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Environmental policy leaders to meet
Published 3:18pm Tuesday, September 21, 2010On Friday, Sept. 24, environmental policy leaders from around the state will travel to the Northern Lights Casino Hotel and Event Center in Walker to participate in two public meetings.
At 9 a.m., state Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, will convene the first hearing of the newly formed Natural Resources Reform and Realignment Task Force, which will study and provide recommendations on a possible reorganization of the state’s environment and natural resource agencies and programs.
From 1-4 p.m., Minnesota Waters and the Pine River Watershed Alliance will host the third annual Healthy Lakes Legislative Forum, which brings together lawmakers, policy experts and regional lake and watershed associations to discuss water resource protection issues.
Olson, who will also participate in the Healthy Lakes Forum, said both events will allow for public participation and were scheduled on the same day to allow interested citizens and stakeholders to attend both.
Olson will chair the morning meeting of the Natural Resources Reform and Realignment Task Force, which will allow task force members to hear from northern Minnesotans about how the state might best realign the management of natural resources to make the process more efficient, effective and responsive to the public.
The afternoon forum will provide an opportunity for lawmakers to update members of local lake and watershed associations on recent legislative activity related to water quality issues.
Legislators will report on the status of those action items and field questions from stakeholders and concerned citizens.
For planning purposes, citizens interested in attending the morning task force meeting are asked to notify Olson’s office at 651-296-4913 or sen.mary.olson@senate.mn.
