MINNESOTA ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIP

MINNESOTA ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIP (MEP) WORKS IN A UNIQUE WAY TO BRING TOGETHER THE ENERGIES AND PASSIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSERVATION NONPROFITS AND ALLIES INTO A SINGLE POWERFUL VOICE. WE WORK IN SYNCHRONY WITH OUR MEMBERS AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, AND WE EDUCATE AND MOBILIZE THE PUBLIC ON PRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, INVESTMENTS, AND INTITATIVES.MEP'S PROGRAMS ARE FOCUSED ON PROTECTING AND RESTORING MINNESOTA'S NATURAL RESOURCES AND PROTECTING HUMAN HEALTH, WITH A CLEAR COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. MEP'S ONGOING INITIATIVES ARE OUTLINED BELOW WITH HIGHLIGHTS FROM FISCAL YEAR 2025.PROGRAM ONE: ACHIEVEMENTS IN CLEAN WATER WORK IN FY 2025INVESTING IN CLEAN WATER AND LIVING LANDSCAPESA LONGSTANDING PRIORITY ISSUE FOR MEP HAS BEEN EDUCATING DECISION-MAKERS AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE DETRIMENTS OF AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION TO STREAMS, RIVERS, LAKES, AND DRINKING WATER. WE'VE ADVOCATED FOR SOLUTIONS LIKE THE FOREVER GREEN INITIATIVE, WHICH IS AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THAT'S DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING NEW PERENNIAL AND WINTER ANNUAL MARKETABLE COVER CROPS TO PREVENT FARM RUNOFF, INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, AND IMPROVE HABITAT AND CLIMATE RESILIENCY. MEP IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED ON THE FOREVER GREEN PARTNERSHIP CORE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE. PROTECTING OUR WATER FROM SULFIDE MININGPROPOSED SULFIDE MINES IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA, INCLUDING THE POLYMET NORTHMET PROJECT, THE TALON MINE, AND THE TWIN METALS MINNESOTA PROJECT, THREATEN OUR LAKES AND RIVERS WITH SIGNIFICANT ONGOING WATER POLLUTION. MEP HAS LEVERAGED OUR POSITION TO CONVENE THE MEP MINING CLUSTER, WHICH HELPS GROUPS CONVENE, COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE ON THEIR STRATEGIES. CLUSTER MEMBER GROUPS HAVE LED SUCCESSFUL LEGAL CAMPAIGNS THAT HAVE HALTED MOST OF POLYMET'S PERMITS SO THE PROJECT IS RECONSIDERING ITS MINING PROPOSAL. ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE BEEN PUBLICLY HIGHLIGHTING THE DANGER, ESPECIALLY FROM MERCURY, TO DOWNSTREAM COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE ST. LOUIS RIVER WATERSHED AND LAKE SUPERIOR. PROGRAM TWO: ACHIEVEMENTS IN PROTECTING THE GREAT LAKES IN FY 2025MINNESOTA IS THE HEADWATERS STATE FOR THE GREAT LAKES, WITH 190 MILES OF RUGGED LAKE SUPERIOR SHORELINE AMONG ITS NATURAL ASSETS. FEDERAL ADVOCACYMEP'S COALITION CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE (GLRI), A LONG-TERM REGIONAL PLAN TO RESTORE THE LAKES AND STIMULATE THE REGION'S ECONOMY. THE MEP COALITION HAS EDUCATED DECISION MAKERS IN DC ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF FULL FUNDING FOR GLRI, AS WELL AS LEVERAGING STATE DOLLARS THROUGH THE LEGACY AMENDMENT AND THE BONDING BILL. MEP ACTIVELY PARTICIPATES IN THE HEALING OUR WATERS COALITION, AND WITH THAT COALITION WE ARE GROWING OUR EFFORTS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES. MEP LED TWO EDUCATIONAL VISITS WITH CONGRESSIONAL STAFF ON GREAT LAKES ISSUES, IN OCTOBER 2024 AND MARCH 2025, WHERE CITIZENS WERE ABLE TO TALK DIRECTLY WITH THEIR CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES. IN ADDITION TO THE WORK OF OTHER STAFF, MEP EMPLOYED A NORTHEAST MINNESOTA ORGANIZER IN OUR DULUTH OFFICE FOR THIS WORK.PROGRAM 3: ACHIEVEMENTS IN CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN FY 2025ORGANIZING IN THE CLIMATE JUSTICE COMMUNITYMEP STAFF CONTINUED TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL CONNECTIONS WITH STATEWIDE AND TWIN CITIES-BASED FRONTLINE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY GROUPS THAT DEAL WITH ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CLIMATE ISSUES. SOME OF THE MAJOR POLICY ISSUES MEP STAFF HAVE ADDRESSED INCLUDE NEW CUMULATIVE IMPACTS RULEMAKING AND INNOVATIVE FUNDING FOR CONSERVATION WORK IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY FOLLOWING THE REDEDICATION OF THE STATE LOTTERY PROGRAM. THIS YEAR MEP FACILITATED THE START-UP OF A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE IN DULUTH.