A Waterworks column by Gordon Prickett for the 8/6/2014 Aitkin Independent Age.
As my canoe rolls in the wake of a wake boarder, I turn to stay upright, and begin pitching in the waves. Now I remember the fun we used to have as teenagers at a lake cabin behind a fast boat on water skis. On a summer weekend paddling a canoe or kayak is best done in the early morning.
Boaters here have been pretty good at practicing courtesy, looking out for small craft and the loons. One of our nesting pairs had a successful hatch this summer, and their two juvenile loons are now getting diving lessons so they can soon feed themselves.
STATE FUNDING FOR AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES (AIS)
The state legislature has appropriated funds for combating invasive species, and the money became available starting this July. For Aitkin County over $120,000 is available in the first year, and more than $270,000 may be granted in following years. Local units of government need to forward requests for this project money, and they will be the fiscal agents.
In Aitkin County the Soil and Water Conservation District and the Environmental Services Department are the key places where we can go for assistance with invasives in our lakes and rivers.
Project ideas for prevention and education about aquatic invasive species, such as zebra mussels and curly leaf pondweed, will be welcomed, as well as treatment projects when and where they are discovered. Portable boat washing stations are a possibility.
ELECTIONS ARE COMING
With the Primary on August 12th and the General Election November 4th, there is no better time than right now to seek out the candidates and incumbents with your questions and opinions. Within one block of the downtown stoplight in Aitkin the two major political parties can be found in their temporary offices. Just look for all the signs in their windows. This is the best time to raise your most important issue with the candidates and their volunteers - when they are looking to meet and talk with voters.
Here is my issue list for starters: clean water, good jobs here, copper-nickel-platinum mining exploration, the Sandpiper Pipeline Project by Enbridge Energy, rail haulage of coal and crude oil and the danger of derailments, the safety of oil and gasoline trucks on our highways and bridges.
As we consider America becoming independent of fossil fuels from overseas, a major question for me as I fill my propane tank and gas up my boat motor, lawn mower, and vehicles, is how do we increase the safety of producing and moving this petroleum product?
Showing posts with label Clean Water. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clean Water. Show all posts
Monday, August 4, 2014
Friday, June 27, 2014
ENBRIDGE
WATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett
A Column for the 7/2/2014 Aitkin Independent Age
ENBRIDGE ENERGY CROSSING MINNESOTA
As I mentioned in my columns in March and April there is a crude oil pipeline proposed to carry oil from the Bakken oilfield in North Dakota over a new route across Minnesota to Superior, Wisconsin. This is a project of Enbridge Energy, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and it is known as the Sandpiper Pipeline Project.
At the Rivers and Lakes Fair in Aitkin June 14th I sketched the 42-mile proposed Sandpiper route across our large ACLARA county map which displays our 20 member lakes. From west to east the corridor passes through these townships: Lemay, Macville, Bain, Waukenabo, Logan, Workman, Jevne, McGregor, Spalding, and Salo. There was considerable interest and discussion at the fair about Sandpiper Pipeline. Six public information meetings were held in March at the Minnesota counties along this route. The period for comment has concluded. Public hearings will be held before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission reaches its decision about the need for this pipeline and a final route.
COMMENT TO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Following my attendance and testimony at the McGregor information meeting March 13, I wrote a letter to Larry Hartman, Environmental Review Manager, Department of Commerce, who chaired the meeting. These are some of my statements:
“I have serious reservations about the history of Lakehead Pipeline and the renamed Enbridge parent company. Their pipeline spills and cleanup attempts in recent years have left the environment of the Upper Midwest in damaged condition.”
“Aitkin County is a global bird watchers destination. We have many clean lakes and rivers that attract families looking for recreational beauty. We also have developed a thriving sustainable forest products industry. This scenic county is threatened by a future of crude oil pipelines operated by companies with a record of accidental leaks and spills.”
