Accessibility menu
State Representative Paul Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4317
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
NEWS COLUMN
EMERALD ASH BORER CREEPS WESTWARD
By State Rep. Paul Anderson
Folks at one of the Pope County Fair booths last week were busy informing the public about Emerald Ash Borer, a wood-boring beetle that kills ash trees. This new invasive pest made its presence known in Michigan a few years ago, and now the sound of chainsaws means the destruction of thousands of ash trees in that state. If the disease becomes established here, our ash trees could face the same fate. It has been found in a few trees in one St. Paul neighborhood, and efforts are underway to keep it from spreading.
That may prove to be a difficult task, as EAB can re-infest trees hundreds of miles away through the movement of infested firewood or nursery stock. Campers coming to Minnesota’s state parks are no longer allowed to bring their own firewood because of the danger of infected wood.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture asks residents to make themselves aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease. Tips given include not moving firewood from one area to another, and never moving un-certified nursery stock across state lines. This pest came to Michigan as a hitchhiker from its native home in Asia. Following these simple rules will make it more difficult for this disease to hitchhike its way across Minnesota.
According to a press release from the director of the Office of Energy Security in Washington, weatherization service providers are ramping up to begin production work by hiring workers and purchasing equipment. Work will start soon as part of the stimulus program.
Job postings are accessible at the Minnesota Management and Budget website. Multiple jobs will be available over the next several weeks. Those interested are urged to check the website often since these jobs will only be posted for a short period of time. To find the site, log on to www.careers.state.mn.us and click on “search for a job.” Under the Department category, select “Commerce.” Finally, at the bottom of the page, click on “search.” If the search returns no results, there are currently no positions available.
Here’s a follow-up to a topic discussed in this column a couple of weeks back pertaining to the uncased firearms law. A constituent wrote and asked if it applied to hunting coyotes or other varmints, where there is no formal season and hunting is allowed year-round.
This statute applies equally to any and all types of lawful hunting, including varmint hunting, irrespective of whether such hunting requires a license. I received this response from DNR Enforcement. “Hunting would include hunting species such as coyotes and skunks, as well as protected wild animals. No license is required to hunt coyotes, either resident or non-resident. This new law applies only to shotguns and rifles, as a permit to carry is still required for handguns/pistols.”
The three major bond rating agencies recently affirmed Minnesota’s existing credit rating. The announcement came before the state was scheduled to sell $600 million in bonds August 11. Standard and Poors, along with Fitch Rating, continued their AAA rating, which is the highest possible. Moody’s Investors Services also stayed with their rating of Aa1.
“We still have work to do,” said Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Tom Hanson, “but we appreciate being recognized as one of the highest rated states.”
--30--
Rep. Anderson encourages constituents to contact his new office with input regarding any state legislative issue. He can be reached on the web at www.house.mn/13A and via email at rep.paul.anderson@house.mn. To contact Anderson by phone, call (651) 296-4317. Mail can be sent to Rep. Paul Anderson, 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.
News Items
- ANDERSON TAKES HOUSE OATH - (Posted: Jan 8 2013 12:00AM)
- Legislative begins this week - (Posted: Jan 11 2013 3:36PM)
- Current surplus allows K-12 repayment - (Posted: Dec 10 2012 12:00AM)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.