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FRESHWATER SOCIETY
<br />~`~ ~~e~ ~~~~ ~~cae~y ~s -~
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<br />e -`-ig ~~~~I~ ~rzdersg ~ ,~ ~ ~~~~ President
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<br />BOARD QF pEI~ECTORS couple of events recently left me hopeful the Freshwater Society can
<br />`Todd R. Bolin, Chair succeed in its efforts to bring about the "cultural shift" necessary for
<br />Tom Gapinske, Vice Chair the conservation, protection and restoration of our water resources.
<br />Donald Theissen, P1,.D., Sea~etory One of those events was the Nov. 4 election. In the election, 1.6 million
<br />Thomas B. Skramstad, Treasurer Minnesotans, 59 percent of those who cast ballots on the question, voted to
<br />Blyth Berg Brookman, raise their taxes to pay for clean water and the environment. That amend-
<br />Vice Chair of Programs
<br />Bruce Bom.ier meat out-polled any candidate or any other issue in Minnesota-ever.
<br />Richard. S. Caldecott, Ph.D. Think about it. In these economic times, Minnesotans cared enough about
<br />Emeritus Director water and the environment to raise their taxes. The amendment will raise
<br />Robert Elde, Ph.D. money for many things: Wildlife habitat, parks and trails and the arts. But I
<br />Paul Floyd, J.D. believe the main issue for most voters was clean water.
<br />Richard. G. Gray, Sr., D.Se, Passage of the amendment tells me Minnesotans care profoundly about
<br />Stuart E. Grubb, P.G. clean water. The vote validates what the Freshwater Society stands for. That
<br />Jo Ellen Hurr, Emeritus Director is something to feel good about.
<br />Barbara Luikens, M.D. The second event was a meeting at the Wilder Foundation about a project,
<br />John Packard
<br />Mary Safar ~ Twin Cities Compass, that examines health, housing, environment and trans-
<br />portation issues in the metro area.
<br />S1`AFF ~ About 200 of us attending the event were given hand-held polling devices.
<br />Gene Merriam, President Then Paul Mattessich, the Wilder Research director, asked: On a scale of 1 to
<br />Joan Nepheti; Executive Director 6, how comfortable do you Eeel about the water quality in this region?
<br />Scott Branch, Operations Assistant I pushed the button for "wuomfortable." About 20 percent of the crowd
<br />Chris Prok, CI peratiorts Manager was with me in that choice. Everybody else was comfortable, very comfort-
<br />Jeanne Prok, Program Manager
<br />Patrick Sweeney, Communications Director able or extremely comfortable with our water quality.
<br />Cherie Wagner, Project n4anager Then the Wilder people gave the crowd some simple statistics. On
<br />Laura West, Administrative Assistant water, the starkest fact was a pie chart showing 86 percent of Twin Cities
<br />lakes didn't meet basic water quality standards in 2006 or were designated
<br />Facets of Ft'esl~wc?ter is pub fished "impaired" by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
<br />quarterly by the Freshwater Society. After that, Mattessich repeated his question. We punched our buttons
<br />again, and this time the group I was in-those uncomfortable with our water
<br />If reprinting this material, please
<br />contact the Society far permission, quality-was nearly half the crowd.
<br />give credit to Facets qi Freshwater by Why am i telling you this? Because the exercise demonstrated that even
<br />the Freshtirater Society, and send us a informed, engaged citizens like those assembled for that meeting could be
<br />copy. Fax: 952-~71-7685 ill-informed about the environment. It also demonstrated that facts and data
<br />Far saLiscriptan or membership can move opinion.
<br />nformatian, contact us at: That is what we are about at the Freshwater Society: Interpreting and
<br />2500 Shadywood Road, .disseminating data, providing education. The exercise showed there is a
<br />Excelsior, MN 55331 critical need to educate and inform, and that education and information
<br />ar call 952-DTI-9773.
<br />E-snail: freshwater@freshwater.org change attitudes.
<br />Visit the Freshtivater Society website
<br />at: wwtv.freshwater.org
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<br />FACETS Deceml7er 2008
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