“Installing a pipeline and operating it here in Aitkin County, crossing the Mississippi River and passing through rich wetlands habitat and woodlands will greatly disturb wildlife and people living here.”
WHAT NEXT?
No matter what you may have heard, this is not a “done deal.” Domestic oil will be transported across the Midwest by trucks, railcars, and pipelines to terminals, tank farms, and refineries. In Minnesota there are two refineries - at St. Paul Park and at Rosemount. We need petroleum fuels. But managing this transport in the safest possible manner is a challenge for all levels of government. I urge our citizens to pay close attention to what has been proposed for Aitkin County. Your voice matters.
A Column for the 7/2/2014 Aitkin Independent Age
ENBRIDGE ENERGY CROSSING MINNESOTA
As I mentioned in my columns in March and April there is a crude oil pipeline proposed to carry oil from the Bakken oilfield in North Dakota over a new route across Minnesota to Superior, Wisconsin. This is a project of Enbridge Energy, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and it is known as the Sandpiper Pipeline Project.
At the Rivers and Lakes Fair in Aitkin June 14th I sketched the 42-mile proposed Sandpiper route across our large ACLARA county map which displays our 20 member lakes. From west to east the corridor passes through these townships: Lemay, Macville, Bain, Waukenabo, Logan, Workman, Jevne, McGregor, Spalding, and Salo. There was considerable interest and discussion at the fair about Sandpiper Pipeline. Six public information meetings were held in March at the Minnesota counties along this route. The period for comment has concluded. Public hearings will be held before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission reaches its decision about the need for this pipeline and a final route.
COMMENT TO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Following my attendance and testimony at the McGregor information meeting March 13, I wrote a letter to Larry Hartman, Environmental Review Manager, Department of Commerce, who chaired the meeting. These are some of my statements:
“I have serious reservations about the history of Lakehead Pipeline and the renamed Enbridge parent company. Their pipeline spills and cleanup attempts in recent years have left the environment of the Upper Midwest in damaged condition.”
“Aitkin County is a global bird watchers destination. We have many clean lakes and rivers that attract families looking for recreational beauty. We also have developed a thriving sustainable forest products industry. This scenic county is threatened by a future of crude oil pipelines operated by companies with a record of accidental leaks and spills.”
“Installing a pipeline and operating it here in Aitkin County, crossing the Mississippi River and passing through rich wetlands habitat and woodlands will greatly disturb wildlife and people living here.”
WHAT NEXT?
No matter what you may have heard, this is not a “done deal.” Domestic oil will be transported across the Midwest by trucks, railcars, and pipelines to terminals, tank farms, and refineries. In Minnesota there are two refineries - at St. Paul Park and at Rosemount. We need petroleum fuels. But managing this transport in the safest possible manner is a challenge for all levels of government. I urge our citizens to pay close attention to what has been proposed for Aitkin County. Your voice matters.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
COUNTING CLEAN WATER MONEY
WATERWORKS Outdoor Column by Gordon Prickett, from
The Aitkin Independent Age, 11/2/2011.
Back in July 2009 Minnesota businesses began collecting an extra 3/8% sales tax on those items that are subject to this tax. In much of the state it was pegged at 6½% before the 25-year constitutional amendment went into effect.
When this amendment received a “yes” vote in the November 2008 general election, it surprised a lot of Minnesotans. A very savvy group of state legislators, from both political parties, had assembled a coalition consisting of hunters and fishermen, environmentalists, outdoor camping enthusiasts, and patrons of the arts. The politicians then drafted a bill to send a “Legacy Amendment” directly to the voters. This procedure effectively bypassed Governor Tim Pawlenty, who had taken a “No tax increase” pledge when he battled for the nomination of his party in the 2002 gubernatorial campaign.
