2004-10-28_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

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- '- e - Organizers want Wall Lake to be the first to swear off chemical use near the shoreline. The Wall Lake Association is taking proactive steps to protect the quality of Minnesota lakes by asking Wall Lake property owners to participate in a voluntary moratorium to keep all chemicals 200 feet or more away from the Lakeshore. "As far as we know," said association Vice President Brian Sundberg, "we are the first Minnesota lake to do this." Sundberg expressed the association's concern about chemicals used by indi- vidualproperty owners as well as commer- cial and private farmers that end up in the lakes. Wanting to preserve the water quality in Wall Lake, the association decided to take matters into their own hands. "Lakes are our greatest natural resource in Minnesota, but we're losing them," said Sundberg. As an incentive to participate in the voluntary moratorium, the Wall Lake Association plans to provide free member- ships to those who sign a pledge stating their intent to not use chemicals for the next five years and perhaps beyond. If the program is successful, the association hopes that other Otter Tail and Minnesota lake associations follow suit so that all may enjoy Minnesota's greatest resource for years to come. "[Lake living] is a good life. I want the quality to be there for my granddaughter, so she can enjoy what I have had since I was a kid," said Sundberg. Excerpted from an article by Mike Trosvig in the Fergus Fasts Daily Journal, July 23, 2004 t e ®reC`rs es On the doorstep of another academec year. As I write this letter,' it feels more like the middle of . ~ ~ "~`~ } ~~ =~~ October than August. Hopefully there will be some summer ir'~ $ ~ t ' ahead for'all of us. I hope all of-you were. able to take some i >~ .~ ~'y time for yourself to reenergize for the academic`year ahead. {.~''~ The summerhas gone by even faster than usual, if that is "~ ossible: A number' of activities have occu red our time. ~ "~" F ''~ The following are just a sampling of issues and activities we have been pursuing here at the WRC. In today's climate of reduced funding and the ever-present. need to set priorities, ~VRC staff have been nv4l~ed in a series of ore-day sessions preliar- i.ng us to complexc a strafegic planning process that will. help us focus our efforta for the next five-year planning;period. These. activities will cuInunatc in September with a facilitated session Iead"mg to a report to llezins Stafford, Casey :and Muscoplat: Setting prior%tes andhaving both-a short- and long-terns plan of ~~ action isessentialto the continued success of the C'enterin obtaining outside «rurts and- contracts that allow faculty to' conduct the research :and education progran3s to enhance management of our water resources. ~ , At the end of August and during the ftrst p< rt of Septembeii; the Great l=,akes Regronal USDA-CSRE~S water quality leader ship team wl}l be hosting the ~ National Committee for Shared Leadership to highlight program successes and issues in our region. This will be conducted in Duluth and northwcstcm Wiscon- sin. Our region has had great success in obtaining funding through the CSREES Section 406 Water Quality Program, and we hope this will help us continue that ".:success: The State of Minnesota, under leadership from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and in partnership wifh'cities and communities;-has undertaken a "major effort to enhance research, education, and practice impletrientatioir in partnership for storm water management. The Center is idvolVed at alLlevcls of this ae ivity, vvhich,in the short term, should result in est;.ablishing protocols for` monitoring and assessing storm water practice perfaru}once. "phis is ari issue crf key importzu~ce to Minnesota cities as they acldi`css how to treat their storm-water. In preparation for the Iegislatii~ session in 20()5, the state. is revisiting the ,Impaired WatersImtiativebeghn hest year; specifi~•aily exploring ftinding~meclia- nisn~s to address t}re ninny impaired waters in tltest~itc:If this rnitiati'ue `oxwes forwar d; fliere will he increased need Cor the Uni~~ersity to provide research and" ~- education about these impairments acid how they. can b~_coirecked: ~. ~~ ~ This is all happeniil~* against the backdrop of the st<rif of arx~ther schoCil-~ ~.ii, t}°rth rcenci`rized faculty rind students retrirninti* to campus. As aIway~; th;~ \1 IZti .:~ gi`aduate programis wclc~~ming a-~nrhole new set oI faees_th rt wrll hel~~ ~~ unic aii~t coridtict these activities iii the coining few _y~~irs.`- ' -~a € ~n~~ 1 -, ,{ J'~r 'r~ r~~,,,'.'!FiCc ~ ~n~~~~ct ~r ~~~ - - -- - ~ ~' Minnegram 2