January meeting announcement

Hello!

You are invited to attend the next quarterly meeting of the Minnesota River Watershed Alliance, a Volunteer, Active, Action-Oriented Group of Watershed Advocates. Participation is open to Every Citizen, Landowner, Organization and Agency in the Minnesota River Watershed.

The next meeting will be held on January 23, 2007 (Tuesday) from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Galileo Room of the New Century Charter School in Hutchinson. The school is located at 45 W. Highland Park Dr. NE (see links at bottom of this message).

The Minnesota River Watershed Alliance needs you to help us follow up on the momentum generated by the Minnesota River Summit. Please consider joining this network of citizens, public agencies and private organizations dedicated to communicating the benefits of an ecology healthy Minnesota River Watershed to others and are actively working toward improving and protecting this valuable resource.

The focus of our work in 2007 is to continue raising funds to enroll an additional 15,000 acres in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program or CREP. CREP acres improve water quality and restore wildlife habitat, along with offering agriculture producers’ a chance to remove marginal farmland from production.

Recently the Minnesota River Watershed Alliance approached the Carl and Verna Schmidt Foundation requesting up to $1.5 million in funds for the CREP project. This request was positively received by the Schmidt Foundation and a decision is anticipated in January.

The Minnesota River Watershed Alliance has also been an integral part in the planning of a Minnesota River Summit to be held on January 10th and 11th in New Ulm. This event is bringing together participants from across the watershed for an extended conversation and discussion on Minnesota’s namesake river.

In December 2006, the Minnesota River Watershed Alliance sent letters to Governor Tim Pawlenty and two administrative judges concerning the draw down of water on Big Stone Lake by the proposed Big Stone II Coal Plant. The Minnesota River Watershed Alliance is concerned this power plant will negatively impact the Minnesota River Watershed. We hope to hear soon from the Governor’s office on this issue.

We hope to see you at the January 23rd meeting and are excited about the prospects for the Minnesota River Watershed in 2007. If you have any questions please contact Scott Kudelka at 507-389-2304.

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GOOGLE MAPS to 45 W. Highland Park Dr. NE