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State Representative Rick Hansen
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-6828
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
Column/LTE
COOPERATION IN CONSERVATION EFFORTS CAN PREVENT FURTHER FLOOD DAMAGE
To the Editor:
It's disappointing when outside advocates use the tragic events of a massive natural disaster as a soapbox to further their own agendas – like Dennis Avery did in Thursday's edition of the Star Tribune.
Yesterday, I actually visited the flood-affected areas of southeastern Minnesota and saw firsthand the real damage that occurs when 17 inches of rain falls on one place in one day. 17 inches of rain anywhere is a recipe for disaster – and a disaster is exactly what the people of southeastern Minnesota are struggling to recover from right now.
We have a responsibility to respond by providing soil and water conservation help to stabilize the steep slopes of southeastern Minnesota. This will ensure that further mudslides and flood damage will be mitigated in the future. We need to act quickly as September is traditionally a rainy month, winter is on the way, and will be followed by the spring thaw.
We have an opportunity for the federal, state, and local conservation agencies to work together to meet the needs of those whose lives have been disrupted by this catastrophe.
The federal government can help with FEMA and assorted disaster response mechanisms, but also through the Emergency Conservation Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to repair terraces, culverts, creeks, and hillsides affected by the deluge. The state role can be to supplement cost share for these programs through the Board of Water and Soil Resources. And the local soil and water conservation districts can implement these conservation practices on the ground.
To protect Minnesota's homes, highways, and hillsides from further damage, we need to act now, together, to provide the funding, technical assistance, and support needed this fall.
Rep. Rick Hansen – District 39A
Chair – Watersheds, Wetlands, and Buffers Subcommittee
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