May 09, 2008 03:10 am
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To the Editor:
Less than 20 percent of Minnesota’s lakes and streams have been tested. Of these, about 40 percent don’t meet Clean Water Act standards. Only about a penny of your state tax dollar goes to this and other conservation needs — and that share will fall even more in 2009, according to our new state budget analysis.
What does that mean? Testing and cleanup of hundreds of polluted lakes and streams required by the Clean Water Legacy Act will be virtually unfunded. Lands and water vital to dozens of state, regional and local parks will not be conserved. There will be inadequate cleanup of closed landfills that can contaminate water resources and reductions in invasive species work, fish contaminant analysis and prairie wetland protection.
The good news is that Minnesota voters will have a chance to do something about this in November. The ballot will contain a proposed state constitutional amendment to invest $300 million annually in parks and trails, habitat, water protection vital to our health, recreation and way of life. It’s a chance for all of us to help protect and pass on a high quality of life to our children and grandchildren.
The budget analysis, “Running on Empty,” is available online at www.conservationminnesota.org.
Paul Austin
Minnesota Conservation Executive Director
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