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management. Mary of these women do not feel comfortable at many of the conferences. This conference is designed to give women a comfortable atmosphere to have their questions answered and to learn about new topics in land stewardship. We hope that you will join us for this year's conference which promises to be a great orie. Please tell a friend about the conference. Even though this conference is geared towards women men are also invited to attend. The registration fee is $15. If you would like more information ar to register please call the University of Minnesota Extension Service at 507-235- 3341 or 1-800-967-3340. N~~ dive Ye=w Fl for ~~.~ ~ate>I~h~d ERBI is working with several other groups to write a Five Year Plan that will be able to be used by a variety of groups which are located within the Greater Blue Earth River Watershed. This plan will highlight issues which need to be addressed and will suggest how to deal with these issues. Since this plan is being designed for a variety of groups, the planning committee will be locking for public input. The planning committee plans to hold several meetings to gather opinions on what should be addressed in the plan. This plan will be important to everyone living in the watershed, so it is important that everyone's concerns be considered. Please watch your local papers for more information of the meetings. We look forward to talking with you about this issue. any of us never really wonder what we are drinking when we turn on that tap. We think that we are enjoying a refreshing glass of pure water, but there may be more in that glass than we think. Regular water testing is an impartant part of protecting your health. Nitrates are a problem that commonly turns up in well. water. Nitrates can not be detected just by tasting or Looking at the water. They are tasteless, colorless, and odorless.. A state certified lab must conduct a water test to determine whether they are in your well water or not. Water tests range in prices from $7 to $25. They should be conducted every two or three years unless a problem is detected, then yaur water should be tested more frequently. The state limit for nitrates are 10 mg/1. Why St~omld i Be Coueerued About Nitrates in IVIy Water? Nitrates can cause many health problems. Infants are especially effected by high levels of nitrates in drinking water. Babies who consume high levels of nitrates can have "blue baby syndrome". This happens when the baby's blood is not as able to carry oxygen. If the condition. does not receive medical attention death may occur. Other people who should be especially concerned about nitrates in their drinking water are pregnant women, those with reduced stomach acidity, and those with certain blood disarders. Some experts believe that nitrates may also cause some types of cancers, but no clear evidence of this has been found. Shavld t Be Concerned About Other 't'ests? Your water can also be tested for other contaminants such as coliform bacteria, arsenic, Lead, radon, and sulfates. To find a certified testing laboratory in your area look in the yellow pages under "Laboratories-Testing" or "Water Analysis". ". - - it is arguob>e that the future of consert~r~tion in the U. S. d%rends in cr fundc,+nento! e~oy on inf/uencing decisions.. at the loch/ /eve% Co//a6oration is the very essence of conservation plonning. " From the Society Far Conservation Biology Newsletter, NOVet!'~hor 1949 ~i I'o~~ti®>~ ~lI'® Stns So~~ces hen we mow our lawns, ride our snowmobiles, or cruise around on our personal water craft we seldom think about how much pollution is coming from The engine we are using. Two-cycle engines pollute much more than larger engines because they are very inefficient. 25 to 30°,% of the gas and oil is released unburned into the air. This puts benzene and acrolein into the environment. Driving a snowmobile with atwo-cycle engine emits more pollutants than driving a car for a whole year. Two hours on a jet-ski can release up to six gallons of fuel into the water. One hour spent on a two-cycle lawn mower pollutes as much as forty new cars. There are several ways that this type of pollution can be reduced. Using an electric or four-cycle engine lawn mower can help. Afour-cycle snowmobile is also less polluting. Check your boat or personal water craft to make sure that is has afour-cycle engine. Also make sure that all of your gas powered engines are functioning properly and avoid gas spills. -Page 7-