>Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2002 01:25:07 -0600 (CST) >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Star Tribune Article > >This article from The Star Tribune has been sent to you by annie. > >annie wrote these comments: share > >Pam Blixt: Wetlands conservation is imperative >http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/1401809.html > > > >Dennis Anderson's laudable conservation series "The State We're >In" (news, Dec. 16-19) should be a wake-up call for policymakers, >city and rural civic leaders, and all Minnesotans who care about the >environment. Insightful as it is disturbing, Anderson's series also >underscores the apparent disconnect among these three groups between their >genuinely held beliefs in conservation principles and the woeful reality >of actual conservation practices. > >At the legislative level, our elected officials proved to be prudent >environmental stewards by passing the Wetlands Conservation Act of 1991. >But its implementation and enforcement leave much to be desired. charged >with enforcing the law -- including watershed districts -- ambiguous >language often creates far too much wiggle room for government, the >private sector and citizens. > >The need to strengthen our collective backbone for enforcing the Wetlands >Conservation Act is imperative, if we are to reverse the disastrous trends >outlined in Anderson's series. > >In place of ambiguous environmental language, we need aggressive yet >reasoned rules to establish wetland buffer zones and protect the remaining >few, high-quality wetlands. We also need more effective ways to educate >people that the storm drain near the end of their driveway feeds into a >nearby water body. In short, we need to take a watershed-based approach to >our ecosystem -- and understand that the cost to clean up natural >resources far exceeds the cost of protecting them. > >The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District board is considering adoption of a >rule that would address development and redevelopment in urban areas with >much-needed buffer protection for lakes, streams, creeks and wetlands. > >Such a rule would encourage builders and developers, along with city park >and recreation departments, to use buffers as a natural means to protect >shoreline and wetland wildlife and plant habitat critical to healthy >water, flood and pollution control systems. > >Mound is using a new watershed district model for wetland assessment that >will be implemented throughout the district. It uses an innovative >computer-based Geographical Information System system to take inventory of >the city's existing wetland functions and values and put them in >perspective for the entire watershed region. It's called the Minnehaha >Creek Routine Assessment Method, and it could serve as a new statewide >resource for wetland preservation -- and as a primary tool for other >cities in better developing state-required water management plans. > >At the citizen level, like many other watersheds, the district provides >information about best management practices actions homeowners can take, >such as not dumping grass clippings, leaves and car detergents down storm >drains where these "waste" products eventually contribute to >algae blooms in water. Judging from the poll that accompanied Anderson's >piece, more education is required. > > >-- Pam Blixt, Minneapolis. President, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District >Board.
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