Current Priorities
Conservation Minnesota is making sure future generations can enjoy everything our state has to offer. You can be a part of this exciting work. By spending just a couple of minutes, you can shape our work by sharing your opinion. Our Board and staff are deciding what to work on in 2013 right now, so tell us what is important to you by taking our survey. It’s all part of our mission: Protecting the Minnesota You Love.
Defending the Legacy
In 2008, Minnesotans overwhelmingly passed the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, with more Minnesotans voting to increase their taxes than voted for President Obama. The funding is for water clean up, habitat and wildlife protection, parks and trails support, and arts & culture. Conservation Minnesota now leads a broad coalition of sportsmen and environmental groups to make sure the money is spent in the way voters intended. We’ve launched TheAmendment.org and released several analyses to help Minnesotans track the funding and understand its impact. We are working to ensure transparency and accountability in all Legacy Amendment decisions.
Legacy Destinations
In its first two years, the Legacy Amendment has already provided benefits to every one of Minnesota’s 87 counties. With literally thousands of grants and projects underway, most people are still unaware of the impact in their communities. Conservation Minnesota has partnered with Explore Minnesota, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, and local Convention and Visitor’s Bureaus around the state to create a series of Legacy Destination weekends. The events celebrate local outdoors, history and arts attractions, showcasing the effects of Legacy Amendment funds in each community.
Doubling our Recycling
The State of Minnesota set a goal to recycle 80% of beverage containers by 2012. Currently Minnesotans recycle less than half that amount. Meanwhile, our neighbors in Iowa and Michigan recycle over 90%. That’s why Conservation Minnesota is working to pass the Minnesota Recycling Refund Act. The Recycling Refund would encourage recycling, reduce litter, and decrease recyclables in landfills. It would also help raise income for the state, support local curbside programs, create jobs, and provide great fund raising opportunities for schools and civic organizations. Learn more at www.recyclingrefund.org.
Protecting our Progress
Over the years, Conservation Minnesota has made progress on many fronts; providing more energy from renewables like wind and solar, protecting drinking water from future landfills, reducing phosphorous contamination in our lakes, and creating the new Lake Vermillion State Park to name a few. But dozens of proposals surface each year that would take the state backwards and result in more pollution, more threats to our children’s health, and fewer opportunities for our families to enjoy Minnesota’s Great Outdoors. Standing between these threats and your family is always a Conservation Minnesota priority.
