About

 

Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates is the only advocacy group solely focused on protecting Minnesota's lake and river heritage for current and future generations by forging powerful links between lakes, lake advocates and policy makers.

 

 

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A study is being conducted by the Center for Changing Landscapes and the Water Resources Center, University of Minnesota, and funded by the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center. We want to know what you think about invasive species. The findings from this study will be used to help local resource managers and community leaders better understand residents’ views and to facilitate communication and outreach programs in the area. We really appreciate your taking the time to help us with this study. It should take you only about 20 minutes to complete the questionnaire. Please click here to access the survey.

 

Two years ago three MLR members, and Gull Chain of Lakes Associations, GCOLA started a program on Gull Lake called Lake Steward. It has improved shoreline management, helped build partnerships, and boosted local interest in the GCOLA. 

 

Working with the GCOLA, MLR is working to take GCOLA's innovative statewide.

 

Lake Steward gets owners to educate themselves by using the "MLR Score Your Shore." Then Dorothy and her partners support the owners with resources so that they can make improvements. Those who meet the criteria receive a beautiful Lake Steward sign (below) that honors the owner's work and encourages and educates others on the lake to restore or preserve their native shoreline.

 

The Lake Steward program supports your lake association:

1. Helps owners understand the value of managing their property for lake health,
2. The Lake Steward sign has the Lake Association logo, connecting your work to on the ground examples of the value of that work,
3. Signals to visitors to the lake that the lake association is proactive,
4. Provides an opportunity for a volunteer from your lake association to have a one on one meeting with potential or current members.

The ENRTF (Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund) Bill, SF 690, is a funding bill that distributes the more than $70 million from the MN State Lottery. 40% of state lottery proceeds are dedicated for this purpose.   The LCCMR (Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources) accepts proposals and makes funding recommendations to the legislature. It is comprised of both legislators and citizens.

There are many excellent lake projects in this funding package, but two are of special concern for lakes:

• The Stop Starry Project which seeks to protect all of MN's lake from starry stonewort by using a containment strategy on the 15 known starry stonewort infested lakes in MN.
• $3.75M to fund research for the next two years by the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center.

It is critical that the 2021 ENRTF package be passed by the Legislature and sent to Gov. Walz for his signature as soon as possible.  The LCCMR unanimously recommended all of the projects contained in the bill.

 

Senate Environment and Natural Resources Finance Chair Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen has not yet moved this critical bill out of his committee.

 

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka should expedite movement of the Bill to the Senate Floor for a vote.  The 2020 ENRTF bill has been held up for over a year.  The Senate should not hold up the 2021 bill as well.

 

As Chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Funding Committee, Senator Ingebrigtsen represents all Minnesotans as does Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka.

 

Email them today to urge them to get moving on the bill, SF690: https://www.congressweb.com/MLRA/54#/54/