Despite the bits of snow on the ground, summer is just around the corner for organizations in Minnesota that provide critical services to our parks, trails and natural areas. Groups like Conservation Corps  are ramping up their hiring for summer workers.

If you know a teenager, let them know about Conservation Corps. Youth ages 15-18 spend four weeks learning about natural resources and then working hard building trails, clearing brush, and generally making Minnesota an even better place to live. Kids from all over Minnesota participate. Unlike some fancy summer camps, the Corps actually gives its members money, in the form of a small stipend.  Applications are due in April.

Young adults, ages 18-25, have a huge range of opportunities in the Conservation Corps’ AmeriCorps program, and not just for summer. In fact, they’re hiring now for spring field crews in northern Minnesota.

Conservation Corps was originally known as Minnesota Conservation Corps, or MCC. It was a program housed inside the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. In the last ten years, the program was spun off from the DNR into a private nonprofit organization, but it’s never been more critical to getting the state’s natural resource work done.

Jobs versus the environment? Hah! Conservation Corps has jobs for the environment, and they’re hiring.

All caucuses are at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7. Find your precinct caucus on the Secretary of State’s website.

Precinct Caucuses Launch the Election Season
Major parties are required by law to hold precinct caucuses on “caucus night,” as set by the Secretary of State. Each party determines its own procedures.

Everyone who lives within a voting precinct and is a qualified voter (or will be by the next election) can participate in one party’s precinct caucus in any one year. (Precinct = local voting district)

First layer of democratic elections
The precinct caucus is the first step on the road to the final selection of candidates and platforms.  The next step is either a county or legislative district convention, followed by a congressional district convention, a state convention and finally, in presidential election years, the national convention.  At each level, issues and candidates are discussed and voted on by the delegates selected from the prior level.

Why should I attend my caucus?
Caucuses give you and your neighbors in the precinct an opportunity to discuss issues that are important to you – a chance to say how you would like to see a problem addressed.   It is also your opportunity to influence the candidate selection within your party.

You can introduce resolutions on issues you support; this is the beginning of building a party’s platform.  The caucus is also the beginning of the formal process of selecting candidates to represent your party in the general election in November.

You may take an active role by becoming a delegate to the next level of meetings and perhaps join a committee to plan the next meeting. You may choose to go only to observe the process.

How do I decide which party caucus to attend?
Find out the positions of the parties on issues that are important to you and decide if you are in general agreement with one of the parties.  When you sign in at a caucus, you will be stating that you do support the basic tenets of that party, have done so in the past or plan to in the next election.  This is not a lifetime commitment, nor even an absolute requirement to vote for only one party at the general election. You may also go to either party caucus as a non-voting observer.

When and where are the caucuses held?
In even years, caucuses for the major parties (as defined by state law) take place at 7:00 p.m. on the date established in every voting precinct of the state. Usually, they are held in early February. This year Precinct Caucuses are on Feb. 7th!

Here are some resolutions regarding environmental issues that you can download and share at your caucus:

• Prohibit toxic chemicals in children’s products
• Maintain community and township rights
• Keep Minnesota on the path to clean energy
• Increase renewable energy and energy conservation
• Protect the Legacy Amendment
• Preserve existing state budget laws in the state Constitution
• ‘Prove it first’ resolution on sulfide mining
• Protect Minnesota’s water from sulfide mining pollution
  • Fact sheet on sulfide mining
  • Sample script to introduce your resolution

If you’re planning to propose a resolution:

1. Give a brief introduction to the issue, why it is important, and generally what is says. Pass out resolution and factsheet (if you have one).
2. Read your resolution in full to fellow precinct members.
3. Answer questions to the best of your ability during discussion period (if needed).
4. Vote to pass the resolutions for which you agree.

Bonus tip — go early to pass out copies of your resolutions and answer questions before the caucus begins!

Learn more about how caucuses work and what to expect

Register online

Join us on Wednesday, Feb. 8, to network with state policy makers and volunteers and staff of MEP’s member organizations, discuss our legislative priorities, and hear from our state legislative and agency leaders about their views on current environmental issues.

The reception begins at 6 p.m. at the Summit Brewery’s Ratskeller Community Room. Enjoy an appetizer buffet and Summit beer and root beer. Bring your staff, spouse and friends – all are welcome! A brief program featuring guest speakers Rep. Denny McNamara, Sen. David Senjem, Rep. Kate Knuth and DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr will begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $25. Register and pay online. Please contact Patience Caso at the MEP office, 651-290-0154, with questions.

