Bluestem Prairie

Is Zombie Ziprail, aka North American High Speed Rail Group, aka MN Corridor, finally at peace?

Bluestem Prairie had noted on January 9 in Not nicknamed Zombie Ziprail for nothing: NAHSRG rebranded as Minnesota Corridor, that there was nothing but a home page on a new webpage, and that Chief Strategist Wendy Meadley had left the building, according to her Linked In page. And this:

Once upon a time, there was a public project (Ziprail). Once upon a time, North American High Speed Rail put together a business plan (later redacted). Once upon a time, it was going to use investment by EB-5 visa holders to help finance the high speed rail project. Like the unfortunate creatures in the Walking Dead, this thing seems to have less and less meat on its bones with each new rising.

Now Heather Carlson reports in the Post Bulletin article, High-speed rail at crossroads?:

That skepticism comes as the status of the private company that had been pushing the project is unclear. The North American High Speed Rail Group had been leading the charge to do something never before done in America — privately fund a high-speed rail line.The company estimated the $4.2 billion rail line could make the trip from Rochester to Bloomington within 29 minutes.

But questions are swirling as to what has happened to the ail group. Visitors to North American High Speed Rail Group's website are instead referred to a website for "Minnesota Corridor." Wendy Meadley, who served as the rail group's chief strategy officer, states on her LinkedIn page that she left the company in October. She also terminated her status as a lobbyist for the rail group on Nov. 2, according to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.

Meadley declined a request for comment.

Records show that Meadley purchased the web domain name for Minnesota Corridor — mnhsr.com. Meanwhile, Joseph Wang's LinkedIn page still lists him as chairman and CEO of the North American High Speed Rail Group. Wang could not be reached for comment.

Minnesota Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Gutknecht said the agency has not heard from the rail group or "anyone on a related topic for a number of months."

This lack of activity might encourage some to suggest that proposed legislation should be dropped as does one Rochester Republican, Carlson reports:

Some fellow Republican lawmakers are speaking out against the legislation — not because of what is in the bill but because they do not believe the high-speed rail project is going to happen.

"It seems like a waste of energy. It's probably great for voters in their districts. I just don't see it having any real impact," said Rep. Nels Pierson, R-Rochester.

However, Pierson has a past with rail projects in them, so his "pay no attention to the zombie train" attitude may not be the best advice to project opponents. On the PB's Political Notebook blog, Carlson reported in Rochester Realtor to announce run for Benson's seat that "According to his LinkedIn profile, he has also served as a consultant for the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance." (The information is no longer on his Linked In page). In 2011, the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance blog announced Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance Unveils Zip Rail.

Moreover, Pierson "continued study of Zip Rail to connect Rochester to Minneapolis," according to the Post Bulletin endorsement of his candidacy for the state house in 2014. We're guessing he's not on the same page as Draz.

Carlson reports that project opponents are vigilant:

Opponents of the proposed high-speed rail line are also left wondering what happened to the rail group. Heather Arndt, co-chairwoman of Citizens Concerned About Rail, said it has been nearly a year since she talked to Meadley. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the private company, she said it is important rail opponents keep up the fight.

"Until it's good, dead, buried and six feet under, we're staying engaged," Arndt said. "We're continuing to work with elected officials at all levels and stay engaged and watch it. These are our homes and our communities and businesses and we are not going to walk away from it while it could still come back around."

Sound strategy, given the fact that this zombie project has yet to experience clear head shot. Since first learning about concerns about the project from Minnesota Farmers Union members while serving as a member of the group's policy committee, this seemed like a "flyover" project that positioned convenience over local landowners and communities needs and rights.

Read about the legislation against the project in the Post Bulletin article.

Image: Marge Simpson found the passenger rail project office in the cartoon series. It's been a bit harder pinning down the folks behind the southeastern Minnesota private rail project.

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Please donate! If you enjoy Bluestem's take on the news--and our investigative blogging--please consider throwing some spare change into our paypal account during our January contribution drive. Bluestem relies on reader contributions to continue publishing.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 33166 770th Ave, Ortonville, MN 56278) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

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Pioneer Public TV Town Hall explored interests of sportsmen, natural resource managers & farmers

Bluestem has been watching legislative committee hearings about natural resources, water quality and other issues, and it's discouraging how often they devolve into political talking points and posturing. We're reminded of prairie chickens drumming their displays.

Thus Prairie Sportsman's  live, town hall broadcast from the Black Box Theatre at the University of Minnesota Morris on Sunday, January 29 is a real pleasure to watch. During the live broadcast, Bret Amundson interacted with the in-house and at-home audience by taking questions throughout the night. A panel of professionals representing outdoor sports and natural resource management interests answered audience questions. 

Here's the archive of the event:

Panelists included Nicole Davros, DNR wildlife research scientist; Chris Domeier, DNR fisheries area supervisor; Bruce Freske, USFWS district manager; Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever PR director; Anita Zelenka, bow hunter and Adam Murkowski, DNR big game program leader.

Viewers were encouraged to participate in the online conversation by using #PSTownHall on Facebook and Twitter or by emailing questions and comments.

Image: Prairie Sportsman logo. Learn more about the show here.

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Please donate! If you enjoy Bluestem's take on the news--and our investigative blogging--please consider throwing some spare change into our paypal account during our January contribution drive. Bluestem relies on reader contributions to continue publishing.

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JANUARY FUNDRAISING DRIVE

Please donate! If you enjoy Bluestem's take on the news--and our investigative blogging--please consider throwing some spare change into our paypal account during our January contribution drive. Bluestem relies on reader contributions to continue publishing.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 33166 770th Ave, Ortonville, MN 56278) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

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Are King Coal's foxes to guard the co-op? HF234 would leave rural utility customers on defense

Presenting HF234 to the Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee, bill author Dave Baker, R-Willmar, called his legislation a "local democracy bill."

While many Minnesotans think of cooperatives as warm fuzzy places like their local co-op grocery store, the reality of electric co-ops is often far from democratic, as Just How Democratic are Rural Electric Cooperatives? a recent report from the Institute for Local Self Reliance explores.

But there's more: a dispute by a rural utility member is under consideration by the PUC

Via the Voice of Alexandria, a Session Daily article noted:

Solar industry advocates said the change would remove a venue for hearing complaints by co-op members, particularly those disputing the fairness of so-called net metering fees on individuals generating power with solar panels on their homes or businesses.

This isn't an abstraction at a time when a dispute by a rural utility member is under consideration by the PUC. In two earlier instances the PUC commissioners found that the customers were justified in bringing their dispute and required the utility to cease its illegal conduct.

In the other instance ( PUC Docket number 16-240 Download PDF EDocketResults16-240), the customer’s case is still pending--along with a review of rural utilities' practices toward member-generated power.

Midwest Energy Frank Jossi reported last year in Minnesota regulators halt rural co-ops’ fixed charges for solar:

Minnesota’s rural distributed generation customers won a major victory this week when state regulators halted the practice by cooperatives of applying fixed charges for solar installations.

Regulators ruled June 9 that cooperatives must file requests for small power production tariffs with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, which makes the final determination on those fees. The commission ruled those fees must now be suspended until an investigation is completed.

Rural cooperatives lost their argument that the PUC had no jurisdiction in the matter of fixed charges for solar customers. Co-ops believed their boards would be the final arbiters of those charges.

“It’s a victory for good government and for good process,” said Brad Klein, an attorney for the Environmental Policy & Law Center. “This is an unusually strong statement from commissioners who saw that distributed generation customers don’t have a strong voice on the boards of directors of these co-ops.”

Attorney and Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association development director David Shaffer represented two individuals who had brought complaints against their rural co-ops over the fees. “It was a near perfect decision for us,” he said. “We pretty much got everything we wanted.”

