Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: December 19, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

This week’s email update covers some recent news before taking a closer look at our new state environment budget.

Minnesota Liberians to receive permanent status and opportunity to apply for citizenship

This week, the U.S. Senate voted to approve a defense spending bill that includes a measure giving members of Minnesota’s large Liberian community an opportunity to apply for U.S. citizenship. The bill passed the U.S. House last week, and President Trump has said he will sign the bill.

Earlier this year, the President announced a one-year extension of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians. These protections were scheduled to end on March 31st. Before his announcement, I sent a letter to President Trump and members of Minnesota’s Congressional Delegation asking them to extend DED for Liberians.

Our Liberian neighbors contribute to our economy, our culture and our communities. They are Minnesotans — for many of them this is the only country and state they have ever known. This is wonderful news.

Governor Walz announces new climate change initiative

On December 3rd, Governor Walz established the Climate Change Subcabinet and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Climate Change. Building on existing initiatives, the Subcabinet and the Advisory Council will guide the Walz-Flanagan Administration in creating bold and collaborative action to combat climate change.

I applaud Gov. Walz for continuing to take bold action to address the climate crisis, just like we’re doing in the Minnesota House. Our brand new Climate Action Caucus has met three times this fall to discuss the intersection of climate and housing, transportation, and public health policy. A video replay of the most recent meeting can be found here.

You can learn more about our work at www.house.mn/ClimateActionCaucus. Our next meeting takes place Jan. 12 and will focus on local environmental impacts.

Open positions on boards and commissions

Minnesota’s Secretary of State has announced hundreds of open positions on boards, commissions, councils, work groups and task forces. Click here to see ways you can serve on one of these advisory boards.

Reminder: Heating Assistance and Cold Weather Rules

Winter is here in full force. For Minnesotans under certain income levels, help may be available for payment of energy bills, help with utility disconnections or fuel deliveries, and advocacy with power companies and human service providers. For more information please visit the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s website here.

The Minnesota Cold Weather Rule is now also in effect, which protects residential utility customers from having their heat shut off during the winter months. More information is available from the Public Utilities Commission here.

Environment Budget

Minnesotans know our state is a special place to live and want it to remain that way for years to come. They expect us to protect our air, water, and natural resources so they can be enjoyed by future generations.

The Environment and Natural Resources Omnibus budget leads on innovative problem solving for some of Minnesota’s most pervasive and complicated environmental issues, including Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), and Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) as well as protections for pollinators, community health, and natural resources, and greater access to our great outdoors for all Minnesotans.

The House proposed increased funding for essential and innovative environment provisions, while the Senate proposal included significant cuts and shifts. Their priorities stripped essential funding for Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Pollution Control Agency (PCA), Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), Minnesota Zoo, and Parks and Trails, and was not responsive to critical issues for Minnesota.

In the end, the environment budget is a bipartisan compromise. There’s more work to do to ensure every Minnesotan can drink clean water, breathe clean air, and enjoy our outdoors and natural resources.

Here are some of the highlights

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD): The state budget provides $6.87 million from various funds to provide needed resources to researchers, field workers, hunters, and communities to address the CWD crisis. The budget also includes increased accountability for cervid farms, including double gates, high tensile fencing, increased Board of Animal Health inspection, enforcement, and increased inspection fees, mandatory depopulation for positives at CWD farms, biohazard signage; increased funding for management, research for a diagnostic test for live animals and to detect prions in environment, butchering/taxidermy education, Adopt-a Dumpster, and carcass disposal; increased reporting and accountability; creation of federal account for reimbursement, and prohibition on hunter imported carcasses.

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS): The budget provides $6 million from various funds for research, prevention, and treatment for AIS.

• $1.76 million for AIS Response: Increases AIS surcharge fee to $10.60 for a three-year license on watercraft which results in $1.76 million for DNR and for grants to Lake Associations (at a higher rate than in the past) for AIS response, prevention, research, and management. The fee hadn’t increased in more than 26 years.
• $4.2 million for AIS Research to the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC) at the University of Minnesota to prioritize, support, and develop research-based solutions to reduce the impacts of aquatic invasive species by preventing spread, controlling populations, and managing ecosystems.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB): The budget includes $300,000 in grants for assistance to cities to replace ash trees removed from public lands in response to the emerald ash borer crisis, and $199,000 to address the loss of ash trees to emerald ash borer by planting approximately 15,000 native trees and plants in affected areas in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Lawns to Legumes Grant Program: The new budget includes $900,000 for grants to plant residential lawns with pollinator-friendly flowering plants. You can learn more here.

Saving Endangered Pollinators through Data-Driven Prairie Restoration:$800,000 was included in the budget to reestablish populations of Minnesota’s imperiled butterflies through reintroductions and prairie restorations and by developing foundational habitat recommendations to prevent future extinctions.

Minnesota Biological Survey: $1.5 million was appropriated to complete statewide field surveys to provide a foundation for conserving biological diversity by systematically collecting, interpreting, and delivering data on native and rare species, pollinators, and native plant communities.

Protections for community health and well-being

Understanding and Reducing Health Risks from Trichloroethylene (TCE): The environment budget includes $786,000 to help tackle this issue.

Ice Safety Program: The budget includes $352,000 for ice safety on lakes in winter.

