The Confluence is a monthly electronic
newsletter for members of Minnesota Waters providing up-to-date
information and resources to help citizens protect
In this
issue:
Resources for
Conferences, Confabs and
Conglomerations
The Bucks Start Here - Funding
Resources
~ Board Articles
~
It has been interesting seeing
input from the Board and the Board would like to hear from you, not only on The
Confluence, but on other matters that concern you. For comments to the Board, contact Dick
Fowler richard.fowler@comcast.net or Julie
Klocker julieklocker@yahoo.com
From
our President, Julie
Klocker
These times, they are a
changing! It has been a really
exciting time as of late, for both Minnesota Waters and for me. Minnesota Waters is starting a new era
in leadership with Marian Bender at the helm. I am thrilled about the energy and
talent she brings to our organization.
It has also been a time of change for me personally as I have moved into
a new role as Assistant Director- Programs and Policy - for the Minnesota Board
of Water and Soil Resources. Marian
and I both started our new roles on the same day. So we can exchange lessons and stories
as we “come into our own” in our new positions. For me, changing my role as implementing
conservation at a local level to helping frame and develop policies for others
to implement has required a whole new perspective. My new role requires that I have a lot
of involvement in legislative happenings and although I am still pretty green to
the legislative process, I have learned a lot already. I have seen that legislators are expected
to make decisions about important issues of which they are not experts and I
have been amazed at the depth of knowledge they have anyway.
I watched a Senate Environment,
Energy and Natural Resources Budget Committee discuss at great length and detail
the amount of acreage of native plant buffer strips needed to provide enough
materials for a biomass based ethanol plant. This is an effort to implement a working
lands solution that stabilizes riparian areas, provides wildlife, water quality
and economic benefits as well as harnessing atmospheric carbon and provides for
a more sustainable biofuels option than corn based ethanol. MEP (Minnesota Environmental
Partnership) is supporting this issue as part of their 2008 legislative efforts
and as such, we do also as we signed joined their effort this year. Senator Ellen Anderson introduced Senate
File 2634 as a bonding request to fund this and many other environmental
efforts. The companion House File,
HF 3062, has also been introduced.
Another important bill that has
been introduced is House File 2963 and the companion Senate File 2517 which aims
at reducing our exposure or risk of introducing more invasive aquatic species by
regulating ballast water discharge in
There are many important
legislative efforts that impact the waters of the State. I know that Minnesota Waters members
want to be involved and up-to-date with these happenings. I can assure you that in the future we
will be working to introduce new efforts that allow us to inform you and involve
you in these issues. If you are
interested in following these two pieces of legislation or others, you can track
their progress by visiting the “MyBills” hotlink located at http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legis.asp. Simply enter in the bills you want to
track and your email and you will receive automatic notices whenever any action
is taken on the bill.
As these times continue to change,
I hope you continue to support Minnesota Waters as we will remain constant in
our mission to enhance lake and stream water quality through engaging citizens
in locally led conservation.
We have outstanding members who work so hard to protect our greatest
asset for the future. So, on behalf
of all the Board and Staff, I want you to know that we greatly appreciate all
that you do for us and our waters!
~
IRS is Looking Harder
at Non-profits
Starting in 2008 through 2010, the
IRS will be making a more concerted effort to evaluate non-profits throughout
the nation, in particular smaller organizations. Concern has arisen over the tax
status of many small non-profits, in particular non-profits that have annual
revenues under $25,000. Such small non-profits now will be required to file
additional federal tax forms they previously did not have to submit to ensure
they maintain their exempt tax status. However, as Minnesota Waters members and
contributors, there is no need to worry, as
Minnesota Waters is a thriving organization and is well above the $25,000
threshold in annual contributions, which has resulted in Minnesota Waters
completing the necessary tax forms, which includes IRS form 990, for ensuring
our tax-exempt status.