Jim Horan, legal counsel of the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, said the decision “was not unexpected.” MREA had believed ratemaking was more the purview of their boards and not the PUC, but the investigation the commission has ordered will seek to clarity those roles, he said.

The issue of extra fees being added to solar customers’ bills has become common throughout the country and in the Midwest. The rationale has been the fees cover the fixed cost of serving solar customers, but others argue they fail to account for benefits that distributed solar provides for the grid.

“We believe these types of proposals are motivated by a desire to chill and block distributed generation,” Shaffer said.

Last year the Minnesota legislature passed a law allowing co-ops to charge fees for distributed generation customers as long as they were “reasonable” and based on a cost-of-service study.

Since then 14 co-ops have added monthly fees ranging from $13 to $83. “That has chilled the market in coop territories,” he said. . . .

One part of the case remains unclear. Meeker Cooperative argued that the complaint brought by Keith Weber over fixed charges was in “bad faith” and “frivolous.” Had the commission ruled against him, he would have had to pay the utility’s attorney fees.

“We were concerned more broadly that if this was how co-ops would respond to customer complaints they would be afraid to come forward and contest these fees,” Klein said.

The commission did not vote on Weber’s case but indicated that he had not violated state statute involving briging cases against rural coops.

While Shaffer is pleased by the outcome the case is far from settled. The PUC “investigation is ongoing,” he said. “The fight is not over. The docket remains open. We won a big battle but the war is not over.”

If passed before the PUC meeting during which the PUC investigation will be heard (we're told it's in February though agendas aren't available online), Weber's case will be moot.

Given that there's a dispute resolution proceeding at the Commission, maybe legislative fiat isn't the way to go. Already, Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, has pulled her name from the bill. Good for her.

We hope that checks and balances remain intact for cooperative utilities’ membership, as we have been contacted about this bill by individual rural utility members as well pro-clean energy organizers. Without due process and a place to appeal, there is little to stand in the way of a rural utility--frozen in long-term contracts with coal-fired generation providers, from banning qualifying solar facilities in their service territory and sticking consumers with the consequences of their decisions, even as the cost of renewable energy plummets.

It's the foxes guarding the co-ops, while plucking the chickens. We'll have more on problems in the bill on Monday. HF234 is likely to come to a vote on Tuesday this week in the Minnesota House.

Image: Cartoon by Ken Avidor for Bluestem Prairie.

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Republican guy who voted for Minnesota's buffer bill continues to grandstand against it

Bluestem Prairie found ourselves laughing at this passage in Gov. Dayton stands firm on water quality law, Stribber J. Patrick Coolican's coverage of Governor Mark Dayton's Town Hall Water Summit at the University of Minnesota--Morris:

In response to Dayton’s remarks Friday, Rep. Jeff Backer, R-Browns Valley, said: “It’s easy to grandstand.”

Backer, who represents the Morris area and attended the water summit, said he expects ongoing negotiations to improve a law he called flawed: “On this issue we have to look at the people on the ground — the landowners, the farmers — because they are good stewards of their land. This is their production, and they want to protect their investment,” said Backer, a cosponsor of the repeal measure in the House.

It's Backer's own nature to grandstand. Having voted not once, but twice for buffers in 2015 and 2016--while crediting Minneapolis Democrat Jean Wagenius with the legislation she not only didn't author but voted against--he's signed on to a repeal of his own votes.

We're not sure how adept Backer will be. Already, he sent out a legislative update on January 20 that included this statement:

Water Summit:

I attended the Governor’s Water Summit today at the University of Minnesota, Morris. I enjoyed hearing from experts regarding Minnesota’s water quality and quantity. I will continue to be an advocate for clean and plentiful water, as well as be a voice for our farmers and local agricultural economy. I have no doubt that farmers are excellent stewards of the land.

Later, he blamed the help for that one:

From: <[email protected].state.mn.us>
Date: Mon, Jan 23, 2017 at 11:02 AM
Subject: Governor's Water Summit
To: Announcements From Representative Jeff Backer
Friends,

In my last email update there was some confusion on when the Governor’s Water Summit will be taking place. I am sorry for the miscommunication between my media writer and me. The Summit will be THIS Friday, January 27^th from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM at the University of Minnesota, Morris (600 E. 4^th St., Student Center-Edson Auditorium).

Click here for more details.

I hope to see you there!

We saw Rep. Backer standing in the lobby and flouncing down the aisle to take a seat as the morning program began but didn't get a chance to speak to him.

One of our friends, a former resident of Morris and one-time Backer constituent, thought he saw Backer (man in blue jacket) in a quiet moment while the after-lunch panel of farmers and local public water staffers spoke:

Our friend said that the gentleman in the picture appeared to be Backer and appeared to be sleeping, but wasn't certain that it was Jeff, who has a twin brother. The sport coat is the same color as the one we saw Rep. Backer wearing earlier, but we were seated elsewhere in the auditorium and cannot attest to the veracity of our friend's identification of the napper as our state representative.

Since Representative Wagenius was at the summit, perhaps Backer can blame her inducing an afternoon nap. We certainly hope he lingered to listen to the farmer panel as he dreamed about the buffer law's repeal.

Photos: Jeff Backer (top); Could this be Backer dreaming about a buffer law repeal? (bottom).

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Please donate! If you enjoy Bluestem's take on the news--and our investigative blogging--please consider throwing some spare change into our paypal account during our January contribution drive. Bluestem relies on reader contributions to continue publishing.

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JANUARY FUNDRAISING DRIVE

Please donate! If you enjoy Bluestem's take on the news--and our investigative blogging--please consider throwing some spare change into our paypal account during our January contribution drive. Bluestem relies on reader contributions to continue publishing.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 33166 770th Ave, Ortonville, MN 56278) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email [email protected] as recipient.

New soybean growers prez thinks mean pesticide names make consumers hate ag chemicals

A statement by Theresia Gillie, a farmer from Hallock who's the president-elect of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, during a question and answer period for a Minnesota AgExpo panel on ag mergers made us pause with wonder while reading about it in Mikkel Pates' Ag-At-Large blog:

In a question-and-answer period, Gillie asked the company executives to consider the consumer when naming their pesticide products. She said the “tough” sounding terminology (examples, Roundup, Warrior) for herbicides are understood by farmers who must be pursuaded [sic] to purchase them.

Gillie said the “consumer doesn’t always understand.” She said maybe it’s silly, but perhaps the products should be named so the public knows they are good things — “a warm, fuzzy thing that is going to be good for you, good for your family and give it that kind of perception.”

“It’s a hard road to cross, but we do have to figure out that the rest of the economy and the rest of the consumers are listening in on our conversation,” she says. It may sound “silly,” she told them, but half-joked that products should be named like “puppy dogs.”

Because it's not the super-weeds, cancer fears or such that causes consumers to worry about of Round-up. And it's not concern about insecticides like Warrior affecting pollinators that makes consumers nervous (soybean aphids in Brown, Redwood and Renville counties, on the other hand, have grown tolerant of pyrethroid insecticides).

Or that story out Friday in the Los Angeles Times, California gets closer to requiring cancer warning label on Roundup weed killer, that create doubts in Americans by reporting:

. . . the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a Lyon, France-based branch of the U.N. World Health Organization, classified the chemical as a “probable human carcinogen.”

Shortly afterward, the most populated U.S. state took its first step in 2015 to require the warning labels.

St. Louis-based Monsanto contends that California is delegating its authority to an unelected foreign body with no accountability to U.S. or state officials in violation of the California Constitution.

Attorneys for California consider the International Agency for Research on Cancer the “gold standard” for identifying carcinogens, and they rely on its findings along with several states, the federal government and other countries, court papers say.