The receipts from this new sales tax fall into four separate pots of money, to be parceled out by four different entities every year, and subject to approval by the state legislature. The four new funds are Clean Water, Outdoor Heritage, Arts and Cultural Heritage, and Parks and Trails. In this column I am looking closely at how the clean water money is spent.
CLEAN WATER SHARE OF THE LEGACY TAX
With tens of millions of new sales tax dollars coming in every year, from 2009 through 2034, this is the breakdown among the four causes:
clean water fund 33%
outdoor heritage fund 33%
arts and cultural heritage fund 19.75%
parks and trails fund (of regional & statewide significance) 14.25%
This is new dedicated money, beyond what the legislature and the governor budget in each legislative session. It protects the “essentials” that its supporters consider will maintain Minnesota’s excellent quality of life.
The clean water money is directed to “protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams and protect groundwater.” A critical balance is being struck across the state, between restoration of polluted and contaminated waters, protection of waters currently in good shape, and enhancement of waters under threat, but still “pretty clean.”
The state agencies charged with administering the clean water fund are mainly the Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR). However, the Department of Health has responsibility for water wells and aquifers, and the Department of Agriculture tests well water and monitors runoff from pastures, feedlots, and soil erosion.
These state agencies seek grant requests for clean water projects from local units of government and from engaged community groups. Projects are underway in this region to expand water testing, gather available lake quality data into assessment reports, and conduct shore restoration planting. The priorities established by updated county water plans are guiding the grant awards and the execution of clean water projects.
The Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association (ACLARA) will focus on how member associations can participate and benefit from new clean water funding in years to come.
The Aitkin Independent Age, 11/2/2011.
Back in July 2009 Minnesota businesses began collecting an extra 3/8% sales tax on those items that are subject to this tax. In much of the state it was pegged at 6½% before the 25-year constitutional amendment went into effect.
When this amendment received a “yes” vote in the November 2008 general election, it surprised a lot of Minnesotans. A very savvy group of state legislators, from both political parties, had assembled a coalition consisting of hunters and fishermen, environmentalists, outdoor camping enthusiasts, and patrons of the arts. The politicians then drafted a bill to send a “Legacy Amendment” directly to the voters. This procedure effectively bypassed Governor Tim Pawlenty, who had taken a “No tax increase” pledge when he battled for the nomination of his party in the 2002 gubernatorial campaign.
The receipts from this new sales tax fall into four separate pots of money, to be parceled out by four different entities every year, and subject to approval by the state legislature. The four new funds are Clean Water, Outdoor Heritage, Arts and Cultural Heritage, and Parks and Trails. In this column I am looking closely at how the clean water money is spent.
CLEAN WATER SHARE OF THE LEGACY TAX
With tens of millions of new sales tax dollars coming in every year, from 2009 through 2034, this is the breakdown among the four causes:
clean water fund 33%
outdoor heritage fund 33%
arts and cultural heritage fund 19.75%
parks and trails fund (of regional & statewide significance) 14.25%
This is new dedicated money, beyond what the legislature and the governor budget in each legislative session. It protects the “essentials” that its supporters consider will maintain Minnesota’s excellent quality of life.
The clean water money is directed to “protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams and protect groundwater.” A critical balance is being struck across the state, between restoration of polluted and contaminated waters, protection of waters currently in good shape, and enhancement of waters under threat, but still “pretty clean.”
The state agencies charged with administering the clean water fund are mainly the Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR). However, the Department of Health has responsibility for water wells and aquifers, and the Department of Agriculture tests well water and monitors runoff from pastures, feedlots, and soil erosion.
These state agencies seek grant requests for clean water projects from local units of government and from engaged community groups. Projects are underway in this region to expand water testing, gather available lake quality data into assessment reports, and conduct shore restoration planting. The priorities established by updated county water plans are guiding the grant awards and the execution of clean water projects.
The Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association (ACLARA) will focus on how member associations can participate and benefit from new clean water funding in years to come.
