Dear neighbors,
This first public hearing of the Environment and Natural Resources Conference Committee will take place tomorrow morning. We’ll spend most of the meeting comparing the House and Senate budgets.
As this comparison report states, there are substantial differences between the House and Senate budgets. The most significant one is the amount of funding each provides for environmental protection. While the House budget would increase the amount of funding for these efforts, the Senate plan includes significant cuts.
The Senate budget cuts would have significant consequences. They include:
- Staff and service reductions at state parks and trails that would eliminate camping and other services at up to 34 parks, close campgrounds and parks from Labor Day to Memorial Day, and cause trail maintenance to suffer
- Less control over the spread of aquatic invasive species
- Reduced water management, which would result in less aid for local governments and make it more difficult to respond to floods or water level issues
- A less effective response to the outbreak of chronic wasting disease that requires deer hunters to bear the costs
DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen laid out some of these in a letter sent to the conference committee. You can read the full text of Commissioner Strommen’s letter here.
The conference committee will meet again on Wednesday to hear testimony from Minnesotans. I’ll serve as the chair for that meeting and continue to support adequate funding and stronger protections for our environment. If you’d like to testify, please contact Peter Strohmeier at peter.strohmeier@house.mn.
Safe Drinking Water Week
Safe Drinking Water Week is celebrated from May 5-11. It’s a great opportunity to consider the importance of clean water and thank the professionals who make that possible. I look forward to advocating for Minnesota lakes, rivers, and streams throughout the week.
A bipartisan group of legislators and I handed out Norway (Red) Pines, the Minnesota State Tree, for Arbor Day. This weekend I planted one of the seedlings in Bristol Township.
Please stay in touch as budget discussions continue. Your input is an important part of the process.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative