Clean Water Blog

The U of MN Water Resources Center received a grant of $750,000 to develop a 25-year framework for Minnesota. This money is generated by the increased sales tax that MN citizens approved in the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment last November.

The framework will direct how the State on how to protect and enhance the quality and quantity of Minnesota’s ground and surface waters.

They want this framework to reflect the perspectives of people from across the state – not just the technical, agency, or legislative interests in Saint Paul. There is a survey posted on the WEB – this is an opportunity for you to give your opinion and be heard!

The website is www.wrc.umn.edu

If you own shoreland or do building or excavating work in shoreland, you should check out the “Stearns County Shoreland, Erosion Control, and Stormwater Training” workshop. It will be an all-day training on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at Gorecki Hall at the College of St. Benedict.

Topics covered include shoreland restoration, rain gardens and using trees for stormwater management.

There is a fee of $30 which includes lunch and breaks. For more information contact the Stearns County Environmental Services Department, (320) 656-3613.

The Minnesota DNR and Minnesota Waters invite all interested citizens to attend an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention Open House. A series of five AIS Prevention Open Houses will be held throughout Minnesota during January. The Open Houses will provide information on statewide AIS prevention strategies and resources available for citizen-leaders working on AIS at the local level. In addition, the DNR will be seeking input and comments on AIS prevention efforts.

Each Open House will include informational tables on AIS:

• regulations and enforcement;
• watercraft inspections and public education;
• local and regional resources for AIS prevention; and
• identification and general AIS information.

DNR staff will also provide a 20-minute presentation on AIS prevention strategies. This presentation will be given at 6:15 pm and again at 7:15 pm.

The closest Open House to Saint Cloud will be at the Willmar Community Center on January 28, 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

No registration is necessary to attend. With questions, please contact Molly Zins at mollyz@minnesotawaters.org. Or go to the Minnesota Waters website http://minnesotawaters.org/

CERTs Works with Recycling Association of Minnesota & Partners to Recycle Inefficient Holiday Lights Across the State.

It’s that time of the year again, bring you’re your holiday lights and untangle the wadded mess, but what do you with the strings that no longer light up? Most people just throw them in the trash, but not anymore.

The Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) in partnership with WCCO TV, Xcel Energy, Snyders Drug Stores and the Clean Energy Resource Teams, announces the launch of “Recycle Your Holidays™” a first-of-its-kind effort in the country going through January 10th all throughout the state.

“Recycle Your Holidays recycles every part of the light strings. Even the little lights are recycles by another project partner Green Lights Recycling” state Ellen Telander, Executive Director of RAM. “This year our goal is to recycle over 50,000 light strands and to encourage Minnesotans to use LED light strands instead, which will save a lot of energy.”

Minnesotans are urged to drop off their old, broken holiday lights at any participating Snyders Drug Stores or various locations during the holiday season. Unlike any other holiday lights recycling programs in the country, RAM will recycle all lights and cords free of charge by working with local vocational centers that provide meaningful jobs and job training. Another added benefit is the reduction of waster going to landfills, helping keep our air and water cleaner.

The new program provides free recycling of holiday lights, free recycling bins with signs and free pick up service to any participating local business, school or church. The program can also recycle any type of electrical cord as well.

The recycling containers for this program are currently stored in Hutchinson, Minnesota. CERTs and RAM staff will do their best to get containers to you. To become holiday lights collection site in the Recycle Your Holidays ™ program, call 651-641-4560 or email ram@recycleminnesota.org.

You can find more information and existing holiday light recycling locations at:
http://www.recycleminnesota.org.

Information provided by CERTs (Clean Energy Resource Teams)

Friday, December 18, 2009

“Minimal Impact Design Standards–MN Takes the Lead”
Presented by:  Julie Westerlund, Minnehaha Watershed District 

Participants of the Mississippi River Forum kick-off workshop in April heard about how land use is impacting Minnesota’s water resources. Consider this an update to that discussion! Earlier this year, Minnesota updated its approach to managing stormwater by passing legislation that directs the Pollution Control Agency to “develop performance standards, design standards, and other tools” to enable and promote improved stormwater management and better protect Minnesota’s water resources. The result is MIDS - Minimal Impact Design Standards. The MIDS project represents the next generation of stormwater management. It consists of three main elements that address current challenges:

1) A higher clean water performance goal for new residential development and residential redevelopment that will provide enhanced protection for Minnesota’s water resources.
2) new modeling methods and credit calculations that will standardize the use of a range of “innovative” structural and nonstructural stormwater techniques.
3) a credits system and ordinance package that will allow for increased flexibility and a streamlined approach to regulatory programs for developers and communities.

Come hear how the MIDS package will allow communities to adopt effective stormwater standards and techniques, meet regulatory requirements, and help Minnesota reach our clean water goals.

Julie Westerlund and Jay Riggs are co-chairs of the Low Impact Development Team of the MN Stormwater Steering Committee, which helped develop the MIDS project.

Light breakfast provided. Free.

LOCATION:
*December 18: St. Cloud City Council Chambers–400-2nd Street South, St. Cloud, 56301.

The Mississippi River Forum is made possible by the generous support of the Mississippi River Fund and the McKnight Foundation.

Thanks for your interest in the Community Clean-Ups for Water Quality Program sponsored by the Freshwater Society. Due to conflicts with the December 8 date, the decision has been made to postpone the training session. We are in the process of planning regional trainings to be held in January and February 2010. More information will be sent out soon.