As a large non-profit organization,
we take great pride in ensuring the charitable contributions made to Minnesota
Waters are hassle-free for our contributors and allow them to complete their
necessary tax forms in an efficient manner. Minnesota Waters will shortly be
submitting their 990 forms for the calendar year 2007 and looks forward to
continuing to ensure our tax-exempt status in the upcoming years. If you have
questions about our tax status or giving contributions to the organization,
please feel free to call our office at 1-800-515-5253.
From Our Gambling
Manager
Minnesota Waters would like to
offer our member Lake Associations the opportunity to raise money for your lake
projects. We realize all
environmental efforts require money and by joining us in our Charitable Gambling
operation we can share the proceeds with you.
If your Association talks to any
restaurant, bar, convenience store, etc. that sells pulltabs and they agree to
have Minnesota Waters as their charity we will share the proceeds. This share portion depends on your
participation and could be has high as 50%.
To learn more details call our
Gambling Manager, David Bachman, at 218-245-1356.
The first edition of Minnesota
Waters’ 2008 Newsletters will be hitting mailboxes in late February. This edition is filled with articles on
citizen-led lake and stream protection initiatives, water monitoring efforts and
grassroots policy work, as well as updates on Minnesota Waters’ programs, latest
developments and upcoming events.
Saturday, March
8, 2008, 8:30 to 4:30:
Minnesota Waters will be leading a
workshop on starting new citizen-led water protection groups at the March
8th Neighborhood Sustainability Conference organized by the
Minneapolis-based
Topic
tracks will include- energy, water quality, community gardening, urban forestry,
walking/biking & transit use, local & sustainable food, waste reduction,
clean air and developing a community-wide sustainability plan. Volunteer teams will also be able
to track their projects and share ideas with other groups working on similar
projects through the conference web site.
Volunteer teams are encouraged to bring at least three
members. For more information on
how you can participate in the conference call or email the
Equipping Citizen
Groups with Tools for
This past December Minnesota
Waters’ Watershed Stewardship Program (WSP) staff received $750 in scholarships
to attend the River Network Training for Trainers near
The WSP presently offers
consultation, training or facilitation in: forming a new citizen-led lake,
stream or watershed association; association program planning; community
visioning and action planning; as well as fun fundraising and strategic
communications. WSP staff are now
working on developing a survey for Minnesota Waters member lake, river and
watershed associations to gain greater understanding for the organizational
capacity interests and needs for
March 27-28, 2008:
The Shallow Lakes Forum is a
collaboration of public and private interest groups concerned about the current
status and management of shallow waters in
~ Resources for
April showers may bring May flowers
but they also bring the 2008 Lake & Stream Citizen Monitoring Workshops. Our
workshops familiarize participants with protocols and equipment that are used to
monitor the water quality of our lakes and streams. Look for workshops in the
following areas:
March 29 Crow River Watershed Lake &
Stream Monitoring Workshop in
April 5
April 12 Crow River Watershed Lake &
Stream Monitoring Workshop in Spicer
April 19 Wright County
May 8 Crow River
May 20 Aquatic Plant Identification
Workshop in Spicer
May 21 Aquatic Plant Identification
Workshop in Brainerd
June 3
These workshops are in the early
planning stages so please check on the Minnesota Waters website, www.minnesotawaters.org, to get the
latest information on these and other training workshops.
~ Conferences, Confabs and
Conglomerations ~
From the University
of Minnesota Extension Service:
Hazardous
Algae Blooms Workshops
Worried about
blue-green algae blooms? Not sure what conditions are likely to promote algal
toxicity? Wondering about the potential human or animal health risks or where to
turn for assistance? Then this workshop is for you. Our target audience is local
health officials, beach managers, veterinarians, lake leaders, and others faced
with making decisions about algal blooms.