Enhance Lead and Asthma Activities: $200,000 was appropriated for enhanced blood lead testing, lead poisoning prevention efforts, and asthma education as recommended by the Northern Metals Consent Decree Advisory Committee.

Access, Outreach, Equity, and Education

• No Child Left Inside: The budget includes $500,000 for a grant program for underserved youth to access Minnesota’s natural places.
• Increasing Diversity in Environmental Careers: $250,000
• Youth Trapshooting: $200,000
• Expanding Camp Sunrise Environmental Program: $237,000
• Connecting Students to Boundary Waters: $450,000 in funding to connect underserved students to the boundary waters.
• State Park Free Days: Provides for three days every year where Minnesotans can visit state parks without admission cost.
• Firearms Safety Grants: $500,000
• High School Fishing League Grants: $200,000
• Angler Surveys to Inform Fisheries Management: $810,000

Small Business Support

• Dry Cleaner Fund: $1.8 million is transferred from the Remediation Fund to the Dry Cleaner Environmental Response and Reimbursement Account.
• Recycling Market Development: $800,000
• Business Friendly Data Services: $1.6 million
• Feedlot Training: $300,000 to MN Association of County Feedlot Officers to develop, with MPCA and U of MN Extension, an online training curriculum.
• Small Business Environmental Improvement Loan Program: Provides policy updates to make the program more usable and accessible to more small businesses.

Protections and Research for Natural Resources

• Nongame Wildlife Program Acceleration: $513,000 provides support to program that helps over 700 species of Minnesota wildlife thrive.
• St. Louis River Area of Concern: $484,000 – remediation for contaminated sediments and to restore aquatic habitat to the estuary in the St. Louis River Area of Concern in Great Lakes Basin.
• SCORE Grants for Counties: $35.5 million in grants to counties to create and support markets for recycled products.
• Reducing and Diverting Food Waste: $1.5 million
• Extension of Freeway Landfill Appropriation: $1.6 million from the Closed Landfill Investment Fund for settling obligations with federal government, remedial investigations, feasibility studies, engineering, and cleanup-related activities.
• Solar Study on Landfills: $300,000
• Noxious Weed and Invasive Plants Removal Grants: $1 million
• Forest and Bioeconomy Research: $2.2 million
• Agricultural Weed Control Using Autonomous Mowers: $900,000 for U of MN Morris to design, integrate, and field-test new technology mowers to control weeds, reduce herbicide use, reduce energy costs, and improve native vegetation and forage quality on agricultural lands.

Outdoor Recreation

Walter F. Mondale Riverway: In honor of his legacy and work to pass the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the budget names the following after Walter F. Mondale: riverway segment of St. Croix River Water Trail, Interstate Park scenic overlook and trail, William O’Brien State Park day use area, Wild River State Park river trail, and St. Croix Park visitor center.

ATV Trails and Planning:

• Voyageur ATV Trail: $600,000
• Prospector Loop Trail: $1.3 million
• Taconite State Trail: $1.1 million
• Grant for Quad Cities ATV Club Trail: $1.9 million
• Mississippi River Northwoods Trail Multipurpose Bridge: $150,000
• Off Highway Motorcycle Trail Master Plan: $75,000

Bruce Mine Park Mesabi Trailhead: $1 million

Britton Peak to Lutsen Mountain Bike Trail: $350,000

Cross-Country-Ski Pass Fee Increase: The fee for an annual cross-country-ski pass increases from $19 to $24; a three-year pass increases from $54 to $69, and daily pass increases from $5 to $9. This increase is supported by the Cross-County Ski Association.

Game Recovery Dogs: Allows for leashed tracking dogs to aid in bear and deer recovery.

Drainage Work Group (DWG) Policy Provisions: This bill is a byproduct of years of bipartisan, collaborative work by DWG with support and input from stakeholders, agencies, and environmentalists. It provides technical changes, updated language, and more flexible report and compensation options as it applies to drainage regulations.

Here are some of the measures that did not become law

TCE Ban: In the wake of the revelation that White Bear Lake residents were being exposed to unsafe levels of TCE for years by Water Gremlin, there was support for prohibiting the known carcinogen for use in manufacturing. Unfortunately, the Senate opposed the provision.

Salt Applicator Certification: This measure would have provided for private contractors to receive training to be certified in “smart salting” techniques similar to the training state agencies and DOT employees receive. Salt use isn’t regulated among individuals or private companies, and chloride contamination is a significant threat to waterways, habitat, and wildlife.

Prohibition of Neonicotinoid Use in Wildlife Management Areas: Despite both the House and the Senate including this prohibition, the Senate was not willing to include this provision in the final budget. Neonicotinoids are popular insecticides used on lawns, gardens, and crops that are harmful to pollinators. On May 20th, the EPA cancelled the registration of 12 neonicotinoids, which requires the products to be removed from shelves as a part of a legal settlement after five years of litigation with beekeepers and conservationists.

Water Quality Goal: This proposal was an aspirational goal for clean, drinkable water and swimmable and fishable lakes by 2040.

As always, please contact me anytime with your input. I appreciate hearing from you! You can reach me at 651-296-4280 or rep.melissa.hortman@house.mn. You can also keep up with what’s happening at the Capitol by liking my legislative Facebook page. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Melissa Hortman