LWV Natural Resources Committee
Monthly Meeting
Monday, April 20, 2020
5:00 - 6:30 pm
Building for Women Board Room
Monday, April 20, 2020
5:00 - 6:30 pm
Building for Women Board Room
So What has the Natural Resources Committee Been Up To?
February 2020
Here are some of the things that the Natural Resources Committee has been involved with over the last few months.
· Helped pass the Bag It Ordinance putting a 5 cent fee on single use plastic bags.
· Heard a Climate Reality presentation by League member Rachel Wagner.
· Worked to get the LWV Duluth Board to sign on to a petition created by the Climate Mobilization group chaired by LWV Duluth member Lisa Fitzpatrick declaring that there is a climate crisis.
· Discussed a “Rights of Nature” proposal brought
forward by member Barb Akre.
· Decided to send LWV Observers to the City of Duluth Natural Resources Commission meetings. League members Barb Akre
and Myrna Matheson have agreed to attend, with Julie O’Leary also indicating an interest.
· Sent comments to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) based on a League position, regarding our opposition to a
possible change in water quality standards for trout streams.
· Supplied updates and opportunities for action on PolyMet and Twin Metals through Gay Trachsel’s involvement with the
Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP).
· Began planning for a Wednesday, March 18 event co-sponsored with the local Izaak Walton chapter focusing on plastics, with
a possible title of “Everything you have always wanted to know about Plastics and didn’t know who to Ask”.
February 2020
Here are some of the things that the Natural Resources Committee has been involved with over the last few months.
· Helped pass the Bag It Ordinance putting a 5 cent fee on single use plastic bags.
· Heard a Climate Reality presentation by League member Rachel Wagner.
· Worked to get the LWV Duluth Board to sign on to a petition created by the Climate Mobilization group chaired by LWV Duluth member Lisa Fitzpatrick declaring that there is a climate crisis.
· Discussed a “Rights of Nature” proposal brought
forward by member Barb Akre.
· Decided to send LWV Observers to the City of Duluth Natural Resources Commission meetings. League members Barb Akre
and Myrna Matheson have agreed to attend, with Julie O’Leary also indicating an interest.
· Sent comments to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) based on a League position, regarding our opposition to a
possible change in water quality standards for trout streams.
· Supplied updates and opportunities for action on PolyMet and Twin Metals through Gay Trachsel’s involvement with the
Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP).
· Began planning for a Wednesday, March 18 event co-sponsored with the local Izaak Walton chapter focusing on plastics, with
a possible title of “Everything you have always wanted to know about Plastics and didn’t know who to Ask”.
Over the past few years LWV Duluth Natural Resources Committee has worked on, among other things, educating our members and the general public about plastics through our connection with the "Bag It" campaign, educated members and the general public about Duluth area trees through an Urban Forest Panel bringing together several local experts and having LWV observers on the Urban Forest Commission and educated and updated members on copper/nickel mining issues through our connection with the Minnesota Environmental Partnership..
Natural Resources Committee: This committee advocates for protection and preservation of natural resources including land, water, and air based on LWV local, state, and national positions.
Activities from 2018 include:
- Urban Forest Panel on February 7: Seven excellent speakers discussed various aspects of the Duluth Urban Forest/ followed up by a detailed article giving contact information and areas of expertise in the May Newsletter
- Urban Forest Commission observation by Ann Redelfs and Myrna Matheson and now by Margaret Kirtley-Sternberg
- Ongoing discussion with the city regarding a May Arbor Day event. The event was held May 31 with 500 trees planted on the Western Waterfront Trail
- Continuing connection with “Bag It” Duluth to encourage use of reusable bags and reduce the use of single use plastic bags. Creation of cards to leave in restaurants encouraging changing to compostable to-go containers and eliminating plastic straws (cards created by Devon Hovey and Katherine Huska, Natural Resources Comm. members). Template available on “BagIt” Duluth website
- Ongoing updates on Polymet and Twin Metals from the Minnesota Enviromental Partnership (MEP) Mining Cluster by Gay Trachsel
- Attendance by several Natural Resources Committee members at the Polymet Hearing on March 6 where Sally Munger spoke at the before Hearing Rally and Gay Trachsel spoke at the Hearing
- Attendance by several Natural Resources Committee members at Water Action Day at the State Capitol on May 2
Plans for the coming year:
Plans for the coming year include continuing with our emphasis on Plastics reduction and continued education on issues related to copper/nickel sulfide mining. Our first meeting in September will include a brainstorming session regarding other possible areas of focus for the coming year.