Issue Position: Conservation
Issue Position
Earlier this year, Governor Dayton held a Water Summit to address the challenges facing Minnesota's water. The topics covered were comprehensive, including keeping lakes and rivers clean, maintaining wastewater infrastructure and dealing with invasive species and extreme weather.
As Minnesotans, water is integral to our way of life, affecting our health and also our economy. Protecting water should be the primary focus of our environmental policy. I believe that access to clean, safe water is a right, and we need to do all we can to protect our lakes and rivers for future generations.
I had the privilege of growing up in northern Minnesota, and my most cherished memories are of playing outside with my cousins and being on the lake with my family. The beautiful natural spaces in northern Minnesota, and the Boundary Waters in particular, are worth protecting.
My ancestors harvested manoomin (wild rice) in northern Minnesota and "ricing" remains an important part of my family and our culture today. There are few places I'd rather be than standing in a canoe on a hot August day with my dad. (If you have never had real wild rice, don't worry, we will be serving it with walleye at an event on September 13th!)
We must also invest in access to safe, clean water for all Minnesotans. As we've seen with the ongoing issues related to the water level of White Bear Lake, there will be no quick fixes. In the land of 10,000 lakes, we have taken our water for granted for too long. There is nothing quite like the joy and pride of a child catching their first fish. I will work hard to make sure that joy remains a possibility for future generations.
In addition to water issues, other areas of conservation and environmental policy are important to me. I have been a deer hunter and angler my entire life and I am proud to have earned endorsement from Conservation Minnesota Voter Center. Please visit Conservation Minnesota's website to learn more about their work: http://www.cmvotercenter.org.
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