The legislative work that MNIPL does in partnerships with our allies is essential to ensuring critical environmental protections. This year we are focusing our work on two fronts: making sure our IPL members and allies’ voices were delivered through letters and testimonies opposing changes that will rollback essential environmental protections; and leading efforts to protect wild rice by proposing SF1247 and co-leading efforts with the Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers and Climate Change to move SF2205  to address the cost of home insurance rates due to increased risk of extreme weather events. 

Both bills are moving forward, but we need support from House members to ensure the wild rice bill will become law this year.

At the Legislature, the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee  approved their $2.28 billion omnibus finance bill without amendment and with no policy provisions and no additional funding for state agencies.

The House is proposing a $10 million reduction to:

• $5 million from DNR for enhancing prairies and grasslands and restoring wetlands.
• $3 million from PCA for a local government climate resiliency and water infrastructure grant programs.
• $2 million from the Board of Water and Soil Resources for conservation easements and restoration and enhancement for purposes of climate resiliency, adaptation, and carbon “Without the governor’s proposed operating adjustment, Minnesotans will experience service erosion in the coming years,” Strommen said, citing reduced upkeep and cleaning of campgrounds and visitors’ centers in state parks, plus reduced camping seasons and park customer service hours.

The Senate Omnibus bill SF2077 in the Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committee is quite different from the House bill, which will create significant challenges for negotiations in the final stretch. The Senate Omnibus bill increases state park permit fees, imposes an aquatic invasive species surcharge for watercraft, water-use and appropriation permit fees to continue to support the environmental protection activities performed by state agencies. Here are some other highlights:

• Allows local governments can recover costs for responding to pollutant releases not covered under MERLA.
• Establishes the E-waste stewardship program that includes a ban on mercury-containing batteries.
• Empowers MPCA to credential consultants for permitting efficiency and issue citations for non-compliance.
• Provides financial assistance for projects addressing emerging contaminants.
• Increases the minimum contribution to State parks trails license plate from $60 to $70.
• Gives the Metropolitan Council the ability to provide interest-free loans for regional parks.
• Gives Tribal governments eligibility to provide community tree planting grants.
• Provides zero-interest loans for phasing out high-polluting equipment will be administered through a small business program.