Nope, consumers are stupid and frightened by anything other than cat memes and baby names, and that's the source of the problem. Let's brand Round-up with the name "Snowball," call pyrethroids "Slipperpaws" and label neonics "Fluffy," and consumers with flock back to the fruits of production agriculture with due speed.

Gillie made her suggestion to panel members John Smith, vice president for Bayer CropScience LP; Scott Partridge, vice president of global strategy for Monsanto; and Phil Kunkel, an agribusiness lawyer, according to Pates' post, Ag Woman Leader: Ag Mergers Good; Product Names Need Work.

These gentlemen think the Monsanto-Bayer merger is great and deep thinker Gillie agreed. We're holding out for Brawndo. It has what plants crave.

Photo: Snowball, the herbicide formerly known as Round-up (main ingredient, glyphosate).

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Drazkowski "Pick Sicks" amendment stripped from MN health care insurance premium relief bill

UPDATE March 13, 2017: Proof that no really bad idea ever dies in the Minnesota legislature if there's a special interest to feed, it's back. Check out our new post: Zombie health care plan returns: Drazkowski "Pick Sicks" amendment rises from its grave.

During the floor debate over HF1, Minnesota state representative Diane Loeffler tweeted the following image related to the Drazkowski amendment to the health care insurance

List of what insurers can choose not to cover under GOP bill #mnleg : cancer, diabetes, emergency care, babies, more pic.twitter.com/NzbEd9rFjo

— Diane Loeffler (@reploeffler) January 20, 2017

The image surfaced across social media as an illustration of what the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, might bring.

The language has been stripped from the conference committee report, likely to be on its way to Governor Dayton's desk by the end of the day. Kevin Featherly reports in Insurance relief package clears conference committee:

In what a top administration official characterized as a workable compromise, a joint House-Senate conference committee Wednesday approved an insurance relief bill that leaves Gov. Mark Dayton’s 25 percent rebate plan and several key GOP market reforms intact.

Myron Frans, the Minnesota Management and Budget commissioner, said that after working on the bill for two days, the 10-member conference found a resolution that Dayton can live with. “It’s a good bill,” Frans said.

The bill now moves to both the Senate and House floors for further debate and final floor votes. The Senate is convenes at 11 a.m. Thursday, and the full House meets at 3:30 p.m. House Speaker Kurt Daudt has said he wants the bill laid on the governor’s desk for signing by Thursday. . . .

Another controversial provision shot down in conference committee was the so-called “Drazkowski amendment.” Offered by Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, as “a cure for the regulatory disease,” it would have allowed insurers to omit any or all of 68 coverage areas mandated under the federal Affordable Care Act.

Dayton, during his Tuesday budget presentation, correctly predicted that language would not reach the House and Senate floors. “It won’t get through the conference committee,” he said. “Eliminating those requirements would send us back into the Dark Ages.”

Sen. Melisa Franzen, DFL-Edina, who won a spot on the conference committee as the lone Senate Democrat to vote for GOP premium relief bill, said Wednesday that she would not have backed the conference committee report had the Drazkowski language survived.

“It would have taken Minnesota backwards,” she said. “I’m glad this committee took it off the table.” . . .

Bluestem isn't sure if it was Drazkowski's worst language ever--given his introduction of a copycat version of Arizona's SB1070 immigration deform bill in 2010 and his floor amendment to allow harvesting of black walnuts in state parks in 2011--but it's among the worst to actually pass on the floor of the Minnesota House.

Such is the nature of Speaker Daudt's leadership; fortunately, Minnesotans won't have deal with Daudtcare in its purest form, where we doubt much care would be covered by policies.

But that a lot of nothing would be affordable.

Photo: Winter is here and Draz wants to claw back your mental health coverage and more.

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Hansen on freeze: "deadly combination of lack of experience & sense of ideological superiority"

Tuesday morning, Bluestem posted What the EPA contract freeze means for MN, which we updated later in the day.

Working independently off the same documents posted on Facebook state representative Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, Peter Passi reported Tuesday evening in the Duluth News Tribune article EPA freeze leaves Minnesota projects in limbo:

Shortly after President Donald Trump's inauguration Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency received a directive to temporarily freeze its contracts and grants.

As word of the freeze spread this week, officials have been scrambling to sort out what that move means for projects in Duluth and nationwide.

State Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, said Wednesday afternoon that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency still is searching for answers.

He shared an email response he received from MPCA staff Tuesday that said if the freeze is made permanent, the agency could lose nearly $10 million in anticipated funding that would affect Superfund and other grants. . .  .

Voicing his frustration with the funding freeze and the scarcity of information, Hansen said: "I think you have a deadly combination of a lack of experience and a sense of ideological superiority, where people's ideology is driving decisions, versus experience."

Read the entire article at the Duluth News Tribune. Where's state Republican leadership on this issue? Passi reports:

State Rep. Dan Fabian, R-Roseau, who chairs the [House Environmental and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee], did not return calls from the News Tribune on Wednesday afternoon regarding recent EPA developments.

Perhaps intellectual curiosity about budgets and funding sources aren't Representative Fabian's strong suit.

Photo: Duluth Harbor, via St. Louis Estuary: The Stories and the Science. Minnesota has a major project in the St. Louis River estuary and Duluth Harbor, according to the MPCA, and the contract freeze might affect this $72 million project.

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Please donate! If you enjoy Bluestem's take on the news--and our investigative blogging--please consider throwing some spare change into our paypal account during our January contribution drive. Bluestem relies on reader contributions to continue publishing.

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What the EPA contract freeze means for MN; now updated with clarification from an EPA flack

See the bottom of this post for an important update.

Following President Trump's order for a contract freeze at the Environmental Protection Agency, two Minnesota leaders are raising questions about what this action means for the North Star State.

Via the Star Tribune, Michael Biesecker and John Flesher of the Associated Press report in EPA contract freeze, media black leaves states confused:

A Trump administration freeze on new Environmental Protection Agency contracts and grant awards raised fears that states and other recipients could lose essential funding for drinking water protection, hazardous waste oversight and a host of other programs — while a communications blackout left them dangling in uncertainty. . . .

President Donald Trump signed a directive shortly after his inauguration ordering a “freeze pending review” on all federal rules issued by agencies but not yet in effect.

But what the administration described Tuesday as a temporary suspension of new business activities at the EPA, including issuing work assignments to contractors, sowed widespread confusion about its reach. EPA contracts with outside vendors for a wide array of services, from engineering and research science to janitorial supplies.

What does this mean for Minnesota? In an email to the state's congressional delegation that was obtained and posted on Facebook by state representative and Minnesota House Environmental Committee minority lead Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, Minnesota Environmental Protection Agency (MPCA) commissioner John Linc Stine wrote:

To all members of Minnesota's Congressional Delegation:

Today's announcement by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)that grant and contract funds for states are being frozen is extremely concerning to the MN Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). There has been no proactive communication from US EPA to the MPCA about this. Additionally, we have sought and been unable to receive clear answers from US EPA staff about the extent of this action. I am concerned that these first steps indicate erosion of the partnership for our shared enterprise of protecting health and the environment.

State agencies like MPCA share in the administration and implementation of important federal laws and programs including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, underground storage tanks, clean up of hazardous wastes and Superfund sites. This initial step by US EPA of freezing program requests for funding and projects could mean a loss of nearly $10 million for work MPCA is required to complete. Without prior notice and consultation, I am extremely concerned that our ability to cooperatively implement federal laws in Minnesota will be diminished. These laws protect and restore air quality, water quality and land/soils across Minnesota.

