetlands Rally - Let's Finish the Job!
The energy level is high as planning for the second Ducks, Wetlands and Clean Water Rally gains momentum, Rally Co-chair Ike Dave Zentner of Duluth reports. His Co-chair is Lance Ness of the Fish and Wildlife Legislative Alliance. 5000 exuberant wetlands stakeholders attended the 2005 Rally and thousands more are expected at the April 22 event at the State Capitol which will focus on wetlands conservation and restoration. The 2005 theme has been broadened from "Time for a Change" to "Let's Finish the Job." While the spirit is high and legislators are tuned in, dedicated funding needs to be enacted and with new money.
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| Dave Zentner, W. J. McCabe Chapter (Duluth), has been up to his ears in conservation activity as Co-chair of the Ducks, Wetlands, and Clean Water Rally and of the LCMR Advisory Task Force. He is pictured at last year's rally. |
Goals of the Rally are:
- Dedicated funding for conservation.
- Reform of the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources
- Clean Water Legacy Legislation (You can learn more details about these concerns at wetlandsrally.org on the Internet.)
Dave Zentner says the Rally has about 40 sponsoring organizations, corporate funding and will have fewer speeches and more entertainment.
Kick-off for the Rally is Orange Hat Day, March 16, a mini-rally, where about 200 conservationists, sportsmen, and concerned citizens will gather at the steps of the Capitol to hold legislators accountable for wetlands conservation. Bud Grant will be among them. During the day attendees will meet in groups with individual legislators to inform them early in the session for the need for constitutionally dedicated funding for natural resources.
LCMR Task Force Recommends Citizen Involvement
The Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) Advisory Task Force, at the request of Governor Pawlenty, has Presented its ideas for revision of the LCMR, a legislator based commission, that hands out million of dollars annually from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund to support natural resources programs. Governor Pawlenty has called for a revision of the commission to a citizen based entity. Co-chairs of the Advisory Task Force which has studied this problem since September are IWLA Past National President Dave Zentner of Duluth and State Representative Loren Solberg of Grand Rapids.
The 16 member legislator/citizen Task Force recommended that the LCMR change from a 20 legislator body to one made up of 17 members with seven non-legislators. The body would recommend projects every year rather than every other year. The commission would have five
representatives and five senators and seven citizens. Five citizens would be appointed by the governor, and one each by the Senate and House. The full Legislature will still have final say on the Task Force recommendations and the governor could still veto them.