From Patience Caso, MEP campaign director, and Eric Bergstrom, legislative and campaign outreach

Welcome to the 2012 legislative session! You care about Minnesota’s Great Outdoors and you believe in making and safeguarding investments for future generations. Your voice is critical to protecting and defending our environmental policy foundation — your elected officials need to hear from you.

This year, we’re counting on you to join the members of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership and advocate for:

- Clean Energy & Good Jobs: Solar Works for Minnesota
Invest in clean energy to support our schools, help our local economy and create good jobs

- Safeguard Investments for Minnesota’s Future
Defend water, air, and land protections and the Clean Water, Land and Legacy funding

Act now to let Governor Dayton and your state legislators know that these investments are vital to Minnesota’s future. Not sure who your legislators are? That’s OK! When you fill out this form on Protect.MN, MEP’s campaign website, your message will automatically go to the right legislator.

Your input can make a difference! Deadline to take action is Feb. 7.

The spectators look confused. School spirit is suddenly stunningly low.

The cheerleaders plead all together, “What’s that spell?!”

Mumble-mumble-grumble, the spectators reply.

And yet TMDLs are the critical key that is unlocking the restoration of hundreds of Minnesota’s streams and lakes. Here on the North Shore, our polluted rivers are on their way to getting cleaned up, thanks to TMDLs.

Last week I tried to demystifying one acronym, BUIs. This acronym is harder because even if you know what the letters stand for, it’s still incomprehensible. TMDL stands for “Total Maximum Daily Load.”

The cheerleaders shouldn’t even bother asking “What’s that spell?,”  just “What’s that?”

Total Maximum Daily Load is a measurement, typically a weight in tons or pounds or grams. It’s the amount of any given pollutant that a river or lake can handle on its own and not get any dirtier. Agencies that work to protect our waters have said, essentially, yes there will be pollution, but it won’t be all that bad. Here’s the PCA’s official definition.

But TMDL is more than a number, it’s a process. Up here on the North Shore, we just finished the TMDL process for the Knife River, which flows into Lake Superior between Duluth and Two Harbors. The Knife is too muddy, especially when the waters are high. The sediment-laden water is hard on fish and icky for swimming. Fishing and swimming are beneficial uses of the river, and the sediment has impaired those uses. In comes the Clean Water Act and the MPCA to clean it up.

Through the TMDL process (LINK: http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/water/water-types-and-programs/minnesotas-impaired-waters-and-tmdls/minnesotas-impaired-waters-and-total-maximum-daily-loads-tmdls.html), we now know how much sediment is in the river, how much should be in the river, and what we can do to reduce the amount of sediment to acceptable levels…down to the Total Maximum Daily Load.

The same process of field research, modeling and math has happened on 226 rivers and lakes across the state, for pollutants ranging from sediment to fecal coliform. Another 710 TMDL projects are underway.

I can tell you from our experience here on the North Shore, the more that common citizens on the ground get involved in the TMDL process, the better the result will be. Get involved. Then you will have something to cheer about.

In part one, Steve and Nancy delve into the background of the proposal:

[audio:http://looncommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/110111NancyNelsonMorsePart1.mp3|titles=Steve Morse and Nancy Nelson on AM950 Radio, Nov. 1, 2011 - Part 1]

In part two, Steve and Nancy take calls from listeners:

[audio:http://looncommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/110111NancyNelsonMorsePart2.mp3|titles=Steve Morse and Nancy Nelson on AM950 Radio, Nov. 1, 2011 - Part 2]

Want to take action?
Go to Protect.MN for an easy way to let your legislators and Governor Dayton know you DON’T want them to use Legacy money to fund a new stadium.

You can listen to the whole show and download it as a podcast on AM950′s website.

Steve will be on Nancy’s show again Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 5:30 p.m. Tune in on your radio or listen online!

Listen to their conversation by clicking play below.
[audio:http://looncommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/100511NelsonMorse.mp3|titles=Steve Morse and Nancy Nelson on AM950 Radio, Oct. 4, 2011]

You can listen to the whole show and download it as a podcast on AM950′s website.

Steve will be on Nancy’s show again Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 5:30 p.m. Tune in on your radio or listen online!