John Linc Stine
Commissioner
MN Pollution Control Agency

Always a stickler for facts over anecdote, Hansen asked the MPCA for specifics, and shared the answer in a separate Facebook post:

In addition to the MPCA Commissioner’s letter provided earlier, here is more detail I requested and received from the Mn Pollution Control Agency:

1. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has the following grant actions in process with EPA. The initial step of EPA to freeze program requests could mean a loss of nearly $10 million for MPCA’s work in Minnesota:

· Performance Partnership Grant –Funds our core Air and Water pollution control activities statewide.

· Superfund CORE –These funds cover compensation costs for our workers who work to cleanup contaminated Superfund sites statewide.

· Superfund Management Assistance – Funds for Superfund investigation and remediation (cleanup).

· Superfund Site Assessment – Monies used for assessment of both potential and existing Superfund sites.

· Great Lakes Restoration Capacity Grants - These funds are used for both staff compensation and operating costs associated with cleanup work..

We do not know if these EPA grants are included in the freeze:

· Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GRLI) – The GRLI is a multi-state effort to clean up the Great Lakes. Minnesota has a major project in the St. Louis River estuary and Duluth Harbor. The GRLI provides 65% federal match to 35% state funds for cleanup projects. The St. Louis River project’s total cost is $72 million.

· State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) – Funds for core work to protect the environment and public health in states and on tribal lands.

We'll keep following developments in this story as it unfolds (or clams up as the case may be in the Trump administration).

UPDATE:  Rep. Rick Hansen has posted new information on his Facebook page:

"Rep. Hansen – as requested, here is the message received last night on this topic.

Additionally, today I requested and have not received clarification or examples of what is meant by “working to quickly address issues related to other categories of grants” in the EPA statement.

John Linc Stine
Commissioner
MN Pollution Control Agency

Statement
approved by EPA at 5 ET.

EPA staff have been reviewing grants and contracts information with the incoming transition team. Pursuant to that review, the Agency is continuing to award the environmental program grants and state revolving loan fund grants to the states and tribes; and we are working to quickly address issues related to other categories of grants. The goal is to complete the grants and contracts review by the close of business on Friday, January 27.

Nancy Grantham
Office of Public Affairs
US Environmental Protection Agency

Photo: Duluth Harbor, via St. Louis Estuary: The Stories and the Science. Minnesota has a major project in the St. Louis River estuary and Duluth Harbor, according to the MPCA, and the contract freeze might affect this $72 million project.

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Please donate! If you enjoy Bluestem's take on the news--and our investigative blogging--please consider throwing some spare change into our paypal account during our January contribution drive. Bluestem relies on reader contributions to continue publishing.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 33166 770th Ave, Ortonville, MN 56278) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

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Legistorm: MN06 congressman Tom Emmer's son Jack joins FL Rep. Francis Rooney's staff

One of Legistorm's "Caught Our Eye" items, Rep. Emmer son joins freshman office, did just that:

If Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) needs to check up on his son, he now needs only to descend the stairs of Cannon House Office Building.

Jack Emmer, one of the congressman's seven children, joined freshman Rep. Francis Rooney (R-Fla.) as a staff assistant this month.

Jack, who attributes his love of the sport to his hockey-loving family, spent two years playing junior hockey in Canada before graduating from Florida Gulf Coast University last spring.

A 2015 profile on the young Emmer in the FGCU student newspaper reported more about his career plans:

Recently, Emmer returned from Washington D.C. where his family attended the inauguration into Congress for his father, Tom Emmer. Emmer has watched his father  involved in politics since he was about 12 years old.

“He was a state representative in Minnesota,” Emmer said. “After about three years, he ran for governor. He lost by 9,000 votes. There was a fiasco with a recount, and he ended up conceding. I think that my dad still had the urge to be a public servant, and it worked out for him.”

Emmer is a political science major intending on going to law school when he finishes at FGCU. He doesn’t believe that a career in politics is something that he can plan for.

“I think politics are very intriguing,” Emmer said. “I have to establish myself in other things first.”

He also said that it’s something he hopes to be on the table for himself in the future. He’s starting here at FGCU, where he’ll be running for Student Government in the upcoming FGCU elections.

“I’ve always looked up to my dad and he has been an inspiration in my life and my future,” Emmer said. “Being in Washington D.C. for inauguration for my father was really special. It was great having my entire family together. It was my first time there, and I really enjoyed the history aspect. Also, seeing my dad sworn in was a very proud moment.”

Bluestem thinks it's probably for the best that if a freshman congressman from Florida had to hire one of Emmer's sons--Emmer recently blossomed into National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) deputy to chair Steve Stivers (OH)--that it was Jack, rather than that rascally scamp Tripp whom Minnesotans came to know if not love during the Delano Republican's 2010 gubernatorial bid.

It's heartwarming that a random young man from Wright County, Minnesota, can play college hockey in Florida and end up working for Congress at the drop of a puck.

Photo: Jack Emmer in his nano-second as a Bethel University player.

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Tony Cornish's Facebook friends so rude he deletes post about Governor Dayton's collapse

Watching Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton collapse Monday night during his State of the State address was frightening, though the quick responses those around him--and assistance he received from doctor Senators Scott Jensen and Matt Klein, as well as EMTs and state representatives Jeff Backer and Jim Newberger--was heartening.

Like most Minnesotans, we're happy he's at home with his family resting. The St. Paul Pioneer Press's David Montgomery reports in Mark Dayton recovering after collapsing during his State of the State address:

Shortly before his collapse, Dayton paused again and drank from a bottle of water before collapsing onto the dais.

There were audible gasps from the assembled crowd of lawmakers and officials, many of whom appeared shaken in the aftermath. . . .

Dayton staffers said that the governor hit his head as he collapsed, according to reports. The governor slurred his words before he crumpled and, in a video, the sound of a conk is clear as are the instructions from a calm voice to “Get him to the ground. Get him to the ground, please.”

House Speaker Kurt Daudt said the governor was “up and about in the back room.”

“The governor is in our thoughts and prayers,” said Daudt, R-Crown. “I hope for a quick recovery.”

“When things like this happen … we’re really all here just praying for the governor,” said Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa. “We’re all one Minnesota in things like this. We care for each other. That’s our whole focus right now, period, is praying for our governor.”

While that's the decent, Minnesota-Nice and Minnesota-Prepared reaction, the comments on tough-talking state representative Tony Cornish's friends-only Facebook page were another thing altogether.

Cornish posted:

That drew a series of remarkable comments, finally prompting Cornish to comment:

Although Cornish has created a free-for-all atmosphere for discourse on his closed-to-the-public Facebook wall, this thread of comments were a bit much even for the tough-talking former lawman.

Here's the conversation that prompted Cornish to delete the post and comments:

Good for him, though one has to wonder how Cornish attracted such charming friends.

Photos: Screengrabs forwarded to Bluestem by a sharp-eyed reader.

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Via The Uptake, 7pm: Governor's State of the State

On Monday night at 700 p.m., Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton will speak before a joint meeting of the Minnesota House and Senate, delivering his State of the State address.

Watch it here on the livestream, via The Uptake:

The Associated Press predicted:

Dayton's ideas for how to handle a $1.4 billion budget surplus will likely clash with the Republicans who control both chambers of the Legislature for his final two years in office. GOP lawmakers haven't started assembling their own proposals yet.

A final look at the state's forecast next month will solidify the budget picture and set the Legislature's major work for the year in motion.

Forum Communications political hand Don Davis reported in Dayton to deliver annual State of the State speech Monday:

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton will deliver his annual State of the State speech Monday, and he is expected to emphasize the need to speed health insurance premium relief to Minnesotans. . . .

Dayton likely also will use the address to set the stage for his budget proposal, to be released Tuesday.

The budget, the last before Dayton leaves public office in two years, is the major debate of the 2017 legislative session. The House and Senate are controlled by Republicans, and with Dayton a Democrat, there are lots of disagreements about how to spend Minnesota tax revenue.

