Happening

Over the weekend, the Minnesota Legislature released its funding proposal for critical infrastructure and community projects, known as bonding or capital investments. Today, we submitted the following letter to both the Senate and House Capitol Investment committees. We will advocate for the addition of the provisions as the bill continues through the legislative process.

To reach the historic goals set last year in the 100% Clean Energy bill, we must expedite the permitting processes for wind and solar projects and new transmission lines. Updating our laws to achieve our 100% goal is a key priority for us this session. Earlier this week, we signed onto this support letter along with many of our partners.

Solving our state’s largest conservation problems means taking incremental steps toward significant culture-shifting changes. During this legislative session, many of our priorities are built upon past successes. Learn about what's next for clean air, pollution & waste, and clean air.

During the 2017 legislative session, a law was passed prohibiting cities from creating ordinances to ban the use of plastic bags in their communities. When we advocated against this bill, we called it the “Bag Ban-Ban.” This session, a bill was introduced to undo the prohibition of banning plastic bags and return control to local governments. Read the letter we submitted in support of the repeal.

Today, we submitted the following letter in support of a bill that would create a state task force to help prevent critical minerals from ending up in our landfills. This common-sense solution could reduce the amount of new minerals we need to mine from the ground by reusing the minerals in our outdated technology waste. 

Last week, Conservation Minnesota signed on to testimony in support of a Minnesota Clean Transportation Standard. This legislation would reduce emissions from Minnesota’s highest polluting sector. 

As Minnesota’s 2024 legislative session gets underway, we are preparing to build on last year’s historic wins by advancing more impactful legislation to protect the Minnesota we love. Though this session will be shorter, we are still putting our support behind bills to reduce packaging waste, decrease emissions from the transportation sector, and more to make Minnesota a healthier and thriving place to live.

Winter is upon us, but our Conservation Crews are not hibernating—they’re hard at work. Crews at 32 middle schools across the state are working to finalize their project ideas and get down to business. 

As we kick off the celebration of Conservation Minnesota’s 20th Anniversary, this edition of our newsletter gives a “peek under the hood” of how we make change happen. Luckily, the fuels that power this engine are all renewable: trust, community, and partnership.

In recognition of local governments’ work to protect the Great Outdoors, we launched the Blazing Star Award in 2022. Learn about the 2023 winners!