Representative David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake) may have had his feelings hurt when "metro-centric" Democratic colleagues fished and rode snowmobiles and ATVs in their own districts, as we noted a week and a half ago in New MN House Mining & Outdoor Recreation Committee totally respects David Dill's lifestyle.
But now he's sharing his own envy of the Twin Cities' loss of historic wetlands--and hoping to help move northern Minnesota's lifestyle's closer to that enjoyed by metro dwellers.
The International Falls Journal reports in Dill: Here to help:
With a little less than two months before the start of the Minnesota Legislature convenes, Rep. David Dill met with the International Falls City Council Monday.
Dill, reelected earlier this month to the House District 3A position he has held since 2002, told the council no agenda item for that meeting had drawn him to attend.
“I am here to help,” the Crane Lake DFLer who represents Koochiching County and beyond told the council. . . .
. . .Dill said his priority this session for Koochiching County and the region is to continue to work on wetland regulations that inhibit development in northern Minnesota, where much of the presettlement wetlands have been retained. That contrasts with other areas of Minnesota where wetlands have been filled in to allow for business and housing development as well as agriculture.
Koochiching County is made up of 90 percent wetlands, while Hennepin County is made up of 0.05 percent — less than half of 1 percent, he said of the disparity.
He told the council he will continue to work with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and stakeholders to alleviate the rules that hinder development where it is most needed in the state.
How this agenda will encourage metro-centric colleagues to visit when the muskies are biting remains to be see.
In the meantime, we're hearing that the ice is getting pretty thick on Big Stone Lake, the early walleyes are biting, guys are out on their sleds and out-going state representative Andrew Falk dropped a dandy buck in its tracks out on the farm. Come visit the western boundary waters.
Last spring, Bluestem reported in Franson & DFL Rangers totally eclipse Pugh's ALEC crew in EPA nullification March madness that Dill and other area DFLers signed on to a bill to nullify the federal Environmental Protection Agency's power in Minnesota. That attitude certainly didn't make us want to go fishing with Representative Dill or any of his crew. The Democrats later took their names off the bill, saying they were just joking or something.
Photo: Koochiching County's Big Bog should make one heckova corn field, though the growing season might be a bit short. Via MPR.
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