Friday, May 27, 2011
THE LEGACY AMENDMENT IS WORKING
From WATERWORKS, a column in the June 1, 2011 Aitkin Independent Age
by Gordon Prickett
Minnesota bucked a trend of nationwide anti-tax zeal in the November 2008 election.
We passed the “Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment” to the state constitution, which meant that we actually voted to raise our state sales tax by three-eighths of a percent. By a sizeable margin, the decision was reached that it was time to do a better job for clean water, for wild habitat, parks, trails, and culture.
Two years later, in November 2010, state voters mixed their message to St. Paul, voting in a wealthy governor who wanted a higher tax bracket for the rich, and choosing a legislature that wants less government. The result could shut down state government come July 1.
One of the most interesting sessions at the recent 2011 Lakes and Rivers Conference in St. Cloud was titled “The Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment: Where is the Money Going?” The director of the watchdog group “Conservation Minnesota,” analyzed the first two years of this 25-year amendment, and looked ahead at the next 23 years. There are four funds where this dedicated sales tax goes.
The Clean Water Fund and the Outdoor Heritage (Lessard-Sams) Fund each get 33% of this new money. 19.75% goes to the Arts, History, and Cultural Heritage Fund, while the remaining 14.25% supports Parks and Trails with regional and statewide significance.
The state legislature receives regular reports on how this money is being spent. In fact, during this conference report by Paul Austin, two agency people identified themselves from MPCA and the DNR, as the persons who count the legacy expenditures for the state legislature.
The Arts funding is well documented and has been well publicized locally. In Aitkin we saw Gregory Peck in the classic movie at the Rialto ”To Kill a Mockingbird,” paid by this fund. Recently the library brought the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet to perform in its meeting room with arts fund money. Minnesota authors are currently visiting libraries across the state to meet their readers in arts-funded programs.
Those of us who partner with local and state agencies to clean up and protect our waters have found that the Legacy Amendment is helping. The Clean Water Fund contains new money for assessments and remediation of polluted waters, as well as for additional monitoring and protection that prevents degradation of rivers and lakes. The process of obtaining grants from Outdoor Heritage and Clean Water money can be complicated. Mostly the funds are funneled though local agencies, such as Soil and Water offices and County departments. There is a concern that the current legislative budget cuts will rely on legacy funding to replace natural resource appropriations. With watchdogs like Conservation Minnesota, I am hopeful that this can be prevented.
by Gordon Prickett
Minnesota bucked a trend of nationwide anti-tax zeal in the November 2008 election.
We passed the “Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment” to the state constitution, which meant that we actually voted to raise our state sales tax by three-eighths of a percent. By a sizeable margin, the decision was reached that it was time to do a better job for clean water, for wild habitat, parks, trails, and culture.
Two years later, in November 2010, state voters mixed their message to St. Paul, voting in a wealthy governor who wanted a higher tax bracket for the rich, and choosing a legislature that wants less government. The result could shut down state government come July 1.
One of the most interesting sessions at the recent 2011 Lakes and Rivers Conference in St. Cloud was titled “The Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment: Where is the Money Going?” The director of the watchdog group “Conservation Minnesota,” analyzed the first two years of this 25-year amendment, and looked ahead at the next 23 years. There are four funds where this dedicated sales tax goes.
The Clean Water Fund and the Outdoor Heritage (Lessard-Sams) Fund each get 33% of this new money. 19.75% goes to the Arts, History, and Cultural Heritage Fund, while the remaining 14.25% supports Parks and Trails with regional and statewide significance.
The state legislature receives regular reports on how this money is being spent. In fact, during this conference report by Paul Austin, two agency people identified themselves from MPCA and the DNR, as the persons who count the legacy expenditures for the state legislature.
The Arts funding is well documented and has been well publicized locally. In Aitkin we saw Gregory Peck in the classic movie at the Rialto ”To Kill a Mockingbird,” paid by this fund. Recently the library brought the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet to perform in its meeting room with arts fund money. Minnesota authors are currently visiting libraries across the state to meet their readers in arts-funded programs.
