Conservation Awards:
Each year, Conservation Minnesota honors a few conservation champions. We not only highlight their work in the past year, but celebrate their dedication to these important issues throughout their careers.
This year's event will be held on October 12. If you would like to rsvp to the event, please click here.
Below you’ll find a sneak peek at this year's honorees.
Representative Julie Bunn and Senator Kathy Saltzman:
The safety of our drinking water is a top concern for all Minnesotans, but until recently, the most sensitive areas around our groundwater weren't adequately protected from landfill contamination. Kathy and Julie began their tireless effort to close this loophole in 2008 when they required the state to develop new rules relating to safe landfill siting statewide. They also placed a moratorium on the construction of new landfills until those rules were completed. This year, Kathy and Julie brought the conservation community, business interests, and local governments together behind stronger protections, including an outright ban on siting landfills in areas where toxic chemicals are most likely to leak into nearby water.
Senator Dennis Frederickson:
If Minnesotans had to choose one person who's had the most impact on our treasured outdoor way of life over the past 30 years, Denny Frederickson would likely be at the top of the list. First elected in 1980, Denny immediately established himself as one of the Senate's leading conservationists, and since then, he's had a hand in shaping nearly every piece of legislation written to protect our natural resources. As chief author of the Clean Water Legacy Act, Denny was widely credited by his colleagues as building the bipartisan coalition needed to pass the plan which puts the state on track to clean up our polluted lakes, rivers and streams. Two of his greatest accomplishments ensure that the Minnesota we enjoy today will be passed down to our children and grandchildren: the 1998 dedication of 40% of Minnesota State Lottery profits to environmental purposes, and the 2008 passage of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment which dedicates nearly $300 million annually to the protection of our natural resources for 25 years. Denny's retirement this year is truly the end of an era for Minnesota's conservation community.
Dann Siems:
Dann is a true citizen conservationist. His efforts to the conservation community are numerous and range from educating youth on the importance of fish habitat to helping protect Minnesota's Native Wild Rice from genetic contamination. In fact, colleagues describe Dann's dedication to conservation as too large to describe succinctly. A few notable examples include his contribution to Bemidji State University's People and the Environment program both as a professor and mentor to his students for twelve years. As an aquatic biologist for Beltrami SWCD he conducted significant public education on the implications of water quality and nutrient trends in our lakes. Additionally, Dann devotes time and his immense knowledge on these subjects by serving on the Minnesota Star Lakes Board, the Headwaters Science Center Board, and is an advisor to the Minnesota Citizens for Science Education.
Eureka Recycling:
Minnesotans know how easy and convenient it is to recycle, but we really don't think about what happens to our products after they leave our curbside. That's where Eureka Recycling comes in. Established in 2001, Eureka Recycling is leading the nation by advocating for zero-waste strategies that balance cost, convenience, environmental benefit and local job growth. They are the nonprofit recycling partner for the City of St. Paul, providing curbside collection and convenient drop-off locations. Eureka promotes the Free Market, an Internet-based exchange program that connects people who have free reusable items with people who want them. Since the program began, nearly 1,100 tons of reusable goods including furniture, appliances, landscaping materials and recreation supplies has been saved from landfills and incinerators. Thanks to Eureka, Minnesotans can feel better knowing that what we throw in our recycling bin has a better chance at being reused or turned into a new product.