Dates & Locations:
March
4, Gerards Restaurnat
& Banquet Center, 1225 Timberline Dr. Sauk Centre, MN
March
5, Mankato State
University, Mankato, MN
March
6, Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency Board Room, 520 Lafayette Road, Saint Paul, MN
all workshops run
from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
For more information
or to register contact: Barb Liukkonen,
phone: 612-625-9256 or email: liukk001@umn.edu. Limit 35
people
Fee:
$15 (for lunch)
Sponsored by
Minnesota Sea Grant, MPCA, NOAA, UMN Water Resources Center & Mankato
State University Water Resources Center
Institute for
Conservation Leadership
Please join us for the
Institute for Conservation Leadership's Board University workshop on
Saturday, March 15th, Plains Art
Museum, Fargo made possible through generous support from the Bush Foundation. Board University is for board members
and executive directors to help them strengthen, re-energize, and focus their
work together. This workshop is also an excellent orientation for new board
members. Organizations are encouraged to send a team of two or more people to
the workshop. The focus of the workshop will be: Financial Management, Building
the Board, Choosing Programs and Campaigns Strategically and the Board's Role in
Fundraising
Registration
and Cost:
Click here to register online.
Register by March 1st. The cost
is $110 for the first person from an organization and $70 for each additional
person from the same organization. Additional
discounts apply for groups of three or more. (Please contact Bonnie Haigh
bonnie@icl.org for more
information. For complete registration and payment
details, please visit www.icl.org. For more information, contact Bonnie
Haigh at (406)582-1838x1. For more information on the workshop
site, please visit www.plainsart.org
Minnesota Waters 2008
Lakes & Rivers Conference, Sept. 11-13, 2008,
If you enjoyed the 2006 Lakes and
Rivers Conference in
~ The Bucks Start Here -
Funding Resources ~
Citizen Monitoring
Program Receives Training and Promotion Funds
Minnesota
Waters Citizen Monitoring Program was chosen in 2007 to receive Clean Water
Legacy Act funds to enhance and expand support for citizen monitoring. The goal
of the grant is to equip citizen monitors to gather water quality assessment
data on their lakes and streams. In
2008 the Citizen Monitoring Program was again chosen by the MPCA to receive
Clean Water Legacy Act Training and Promotion funds totaling $248,500. The
new funds will enable Minnesota Waters to reach out to support a greater number
of groups that are working towards assessment. This will not only include
training citizen monitors on lake & river sampling protocols but also
helping these groups learn how to effectively share their data. We will also be
able to help them formalize their watershed vision and plan future monitoring
that will accomplish their water quality goals. For more information on
these programs please contact
Preservation Efforts
Funded Worldwide
Getty Foundation: Architectural Conservation Grants
The
Getty Foundation’s Architectural Conservation Grants support nonprofit
organizations throughout the world in their efforts to preserve buildings,
sites, and designed landscapes of outstanding architectural, historical, and
cultural significance. Planning Grants assist in the initial development of
overall conservation plans. Support is also available on a selective basis for
the development of archaeological site management plans. Implementation Grants
assist in the actual conservation of a building's historic structure and fabric.
Organizations interested in applying should submit letters of inquiry at least
two months prior to the April 10, 2008 application deadline. Visit the website
listed above for program details and guidelines for submitting letters of
inquiry.
Funds for
Conservation Efforts
(www.wallacegenetic.org)
The Wallace Genetic Foundation is
committed to funding a variety of interests including agricultural research,
preservation of farmland, ecology, conservation, and sustainable development.
The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations throughout the United States
that believe in the long-term conservation of the soil and of the environment,
rather than the exploitation of natural resources for temporary profits.
Applications may be submitted at any time. Visit the website listed above for
application guidelines.
~
For
more on these stories, please click here: News
From the Confluence
Rainy River Basin
Management Priorities – Something Old and Something New
Basin Coordinator, Nolan Baratono
of the MPCA reported that The Rainy River Basin Committee retained Basin
Condition Monitoring and Development of a
The Rainy River Basin Committee met
on Thursday, November 29 at the
Committee members reviewed progress
toward the two goals identified in 2004.
The first priority was implementation of a basin-wide condition
monitoring program that integrates citizen based monitoring activities with
those of agencies and research institutions. The second was establishment of a water
resources center at
The Committee added several
priorities to the list. The
priorities were categorized under protection, protection/repair or TMDL
activities. The Committee consensus
was that their highest priorities were protection activities and that the two
highest priorities for the next two years remained basin condition monitoring
and development of the water resources center.