Those of us who partner with local and state agencies to clean up and protect our waters have found that the Legacy Amendment is helping. The Clean Water Fund contains new money for assessments and remediation of polluted waters, as well as for additional monitoring and protection that prevents degradation of rivers and lakes. The process of obtaining grants from Outdoor Heritage and Clean Water money can be complicated. Mostly the funds are funneled though local agencies, such as Soil and Water offices and County departments. There is a concern that the current legislative budget cuts will rely on legacy funding to replace natural resource appropriations. With watchdogs like Conservation Minnesota, I am hopeful that this can be prevented.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
NEW CONSERVATION MONEY
WATERWORKS Column by Gordon Prickett for The Aitkin Independent Age
NEW MONEY FOR CONSERVATION
By now there is a pot of new state money collected since July 1, 2009. It receives three-eighth’s of a percent from every Minnesota sales tax purchase. More than a dozen state agencies are reported to be receiving and distributing the proceeds from this voter-approved Legacy Amendment. While Governor Pawlenty was busy vetoing and condemning any future tax increases, the legislature and the citizens slipped this one by him, in a constitutional amendment that passed in November 2008.
One third of the new money is going for parks and trails plus arts and cultural heritage. The rest is equally divided - that’s one quarter percent - between the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund and the Clean Water Fund, for lakes, rivers, and aquifers. Following the money spent on the arts has not been difficult. Radio, television, and print media have been announcing the source of new legacy-funded programs. Public libraries, museums, theaters, and radio broadcasts have all shared in new tax-sponsored events.
State legislative committees receive annual accounts of this dedicated spending. The new money has been coming in for eighteen months. Tens of millions have been spread around. Those activities with qualifying “shovel-ready” grant applications on hand have successfully added to their budgets. This sales tax increment is for 25years, so worthy projects can expect to be continued.
A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
My special interest is following the money that leaves Aitkin County, and tracking the money that finds it’s way back here. Especially, the clean water and fish-wildlife habitat money. In some of the early reports I have found identical titles for line items of the Pollution Control Agency and the Department of Natural Resources. They both assess and monitor water quality.
I will ask the readers to help with my New Year’s Resolution to “Follow the Money.” As reports to the legislature become available I will digest them for this column. Already the Board of Water and Soil Resources in this region has given the Water Planning Task Force a look at their share of Clean Water funding in the current budget year. Aitkin County lakes will have a chance to apply for and share in money dedicated to water quality monitoring and improvement programs. Stay tuned!
NEW MONEY FOR CONSERVATION
By now there is a pot of new state money collected since July 1, 2009. It receives three-eighth’s of a percent from every Minnesota sales tax purchase. More than a dozen state agencies are reported to be receiving and distributing the proceeds from this voter-approved Legacy Amendment. While Governor Pawlenty was busy vetoing and condemning any future tax increases, the legislature and the citizens slipped this one by him, in a constitutional amendment that passed in November 2008.
One third of the new money is going for parks and trails plus arts and cultural heritage. The rest is equally divided - that’s one quarter percent - between the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund and the Clean Water Fund, for lakes, rivers, and aquifers. Following the money spent on the arts has not been difficult. Radio, television, and print media have been announcing the source of new legacy-funded programs. Public libraries, museums, theaters, and radio broadcasts have all shared in new tax-sponsored events.
State legislative committees receive annual accounts of this dedicated spending. The new money has been coming in for eighteen months. Tens of millions have been spread around. Those activities with qualifying “shovel-ready” grant applications on hand have successfully added to their budgets. This sales tax increment is for 25years, so worthy projects can expect to be continued.
A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
My special interest is following the money that leaves Aitkin County, and tracking the money that finds it’s way back here. Especially, the clean water and fish-wildlife habitat money. In some of the early reports I have found identical titles for line items of the Pollution Control Agency and the Department of Natural Resources. They both assess and monitor water quality.
