LWV Natural Resources Committee
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.