Yesterday, Steve Morse joined radio host Nancy Nelson on AM950 to discuss what’s been happening at the Legislature related to the environment. They covered lots of topics, including wild rice, the Legacy Amendment, cuts to parks, and other programs seriously affected by the House and Senate’s recent passage of their Omnibus Environmental Budget bills.

Listen to their conversation here:
[audio:http://looncommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/040511NancyNelsonShowSteveMorse.mp3|titles=04.05.11 AM950 The Nancy Nelson Show with Steve Morse of Minnesota Environmental Partnership]

You can listen to the whole show and download it as a podcast on AM950′s website.

Steve will be on Nancy’s show again Tuesday, April 19, at 5:30 p.m. Tune in – they may even take callers, if time allows!

Last night, Steve Morse was interviewed on Fox 9 News about the Minnesota Legislature’s cuts to environmental funding. Here’s the video:

Sen., Advocate Discuss Environment Cuts: March 30, 2011

GOP lawmakers propose cuts to eliminate deficit

Published : Wednesday, 30 Mar 2011, 11:20 PM CDT

As GOP lawmakers work to find cost-saving cuts to eliminate the $5-billion budget deficit, environmental agencies hit the chopping block.

On Wednesday, proposals were debated that could affect a third of Minnesota’s state parks, from reducing hours to offering less services — even closing a couple parks.

The bill also cuts budgets for the DNR and Minnesota’s Pollution Control Agency.

FOX 9 News spoke with Steve Morse, of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, and Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, about the proposed changes.

(Or watch the video on Fox’s website)

Steve talked about why this bill falls short of budget recommendations for the environment and also threatens Minnesota’s Great Outdoors heritage of clean lakes, rivers and streams:

Steve Morse: “The bill before you represents severe cuts to the general tax support for our Great Outdoors. Today I especially ask that you focus your attention on how this legislation affects the status of Minnesota’s lakes, rivers and streams, our public health and Minnesotans’ Great Outdoors.

Minnesotans care deeply about these resources and water is, when asked, consistently at the top of their list.

Cleaning up and protecting Minnesota’s lakes, rivers and streams was the No. 1 reason why 1.6 million Minnesotans voted to pass the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.

It’s about the water. This budget bill hits hard on Minnesota’s lakes, rivers and streams – with disproportional cuts to agency budgets that protect our water. It strikes at very core our shared Minnesota values.

We’re willing to do our share, but we’re not willing to stand by and be raided to modestly address the state’s budget problem.

Earlier this year each of you received a letter from a broad coalition of groups and MEP members underscoring three budget principles that we are using to evaluate consistency with the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.

1. Minnesota’s Great Outdoors must maintain its traditional share of the total state general fund budget and not dip below its already small one percent proportion – a 30-year low.  Any general fund cuts proposed for environmental and conservation programs must not result in a percentage reduction in these programs that is greater than any percentage reduction in total general fund spending;
2. Statutorily dedicated funds already in existence for Minnesota’s Great Outdoors cannot be raided to pay for other budget items; and
3. Any capital investments for Minnesota’s Great Outdoors must be maintained at a level at least equal to the 10-year average of 22 percent of the total general obligation bonding proposed or authorized.

Thank you for not raiding statutorily dedicated funds, but the bill before you today does not meet the 1 percent principle.

You have plunged far below that level – and Minnesota’s Great Outdoors; lakes, rivers and streams; and natural areas will suffer because of it.

Finally, we find particularly troubling two policy elements of the House bill:

1. A provision weakens water quality standards for wild rice
2. A provision removes natural resource conservation from permanent school trust fund goals

We believe this is the biggest cut to our Great Outdoors in Minnesota’s history. We were at historic low of 1 percent of general fund support before these bills – this bill takes us below that modest share.

This is about defunding our water resources, when it should be about Protecting Our Water – which is not a Democrat or Republican issue, it’s a Minnesota value.

We’re a modest 1 percent of the General Fund. Do you really need to zero in on our Great Outdoors to meet your budget targets? We ask you to abide by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Constitution Amendment and Protect Our Water.”

Learn more about the part of HF1010 that threatens Minnesota’s wild rice with this helpful summary by the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.

Keep updated on what’s happening with environmental issues at the Capitol by following @MEPartnership and #ProtectMN on Twitter.