The current two-year, $42 billion budget ends June 30. If there is no agreement between Dayton and legislative Republicans by then, there could be a state government shutdown. . . .

At the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Ricardo Lopez reports Gov. Mark Dayton's annual statewide address likely to focus on education, health care.

Photo: Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton delivering an earlier SOTS address.

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Special deer hunt ends; CWD found in one doe

On the eve of a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) update from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Board of Animal Health in the House Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee at 8:15 Tuesday morning, a press release from the Minnesota (DNR) discloses that one additional case of Chronic Wasting Disease has been discovered as part of a special hunt in Southeastern Minnesota.

The update to the committee can be watched via House livestreaming on HTV2.

The DNR news release notes:

A special chronic wasting disease 16-day deer hunt in southeastern Minnesota concluded Jan. 15 with one additional case of the disease found among hundreds tested. Now, landowner shooting permits take effect in an attempt to further lower the deer population in the area and stop the disease from spreading. 

The latest case of the CWD-infected deer was an adult female, taken near Preston very close to four other positive animals, providing another piece of evidence that suggests the disease is localized. This brings the number of CWD positive wild deer in southeastern Minnesota to six; results are still pending on more than 100 samples.

“The special hunt was designed to assess prevalence across the CWD zone, begin the process of lowering deer densities in the area, and remove infected animals from the population,” said Lou Cornicelli, DNR wildlife research manager.

In total, 873 deer were taken during the special hunt. Of those, 600 adults were submitted for CWD testing. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources staff also have been opportunistically sampling vehicle-killed deer, deer found dead and heads hunters brought in from the end of the regular deer seasons. Overall, 634 CWD samples have been collected since Dec. 31, and results are still pending for 114 samples.

Of the six wild deer that tested positive for CWD, none were described as behaving abnormally, which may be further indication that the infection is recent, Cornicelli said. If the infection is recent, early and aggressive action is the best way to eliminate the infection, he said.

“The special hunt really illustrated how important it is to respond immediately to a wildlife health threat. Had we taken a more passive approach, the CWD positive deer would have survived another year and continued to infect healthy deer,” he said.

“Hunter cooperation was very good and although most hunters are disappointed that CWD was discovered, they recognize the importance of not allowing CWD to become established in Minnesota,” Cornicelli said.. . .

In December, Bluestem posted about earlier cases of infected whitetail deer in Chronic wasting disease: 800 people pack DNR meeting about special hunt for 900 whitetails and Wild and farmed animals: more chronic wasting disease found in Minnesota's deer population.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources explained in a December news release that CWD is a prion disorder that's always fatal to deer:

CWD is a disease of deer and elk and is caused by an abnormally shaped protein, a prion, which can damage brain and nerve tissue. The disease is most likely transmitted when infected deer and elk shed prions in saliva, feces, urine, and other fluids or tissues. There are no known treatments or vaccines and the disease is always fatal. There is no danger to other animal species and CWD is not known to affect humans, though consuming infected meat is not advised.

SEMN landowner special permits issued

The latest press release from the DNR explains the next steps:

So far, almost 300 landowner shooting permits have been issued. These permits allow landowners to remove deer from their property.

“We work individually with landowners, go through the permit conditions and make arrangements for testing the deer they harvest,” Cornicelli said. “DNR staff believe these permits will provide additional information regarding the extent of CWD in the area.”

The DNR also has been working directly with landowners in and around the properties where the positive deer were taken. Landowner permits expire Sunday, Feb. 12. DNR staff will monitor the distribution and number of deer taken under landowner shooting permits and then make a decision regarding using the USDA to remove additional deer.

“The information we have right now points to a disease cluster, so we may look to the USDA to remove additional deer in that area,” Cornicelli said.

If additional infected deer are discovered during the landowner shooting phase, those positive results will be posted on the DNR’s website on the results page. Once landowner shooting concludes, the DNR will issue a news release with final results and detail the next steps in the disease management process.

CWD is a fatal brain disease to deer, elk and moose but is not known to affect human health. Prior to the six recent discoveries, the only other wild deer with the disease found in Minnesota was harvested near Pine Island in 2010.

The DNR responds to and manages CWD in wild deer, while the Minnesota Board of Animal Health regulates farmed deer. The Board of Animal Health shares information with the DNR and works with the USDA as it investigates CWD cases in captive deer.

For more information . . . visit the DNR’s CWD webpage. With the rapid pace that information is generated, people are strongly encouraged to keep checking the DNR’s CWD webpage for information.

Photo: A CWD positive deer, via the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

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Related articles

Wild and farmed animals: more chronic wasting disease found in Minnesota's deer population - Bluestem Prairie

BAH & Invasive Terrestrial Plants & Pests Center may receive more resources to fight bird flu

Chronic wasting disease: 800 people pack DNR meeting about special hunt for 900 whitetails

Update: Trump White House taking calls again

Got through to live person at WH switchboard, so it has NOT been disabled

— Carolyn Lochhead (@carolynlochhead) January 23, 2017

Bluestem Prairie was a bit shocked to see this information in our twitter feed:

White House closes public switchboard, replacing with recordings directing to post comments on line or on Facebook. 202-456-1414

— Carolyn Lochhead (@carolynlochhead) January 23, 2017

Screengrab:

 

We called the White House and the tweet is correct.

While our international headquarters in rural Big Stone County enjoys high-speed broadband service, we're able to pay for and access this modern infrastructure because the Governor has pushed the legislature to help fund broadband in areas where it lags.

By closing the switchboard and asking us all to use the Internet, that's leaving parts of rural Minnesota behind. To read the latest report about broadband, check out our post, Need for speed: MN DEED releases Governor's Task Force on Broadband 2016 Annual Report.

Photo: Even the cows need the Internet.

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Congratulations to Renville farmer Gary Wertish, new Minnesota Farmers Union president

Bluestem has known and appreciated Renville County farmer Gary Wertish for many years, and as a Farmers Union member, we were pleased to learn via twitter that he was elected as Minnesota Farmers Union President in a three-way contest with former state senators Lyly Koenen and Vicki Jensen.

In the West Central Tribune, Shelby Lindrud reports in Wertish elected Farmers Union president:

. . . “Today marks a new era within the Farmers Union organization. Being elected as the new president is humbling,” Wertish said in a news release announcing his election.

Wertish has been serving as the interim president since Peterson’s retirement at the end of December. Prior to that Wertish served as vice president of the Minnesota Farmers Union since 2009. He also worked as a field representative for the union and served as Senator Mark Dayton’s agricultural director.

Wertish farms with one of his sons, growing corn, soybeans and navy beans. He lives in Renville with his wife Jeanne. The couple has four children.

Photo: Tweet from Minnesota Farmers Union announcing Wertish's victory.

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MN 7th Congressional District GOP Facebook page really hating on Dennis Smith's Real ID bill

The Minnesota Grocers Association may have named representative Dennis Smith, R-Maple Grove, as a 2016 Hero of the Food Industry.

But to the anonymous administrator of the Minnesota 7th Congressional District Republican Party Facebook page,his bill to make state drivers licenses conform to federal Real ID requirements is the first step toward the creation of a "special Fed License to purchase Groceries."

Of course, these fears only make Bluestem Prairie happy that we grow our own and keep a small flock of hard-working hens.

The CD7 Republicans shared their fears along with an article from KSTP-5, Minnesota House Committee Approves Real ID Act Legislation in this headnote:

Let you Legislators know Minnesota should not have a Real ID Driver's Licience. When did we need "papers" to travel to another State in the Union? We cannot allow the Feds to control our Citizen's ability to travel from one place to another. Plus - You cannot be denied your rights to fly by TSA if you don't have this special license. This is nothing but an effort of the Feds to grab more control over a State controled function. What is next? A special Fed License to purchase Groceries? Remember - Obamacare stopped you from buying Insurance across State Lines.

