Minnesota Native Plant Society

2010 Minnesota’s Wildflowers $300,000 Weed Program Funding Initiative  

On March 2, 2010 Minnesota’s Wildflowers submitted their 2010 Legislative funding initiative to Senator Satveer Chaudhary, Chairman of the Senate’s Natural Resources Committee, requesting $300,000.00 for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s state weed program.

Minnesota’s Wildflowers are asking you to now contact your state legislators and asking them for their support of this important legislation.

The time for this funding is now, not 2011 or 2012 or whenever the economy gets better because it’s not going to. Minnesota does have weed law now but it is unfunded. Non-native invasive species at present run completely unchecked throughout the entire state.

We cannot promise that you that we will get this funding from these efforts but we will have tried and for sure – no funding without your help!

Here is the link to find contact information for your legislators:

http://www.gis.leg.mn/mapserver/districts/

For the Nov 2009 MNNPS program, Norm Aaseng provided a detailed and insightful program on the wetland ecology for black spruce and the regulated harvesting of the tree tips as a forest product promoted by the Minnesota Forest Resources Council http://www.frc.state.mn.us/.

Conversations on conservation can be had with the forest resources council or other industry stakeholders, including:

Bachman’s http://www.bachmans.com/tipsheets/Christmas/SpruceTreeTops.cfm

Linder’s http://linders.com/whats-happening/time-to-spruce-up-those-pots/

Please comment on this posting with any insightful conversations on conservation you may have with stakeholders on this important subject.

Many eyes and ears make good work.  While MNNPS bloggers cannot stay up on all current issues affecting our native plants and communities, you can contribute by adding to this post what MNNPS members need to know to show up at public meetings, send public comments, and contact legislative representatives about issues of importance. 

Actions undergoing state environmental review are posted at the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board Monitor Publication.  http://www.eqb.state.mn.us/monitor.html

NOVEMBER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:  ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR PROPOSED POLYMET MINING

Background

In 2008, Minnesotan’s voted a Constitutional Amendment for 25 years of dependable funding for the environment.  This allows for the type of long term ecological planning necessary to tackle complex issues. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO to ensure wise use of constitutionally approved financing for the environment

The Lessard Outdoor Council was formed in early 2009 to address the constitutionally approved funds and to receive proposals and make decisions on funding environmentally protective projects.  This website takes you to the latest activities of the Council. http://www.lohc.state.mn.us/ Native plant communities should be a cornerstone of long-term environmental protection and funding.  The importance of this will be understood by the Council only when MNNPS members and others present them personal stories and well thought out science on the importance of our native plant communities. Urge them to make native plant communities a top priority in considering and ranking proposals. Consider working together with a MNNPS friend to send letters and attend and comment on Council hearings in 2010.