I will ask the readers to help with my New Year’s Resolution to “Follow the Money.” As reports to the legislature become available I will digest them for this column. Already the Board of Water and Soil Resources in this region has given the Water Planning Task Force a look at their share of Clean Water funding in the current budget year. Aitkin County lakes will have a chance to apply for and share in money dedicated to water quality monitoring and improvement programs. Stay tuned!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
WATERWORKS October 6th 2010
Aitkin Age wednesday weekly
CLEAN WATER AND SAFE BOATING
When the representatives of the Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association (ACLARA) gathered on October 1st for our Fall Banquet, this was my toast at the beginning of our dinner to those present, “Here’s to Clean Water and to Safe Boating!” This Coalition, that now consists of 19 Lake Associations, was called together for three training sessions in the summer of 2004, and it formally organized in April 2005. Each year since then we have grown and provided a place where lake associations can share news and ideas, training and programs for their members.
ACLARA is currently streamlining its by-laws, and as part of the drafting team, I was very satisfied with the updated language in the Statement of Purpose.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE (proposed)
The Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association, referred to as “ACLARA,” serves in Aitkin County to:
A. Protect, preserve, and improve the waters and shoreland of Aitkin County, enhancing aesthetic, economic, and recreational values.
B. Serve as a voice of the membership to governmental bodies and their agencies.
C. Inform and persuade citizens of the County in becoming more effective stewards
of our water resources.
D. Connect and communicate with individual lake and river associations and with coalitions in Minnesota.
E. Support safety and courtesy in the use of county waters and the use of shoreland, and support compliance with all applicable rules and regulations.
That’s what ACLARA is about.
After the meal last Friday we had a program of telling favorite fish stories. Getting out on the water and onto the ice is just a lot of fun. As docks are taken in and we pull our boats onto the shore, Fall colors have never been brighter and water clarity is reaching its peak.
Yes, indeed, clean water and safe boating for all!
(Gordon Prickett is President of the Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association)
CLEAN WATER AND SAFE BOATING
When the representatives of the Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association (ACLARA) gathered on October 1st for our Fall Banquet, this was my toast at the beginning of our dinner to those present, “Here’s to Clean Water and to Safe Boating!” This Coalition, that now consists of 19 Lake Associations, was called together for three training sessions in the summer of 2004, and it formally organized in April 2005. Each year since then we have grown and provided a place where lake associations can share news and ideas, training and programs for their members.
ACLARA is currently streamlining its by-laws, and as part of the drafting team, I was very satisfied with the updated language in the Statement of Purpose.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE (proposed)
The Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association, referred to as “ACLARA,” serves in Aitkin County to:
A. Protect, preserve, and improve the waters and shoreland of Aitkin County, enhancing aesthetic, economic, and recreational values.
B. Serve as a voice of the membership to governmental bodies and their agencies.
C. Inform and persuade citizens of the County in becoming more effective stewards
of our water resources.
D. Connect and communicate with individual lake and river associations and with coalitions in Minnesota.
E. Support safety and courtesy in the use of county waters and the use of shoreland, and support compliance with all applicable rules and regulations.
That’s what ACLARA is about.
After the meal last Friday we had a program of telling favorite fish stories. Getting out on the water and onto the ice is just a lot of fun. As docks are taken in and we pull our boats onto the shore, Fall colors have never been brighter and water clarity is reaching its peak.
Yes, indeed, clean water and safe boating for all!
(Gordon Prickett is President of the Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
REAL CHANGE - At Water's Edge
REAL CHANGE - AT WATER’S EDGE
For more than a year we heard this call, "Are you ready for change?" As the housing recession sank into something worse; as our soldiers were blown up with devices we had invented two decades earlier, you bet we were! Now it’s been 107 days of change at the White House. Is it still too early to tell how we like it?