Oh noes. (Of course, Minnesota turned down bills to allow the purchase of health insurance across state lines before Obamacare was enacted, if the Department of Never Mind at the National Conference of State Legislatures is to be believed).

Here's the screengrab:

Rachel Stassen Berger reports in Real ID bill passes first test in Minnesota House, but access at issue that th most recent rumpus over the bill is a restriction preventing undocumented workers from obtaining licenses. Minnesota law needs to be changed, she reports, because:

Minnesotans — and many of the lawmakers who represent them — generally want the state to make its driver’s licenses valid for airplane travel and other federal purposes before next year.

Minnesota is one of just three states that have not changed their licenses to comply with the federal requirements and have never received an extension to do so, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The other two are Missouri and Washington. Four other states have expiring extensions to comply.

The Department of Homeland Security last year said that by January 2018, it would require Real ID-compliant licenses from all states. States granted extensions to change their licenses would have until 2020.

Heckova slippery slope toward making the feds the grocery cops.

Photo: Is Rep. Dennis Smith, center, really trying to get the feds to license that adorable shopping cart? Or just trying to get Minnesotans on a plane? (If we recall correctly, the dual-track license solution was part of Representative Rick Hansen's proposal last January,but why solve a problem when an entire caucus can dither for another year). Image via Press and News.

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Morris Sun Tribune editorial raises questions about Appleton prison, ethics & employment

We'd missed a January 15, 2017 editorial on the Morris Sun Tribune's op-ed pages about re-opening the private prison in Appleton.

The editorial raises some interesting points about the frequently-made claim that West Central Minnesota is jobs-poor:

On the surface re-opening the 1,600 bed prison in Appleton seems like a really great idea. The prison would be used, jobs would return and the region would get an economic boost. . . .

While some could argue that wages in the region need to increase wages but at what cost? Swift County's unemployment rate is around 3.6 percent while Stevens County's rate is around 2.4 percent and Pope's, 2.3 percent, Big Stone's, 3.3 percent.

Dozens of employers already say they can't get enough workers to fill existing jobs? How much more difficult will finding those needed employees be if a prison with higher starting wages opens? . . .

We're all for higher wages for workers, yet the worker shortage itself is a troubling piece--and a narrative about jobs that those favoring re-opening the prison haven't shared with lawmakers in St. Paul.

Indeed, the paper ran stories in early December about the difficulty that Riverview Dairy has in finding workers for its mega-dairies scattered throughout western Minnesota. The labor shortages are so acute that the milk producers recruit workers in Mexico.

In Working with a Visa, the paper reported:

Under most of the VISAS Riverview uses to hire immigrant employees, it is required to advertise the job in the U.S. first. Most advertisements yield few results, Konz said. Sometimes, the company finds potential employees for jobs other than for which they've applied, Konz said. But, the labor shortage in the region and unsuccessful attempts to hire within the U.S. prompted Riverview to look elsewhere for its labor needs, Konz said.

In a companion story, Riverview finds employees in immigrants, the paper reported:

Before it can hire any immigrants, the federal government requires the company to make sure no employees in the U.S. are available to take those unskilled jobs, Konz said.

VISA laws require Riverview to advertise in the U.S. to fill unskilled positions that most always will eventually be filled by immigrants, Konz said.

Riverview will advertise in at least 20 newspapers in several states and "we're lucky if we get one applicant," Konz said.

Bluestem favors immigration reform, so we have no issue with Riverview hiring workers from outside the country; what is troubling are politicians who continue to claim that Western Minnesota is a bastion of the unemployed.

It's also worth noting that the request by the late Citizens Board of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to request more environmental review triggered the unfortunate series of events that led to the legislature eliminating the board. One reason to abolish the board? Jobs. MinnPost's Doug Grow noted in How the MPCA’s Citizens’ Board did itself in:

The board voted 6-1 to require the environmental impact study. But such studies are expensive and cumbersome and, since the recession of 2008, most large companies have discovered it’s easier to bully than study. “We’ll take our jobs elsewhere” has become the standard approach to countering state regulations and would-be regulators.

And the Sun Tribune editorial raises additional questions about the ethics of private prisons:

It should make us all at least slightly uncomfortable to know CCA is making money off inmates from Minnesota. Prisoners who are still the brother, the son, the uncle or the father of other Minnesotans. It should be difficult to justify making money from someone who is incarcerated. It seems more than a little exploitive. . . .

And what does re-opening a prison for 500 inmates solve in the state's justice system?

Minnesota had 11,000 people in prison in 2012, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. In 1978, Minnesota had fewer than 3,000 people in prison.

Analysis by the National Acadamies Press which uses Bureau of Justice and other agency statistics, the Prison Policy Initiative and various news reports including a Feb. 7, 2016, story in the Star Tribune show the significant increase in the prison population isn't just because more people are committing more crimes. A major reason is that laws such as drug offenses, now carry harsher sentences that often require prison time. People serve more time now for a crime than 25 or 30 years ago.. Are we safer because more people are in prison? Do prison terms address the often multi-faceted reasons crimes are committed? Reasons that include stealing to pay for drug habits of individuals who self medicate for mental health reasons.

Crime and punishment isn't simple. There are good reasons for the state to seriously consider buying the prison in Appleton. There are also good reasons to consider why adding another 500 beds to the system may not be the best choice for the state or the region. . . .

Politicians like to call re-opening the prison a "no-brainer," but a look below the surface led the Morris Sun Tribune to a different conclusion.

Photo: The prison in Appleton.

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Getting it wrong about CREP funding: fact checking the Strib's Morning Hot Dish

In Wednesday's Morning Hot Dish, Strib political reporter J. Patrick threw a bit of shade on the Governor's announcement of $350 million in federal funding for CREP land:

$500 million in state and federal cash to idle farmland in southwest Minnesota, turning it into native plants and grasses to help the region’s waterways. 60K acres, or roughly 100 square miles to clean up the Minnesota River, one of the most polluted in the country and a key factor in the so-called dead zone of the Gulf of Mexico. Strong demand expected with commodity prices in the tank. Betting Dayton wished he’d taken this approach the first time around instead of the contentious buffer regulations. [emphasis added]

Oh really?

Truth is, the state's request for CREP funding was part of an overall plan that included enforcement of existing buffer laws and other water quality initiatives.

Moreover, the application for the funds were well-covered and discussed in Greater Minnesota media. Take, for instance, commentary by Ian Cunningham, president, Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Ruth Hubbard, executive director, Minnesota Rural Water Association; and Howard Vincent, president and CEO, Pheasants Forever, that was distributed across the state and published in the St. Cloud Times' op-ed section as CREP plan will help state's water, wildlife:

Gov. Mark Dayton has proposed an initial $30 million bonding investment for the Reinvest in Minnesota/Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program partnership as a key component of his water quality initiative. This funding is in addition to supplemental aid from the Outdoor Heritage Fund and Clean Water Fund.

This CREP proposal is needed now. It provides strategic, long-term, voluntary solutions to protect drinking water supplies, improve the health of streams, rivers and lakes, and enhance wildlife habitat.

Minnesotans were surprised and deeply concerned when Minnesota Pollution Control Agency officials deemed nearly all lakes, rivers and streams in a region of southwest Minnesota unfit for swimming and fishing. A subsequent MPCA report this year highlighted groundwater contamination from nitrates, worrisome because groundwater is the source of most of our drinking water. These reports magnify statewide water quality and habitat trends and show that some problems are far from being solved.