Blue Thumb – Planting
for Clean Water™ Program Receives Governor’s Award
Blaine, MN – January 24, 2008. The
Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean WaterTM program will receive the
Governor's Award – Minnesota Government Reaching Environmental Achievements
Together (MN GREAT!) on Wednesday, February 27, 2008. The Blue Thumb program is
an online outreach program with A to Z information to help residents plan and
plant native gardens, raingardens, and shorelines with native plants. The
website bluethumb features
planting blueprints, a plant selector tool, local retailers and landscapers,
grant information, how-to guides, and more.
The Blue Thumb program was started
by the Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) to help residents do their part to
protect water and to help cities meet water quality improvement goals and
federal Clean Water Act mandates. Blue Thumb plantings create gorgeous
landscapes while decreasing all of the top water quality concerns, providing
habitat to fish and wildlife, reducing the use of chemicals needed, and reducing
air pollution from mowing while
boosting our local economy. There
are currently 10 local partner nurseries that sell native plants and 74
landscaping companies who have attended trainings and are listed on the website
and are eager to design and install these landscaping features for
residents. For more
information, or if you would like to join Blue Thumb, contact Dawn Pape, RCWD
Environmental Education Coordinator 763-398-3070 x 178 dpape@ricecreek.org
Don't expect to see dock cops come
summer. But new dock specs still could mean trouble for owners of some dock
platforms across
Source: Brainerd Daily
Dispatch
Minnesota: Public Discussion Set for ‘Star Lake’
Proposal
[Sen.
Mary Olson] envisions a voluntary partnership between lakeshore owners, working
through their lake associations, and state agencies. Under the proposal, lake
associations would voluntarily commit to meet certain “best management”
criteria, commit to certain standards or goals, volunteer personnel for
monitoring and enforcement, and maintain full compliance with water and
shoreland laws and ordinances. For more on this story, click on News
From the Confluence above.
Source: The Bemidji
Pioneer
The Michigan Department of Natural
Resources is warning ice fishermen to be aware of the species and origin of the
baitfish on their hook. For several
months now the DNR has been instituting a program to halt the spread of viral
hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHSv, a deadly fish virus that was first discovered
in a Clare County lake last June.
The program is designed to suppress the spread of the virus by regulating
the species of baitfish that can be used for fishing. Anglers can visit the DNR Web site to
find an update list of prohibited baitfish species. Gary Whelan, DNR fish production
manager, is urging fishermen to check the Web site often because the prohibited
species list will be updated regularly.
For more on this story, click
on News From the Confluence above.
Source: Cheboygan Daily
Tribune
The discovery of giant salvinia in
two more East Texas lakes in the past two weeks shows that the invasive plant is
continuing to spread and may be impossible to stop despite the state's
efforts.
The plant, originally from South
America, was found in Lake Palestine on Feb. 5 and Sam Rayburn Reservoir on Jan.
28. The plant, which blocks
sunlight as it grows on the water's surface, can be almost impossible to
eradicate once it is established in a waterway. For more on this story, click on
News From the Confluence above.
Source: Fort Worth Star
Telegram
As much as 400,000 cubic yards of
lake sediment is expected to be moved in joint
Source:
A plan introduced by
State Sen. Tracey Eide, D-30th District, to develop a program to clean up the
stench of seaweed in
Source:
A blue green algae outbreak at
Source: Port
Bangladesh: Fishes Decline Alarmingly in Kaptai
Lake
Fish production in
Source: The Daily
Star
Minnesota Waters
Address:
720 West St. Germain, Suite 143,
St. Cloud, MN 56301
Telephone: 800-515-5253 or
320-257-6630
For questions regarding the Website
or Hosted Websites please contact:
Dick Lacher, Telephone:
218-659-4511 or rglacher@paulbunyan.net
Minnesota Waters
The
mission of Minnesota Waters is to promote responsible stewardship of our water
resources by engaging citizens, local and state policymakers, and other partners
in the protection and restoration of Minnesota’s lakes and
rivers.
****JOIN MINNESOTA WATERS TODAY!
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