For several years I watched the DNR carry out the slogans and the concepts of our conservative, clean water governor. I voluntarily became part of the process. Using this column - which costs the Independent Age no fees - I urged on the participation of readers, lake associations, and shoreland residents in the clean water initiative for Aitkin County.
In October 2008 the County Board agreed formally and unanimously. It was time for a change to shoreland regulation of our lakes and rivers. As of today, May 6th, it has been 126 days - of living with the revised Shoreland Management Ordinance, which went into effect on January 1, 2009.
The Planning Commission, the Board of Adjustment, and the Board of Commissioners haven’t processed cases yet that deal with resort improvements, or with conservation subdivisions, or with newly-required setbacks on very small lakes. Or with alternative standards for preventing runoff and erosion, or limiting visual blight from densely-settled, clear-cut beaches. But we will begin this summer. The ordinance is available over the counter in the Zoning Office, where guidance is given to builders, buyers, and resorters. By the October one-year anniversary of the Board’s decision on this new law, you might ask "How has it worked so far? This Clean Water Initiative."
LAKE ASSOCIATIONS AND THE WATER FAIR
To help introduce these new shore standards to a wider segment of residents and property owners, the Aitkin County Lakes and Rivers Association (ACLARA) has asked for individual copies of the new ordinance for each member lake at its May meeting. These ordinance booklets are being distributed in time for preparation of annual meetings and newsletters this summer.
At the Rivers and Lakes Fair, Saturday, June 20th, there will be materials on display about building rain gardens and installing rain barrels. These are two important ways to prevent runoff pollution from entering the watersheds. Fact sheets about shoreland rules are being updated and created. Ask for them.
As you launch your boats this Spring from public access landings, look around and notice how well our state officials are doing in managing their shoreland property. Our local county regulations should be followed in this shore impact zone as well.
For more than a year we heard this call, "Are you ready for change?" As the housing recession sank into something worse; as our soldiers were blown up with devices we had invented two decades earlier, you bet we were! Now it’s been 107 days of change at the White House. Is it still too early to tell how we like it?
For several years I watched the DNR carry out the slogans and the concepts of our conservative, clean water governor. I voluntarily became part of the process. Using this column - which costs the Independent Age no fees - I urged on the participation of readers, lake associations, and shoreland residents in the clean water initiative for Aitkin County.
In October 2008 the County Board agreed formally and unanimously. It was time for a change to shoreland regulation of our lakes and rivers. As of today, May 6th, it has been 126 days - of living with the revised Shoreland Management Ordinance, which went into effect on January 1, 2009.
The Planning Commission, the Board of Adjustment, and the Board of Commissioners haven’t processed cases yet that deal with resort improvements, or with conservation subdivisions, or with newly-required setbacks on very small lakes. Or with alternative standards for preventing runoff and erosion, or limiting visual blight from densely-settled, clear-cut beaches. But we will begin this summer. The ordinance is available over the counter in the Zoning Office, where guidance is given to builders, buyers, and resorters. By the October one-year anniversary of the Board’s decision on this new law, you might ask "How has it worked so far? This Clean Water Initiative."
LAKE ASSOCIATIONS AND THE WATER FAIR
To help introduce these new shore standards to a wider segment of residents and property owners, the Aitkin County Lakes and Rivers Association (ACLARA) has asked for individual copies of the new ordinance for each member lake at its May meeting. These ordinance booklets are being distributed in time for preparation of annual meetings and newsletters this summer.
At the Rivers and Lakes Fair, Saturday, June 20th, there will be materials on display about building rain gardens and installing rain barrels. These are two important ways to prevent runoff pollution from entering the watersheds. Fact sheets about shoreland rules are being updated and created. Ask for them.
As you launch your boats this Spring from public access landings, look around and notice how well our state officials are doing in managing their shoreland property. Our local county regulations should be followed in this shore impact zone as well.
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