Knowledge of the problem is best channeled toward solutions, which is why, on the heels of the water quality Buffers Initiative he championed, Dayton submitted a CREP application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture late last year. The state is seeking federal matching dollars to restore and conserve up to 100,000 acres of grassland and wetland habitat targeted to achieve water quality improvements. . . .

"Last year" would be 2015, and no, this wasn't a secret plan on the part of the Governor's office. Agri-News' Janet Kubat Willette reported in the December 22, 2015 article Learn about Minnesota's CREP proposal:

Gov. Mark Dayton submitted Minnesota's third Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program proposal to USDA on Dec. 15.

The nearly 50-page proposal was emailed to Washington, D.C., around noon, said John Jaschke, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, which has been working on the proposal for more than a year.

The CREP proposal targets a triangular area stretching from Clay and Becker counties in northwestern Minnesota down the Dakota border and to the Iowa border over to Houston County in far southeastern Minnesota.

Landowners in the target area would be able to install buffer filter strips, complete wetland restoration projects and implement wellhead protection efforts.

This is a very targeted proposal, Jaschke said, targeting areas with the most environmental sensitivity. . .

Jaschke said they expect to hear from USDA sometime in 2016.

Dayton, who has made water quality a centerpiece of his second term, said the CREP proposal would provide additional financial support for landowners as they begin to implement the buffer legislation. . . .

"This CREP funding would help tremendously, as Minnesotans work together to be even better stewards of our land and water," Dayton said. "We have begun to reverse the serious deterioration in the quality of water in parts of our state. But much more remains to be done. This is everyone's challenge and everyone's responsibility."

Jaschke said this doesn't replace other programs available for landowners who will need to install buffer strips. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Reserve Program and continuous Conservation Reserve Program are other options. If approved, CREP will be another option. . . .

Read the rest at Agri-News.

Moreover, at Tuesday's presser,  BWSR director John Jaschke opened his remarks by talking about how the proposal had been in "the works for a couple years." Here's the relevant statement via a YouTube we've created using the audio archive of the event:

Speaking just after Jaschke, Minnesota ag commissioner Dave Frederickson drew a laugh praising the BWSR director for being "an ankle-biting dog" who reminded the commissioner to lobbying for the proposal whenever he called Washington about any matter:

While it might serve some folks' political agenda--or need for campaign whining points--to suggest to reporters that the CREP announcement was Dayton's third or fourth pass at establishing water quality practices after bickering about buffers, the truth is that the state's CREP application has long been in the works, with the Dayton administration working to secure various sources of funding to help ease property owners' efforts at soil and water conservation.

Photo: The CREP agreement presser.

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West Central MN farmer & artist Audrey Arner to join neighbors & friends at Women's March MN

Bluestem will be heading to the Women's March Minnesota on Saturday, January 21, courtesy of travel organized by Clean Up the River Environment (CURE). A number of us from Big Stone County will be carpooling to Willmar, where we'll board a chartered bus to St. Paul. Since our editor gets up about 15 minutes before the chickens, this early rising isn't out of the ordinary for us.

CURE writes of the Action Opportunity:

CURE members have been talking and meeting about how to respond to the challenges presented to us by the new social and political realities post election 2016. Concerns are many, tensions are mounting, and many of us are looking for ways to hold true to our values, build solidarity, and take action on issues that we care deeply about. . . .

CURE has long been concerned about protections and access to clean water, clean energy and protecting and restoring the natural world around us. And as a grassroots organization, CURE membership tells us that we will not win on our core issues without joining those others concerned about racism, inclusivity, social justice, equity, diversity, religious freedoms, personal safety, access to healthcare, pathways to citizenship, food systems and much more.  

In today’s world, it’s all connected. We are part of an intersectional movement.

Building strength and solidarity is necessary. Growing new relationships is required. We are part of a movement to build a better world – to say NO to emerging threats. The March is a step towards unifying our communities, grounded in these new relationships, that will protect human rights and create socially just change from the grassroots level and up.

One of the women who be getting on the bus? Moonstone Farm owner, artist and legendary West Central Minnesota organizer Audrey Arner, who is something of a force of nature on the western prairies.

We find as good a portrait of her work and values as any in the description her family's work when she and husband Richard Handeen were named the Chippewa County2014 Farm Family of the Year by local University of Minnesota Extension committees based on their demonstrated commitment to enhancing and supporting agriculture--and honored by the University of Minnesota:

Richard Handeen and Audrey Arner’s farm, Moonstone, has been a Handeen Family Farm since 1872.  Originally homeland of Dakota people, Richard’s Swedish great-grandparents first purchased farmland here in 1871.   Since 1973, Richard and Audrey have transitioned conventional corn and soybeans to organic pastures and hay fields with their grass-fed cattle herd and shared machinery.  Their beef is marketed to restaurants, a few retailers, and many families and friends.  As co-owners and co-managers, Richard and Audrey raise perennials, including a vineyard with U of M cold climate wine grapes, and numerous other species grown for timber, fruits, nuts, ornamentals, and medicinals.  They partner informally with their daughter Malena and her husband Mike Jacobs whose Easy Bean Community Supported Agriculture farm near Milan has 275 members.  Their son Daniel contributes building and systems design for the farm using his skills as a professor and researcher at the U of M’s Center for Sustainable Building Research.

Richard serves on the board of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.  Audrey has been staff and/or served on boards of the Land Stewardship Project, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, and Renewing the Countryside.  Richard and Audrey are active in Slow Food Minnesota, the Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota Grown, the Pride of the Prairie local foods initiative, the Arts Meander in the Upper MN River Valley, and host a variety of field days and farm visits.

Audrey's daughter and granddaughter will be marching in St. Paul as well. (Some spots remain on the CURE bus, so you're welcome too if you're a Western Minnesota reader--contact CURE ASAP).

Bluestem caught up with Audrey for an email interview in which she shared her thoughts and feelings about the event.

"The election stirred up public vigilance like I haven't experienced since Nixon in Vietnam,"she said, noting her "concern for the USA that we leave to the great grandchildren, to the less-advantaged, to the hungry, to the cast aside, to the drinkers of water."

Right now she's pumped for the event. Asked what she's feeling, Arner said, "Excitement!"

"I believe that the rallying of many can produce one loud Voice," she said. "All over the country (and beyond!) women (and supportive men) are coming together. This refreshing unity makes my heart sing with hope-- that we can counter the darkness that might otherwise drag our spirits down."

We asked what values, resources and opportunities she felt were at risk in the current political climate--but also wanted to know what values were being bolstered.

"Under threat: water quality, biological diversity, wildlife habitat, good food, opportunity for beginning farmers and farmworkers, control over our very own bodies," she wrote. "Strengthened: community engagement."

Audrey is hoping that word of the rallies across the country won't be regard as "fake news," but that people in rural Minnesota will organize listening sessions after the march.

"People will become empowered to show up at meetings," she hopes. "The press will be strengthened."

Audrey urged others to join her on Saturday.

"What a great event to have on your life resume!" she said.

For information about the CURE bus trip to St. Paul, click on the links above, visit the Facebook event page to sign up or call CURE at 1.877.269.2873. One change from the online information: one bus will be departing from Willmar, rather than two from other locations.

Other "Sister Marches" are planned for rural Minnesotans, according to information on the national Women's March On Washington website: Bemidji, Duluth, Longville, Morris and Rochester.

KSTP reported on Monday that Women's March Minnesota Could Bring Thousands to St. Paul Saturday.

Images: The Logo for the national march (top); Audrey Arner (right) and Richard Handeen, farmers, artists and great prairie people (bottom).

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Trump transition team gives big thumbs up to Bayer-Monsanto merger but no ag secretary yet

Although there's no Trump administration nominee for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) secretary yet, the Trump Transition team took a little time today to cheer a merger of two giant ag corporations today.

Oh lovely.

Bluestem Prairie's editor is a member of Minnesota Farmers Union, and so we pass along this statement from the National Farmers Union:

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team announced today that it has struck a deal with Bayer AG, committing the German agricultural input company to investing $8 billion towards research and development should the company be permitted to acquire competitor Monsanto Co.

In response to the announcement, National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson released the following statement:

“Today’s announcement that President-elect Trump’s transition team has struck a deal with Bayer and Monsanto is deeply disturbing if it leads to an approval of the Bayer-Monsanto acquisition by the incoming Trump Administration.

“Family farmers and rural communities came out in droves to support President-elect Trump and his campaign messaging of fighting the power structure, putting a stop to corporate mega mergers, and standing up for the little guy.

“The touted benefits of these deals pale in comparison to the adverse effects family farmers and ranchers will face with continued mergers in the agriculture sector. Corporate consolidation in agriculture leads to less competition and choice in the marketplace and higher input costs for family farmers and ranchers.

“We strongly urge the President-elect reject the notion that corporate consolidation benefits family farmers and rural America by putting an end to the endless string of mergers in agriculture.”

CNN Money's Paul R. La Monica reports in Trump takes credit for saving Monsanto jobs, but ...:

Following Donald Trump's meeting with the CEOs of Monsanto and Bayer last week, the president-elect's transition team says the companies will increase research and development spending in the U.S. and keep Monsanto's headquarters in St. Louis.

But will any workers lose their jobs?

 German pesticide and drug giant Bayer is planning to buy American seed and fertilizer king Monsanto. That deal was announced before Trump was elected president.

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters Tuesday that, after the meeting, the two companies have committed to $8 billion in R&D spending within the U.S.

A spokesman for Bayer confirmed to CNNMoney that Bayer (BAYRY) CEO Werner Baumann and Monsanto (MON) CEO Hugh Grant met with Trump.

The spokesman said they told the president-elect that the combined company planned to spend $16 billion on R&D -- at least half in the United States.

Spicer added that Monsanto and Bayer pledged to keep all of Monsanto's nearly 10,000 U.S. workers. The companies said they plan to create more than 3,000 high-tech jobs in the United States.

The Bayer-Monsanto deal was announced in September -- a time when many people thought Hillary Clinton would be the next president.

At the time, Bayer said that St. Louis would remain the North American headquarters of Monsanto and be the home of the global seeds business for Monsanto and Bayer.

Bayer also said that San Francisco would be the home of the combined company's digital farming unit, which uses real-time data on weather, soil quality and other measurements to make growing crops more efficient.

So Trump isn't necessarily keeping Monsanto in St. Louis. The company was never going to leave.

As for jobs, it's still unclear whether all Monsanto employees will remain with the company.

The Bayer spokesman did say the merger would "create several thousand new high-tech, well-paying jobs ... jobs that will keep America at the forefront of agricultural innovation and that serve U.S. farmers by delivering better products and services faster."

Bayer said that geneticists, roboticists, satellite imagery specialists, engineers, data scientists, advanced breeders and statisticians were the types of jobs the combined company would be looking to add.

But the Bayer spokesman did not address Spicer's claim that no jobs would be lost.

Executives for the two companies had hinted after the merger was announced that it could lead to job cuts on the administrative side of the business to reduce overlap -- a common post-merger occurence

According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch report after the deal was announced, Liam Condon, head of Bayer's crop science division, told journalists it was a good assumption R&D jobs were safe, but that it was "too early" to say what might happen to administrative jobs.

Bayer was not immediately available to clarify whether or not any decisions had been made about Monsanto administrative jobs in the past few months. Monsanto did not have a comment.

Having swung a deal--or maybe not--regarding a mega-merger between agri-chemical multinationals--perhaps Team Trump will appoint a Secretary of Agriculture. You know, the cabinet member who serves farmers, ranchers and people who raise and eat food. McClatchy DC reports in Trump lags behind previous presidents on last Cabinet secretary pick:

Three days before his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump has yet to nominate his final Cabinet secretary.

By this time, the previous five presidents had already selected their 15 secretaries for the Cabinet, according to the White House Transition Project.

Trump appears to have gotten an earlier start than some presidents, but he’s lagging on the last one.

He has interviewed a number of candidates for agriculture secretary: California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and a trio of Texans – the state’s agriculture commissioner, Sid Miller, former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs and former Texas A&M President Elsa Murano.

He is being pushed to nominate a Latino. Latinos have served in Cabinets since Reagan tapped Lauro Cavazos for secretary of education in 1988.

Transition spokesman Sean Spicer has been asked several times about the timing of the final nominee, but he has not announced any schedule.

There's that.

Photo: A honeybee. Bayer is the king of the neonics.

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Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article127042584.html#storylink=cpyPhoto:

Tales from two cities: Julie Rosen takes 2-week trip; Crookston paper hopes all work together

A minority lead for a Minnesota House committee recently closed a meeting by reading the grand opening of Charles Dicken's Tale of Two Cities:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity . . .

The contrast between belief and incredulity certainly struck us as we read this passage in J. Patrick Coolican's article for the Strib, Legislature's GOP majorities push hard early on:

The first few weeks of a legislative session often are sleepy affairs: lots of ceremony, feel-good receptions and meet-and-greets, introductions and informational hearings.

Not this year.

A number of factors combined to create a flurry of early activity . . .

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Vernon Center, who has been at the Capitol since 2003.

Rosen, who leaves on a two-week trip to Myanmar this week, said the Senate’s rush to pass its health care bill last week was not related to her travel plans. Lawmakers were eager to get it done so that Senate and House negotiators could work out differences for final passage by the end of the month, which is the deadline for Minnesotans to sign up for health insurance.

Still, Rosen’s absence is notable because it shows how thin the GOP’s one-seat majority really is. With just one member gone, the Senate conceivably could come to a halt, with Republicans lacking the numbers to move any legislation opposed by the DFL.

Of course her private travel plans have nothing to do with the alacrity last week, nor should we begrudged her mission to Burma. After all, the woman sacrificed her Greater Minnesota member housing voucher when she built that mighty house on the river in the wilds of the Dakota County suburbs for those times she's forced to leave her small rented home outside Vernon Center in order to serve the people of Minnesota.

Nonetheless, her absence may slow the machinery of power in St. Paul, thus dashing the hopes of the ink-stained wretches in the newsroom of the Crookston Times, who opined on Monday in Compromise in St. Paul:

Compromise in St. Paul

The last time Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton had to work with a Republican-controlled Minnesota Legislature, we had to suffer through a brief government shutdown, as Dayton and the Republicans refused to work together to get anything meaningful accomplished. Dayton said the other day he fears it could happen again, now that Republicans again control both the Minnesota Senate and House. But it doesn't have to, especially not with meaningful legislation like health insurance relief, a bonding bill, and tax bill that, according to last year's numbers, would give Crookston an additional $116,000 or so in Local Government Aid. If Dayton and the Republicans approach each other with reasonable expectations and a willingness to give instead of just take, things could get done. But forgive us if we're less than hopeful that the governor and legislative leaders will work together for the benefit of Minnesotans who elected them.

Were we the least bit cynical, we'd suggest that in the absence of the bread of LGA, the good citizens of Crookston might eat cake, but far be it from Bluestem to even imply such a thing.

Photo: A still from the classic Tale of Two Cities.

Please donate! If you enjoy Bluestem's take on the news--and our investigative blogging--please consider throwing some spare change into our paypal account during our January contribution drive. Bluestem relies on reader contributions to continue publishing.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 33166 770th Ave, Ortonville, MN 56278) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email [email protected] as recipient.