Organization or Group Acted With

Length of time spent on this activity, in minutes.

Follow-up; how will this fit into the LWV UMRR plan of action for the coming year?

State(s) affected by Event or Action

Anything else to share about this observation?

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lonnimccauley@comcast.net

They have 4 task forces working on the next farm bill: crop insurance for all crops; water quality; CAFO issues and conservation funding. They intend to send a letter to the powers that be on the farm bill once they have finished the task force work.

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

I have to jump through a couple hoops if I want to be involved as a member. I may do this although the members on the zoom first of all were from all over the country had to be AT LEAST 30 years old.

lonnimccauley@comcast.net

Minnesota Enviromental Partnership

Sign-on letter to MN Public Utilities Commission regarding proposed Midwest Carbon Express Carbon Dioxide Pipeline

lonnimccauley@comcast.net

Friends of the Mississippi

UofM Forever Green Initiative and building the market for "continuous living cover" crops such as Kernza perennial grain

Adds continuous cover which keeps water from seeping into drain tile/ditches/rivers

lonnimccauley@comcast.net

•Letter of support for ENRT funding for lasting conservation funding to MN legislature – Environmental and Natural Resources Trust fund

ENERT funding is dedicated MN state funding to ensure money is available to address water and climate change needs.

lonnimccauley@comcast.net

•Sign-on letter to Minnesota Legislature supporting PFAS legislation

PFAS continues to be a nationally-recognized pollutant

lonnimccauley@comcast.net

Sign-on letter to Minnesota Legislature supporting MPCA Community Board legislation

This is a Minnesota action only to have citizens once more involved with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

lonnimccauley@comcast.net

• Sign-on letter to MN Legislators supporting protections for lowland conifer forest and peatlands

continued and enhanced protection for clean water

lonnimccauley@comcast.net

Individual letters requested regarding the CO2 Pipeline and the proposed Army Corps of Engineers actions. I believe all of us can sign on to Letter # 1 regarding Federal Permit

Potential polluted water stemming from pipeline leakage and also disruption of the land surrounding the insertion of a pipeline.

Issue Action Alert to members

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

Shawn Choinard may submit something more complete on this subject.

Since October 2022 I had numerous encounters via e-mail with Kristen Kerns from LWVUS to get federal request permission for advocacy for MIssissippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative (MRRRI) Bill

February 2023 LWV UMRR ILO was given permission to advocate for (MRRRI) and advocacy letters to senators and Congressmen were approved.

When (MRRRI) is reintroduced to this Congress (2023) all 4 states will be ready to endorse and advocate for (MRRRI)

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

Sierra Club, MN North Star Beyond Oil Team

discussed Line 5, google: Federal judge gives Enbridge three years to stop trespassing on the Bad River Reservation; Concerns grow as eroding riverbank gets closer and closer to Line 5 pipeline

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

Sierra Club North Star Waters & Wetlands Team

discussed Niagra Bottling Plant at Elko New Market, MPCA Nitrate Standard for Aquatic Life study document

sent letter about Nagra Plant to DNR

MN and national Sierra Club rural coop project

several contacts composing email to GRE customers re federal funding opportunity (coop use of IRA monies)

email will go out to GRE area SC members

Sierra Club MN Clean Energy Team IRA Outreach group

starting an effort to provide webinars and local meetings to MN citizens about how they can access IRA funds. Discussed potential methods and collaborators. Followed up with contacts with area ethnic groups and MREA

information only at this point

Sierra Club MN North Star Beyond Oil Team

working on advocacy against Line 5 pipeline

chaired Activities Committee meeting

MN Sierra Club Beyond Coal team

discussed Line 5, carbon pipelines, other

MN Sierra Club Clean Energy team

working on methods to get IRA info to everyone

LWV MN Climate Change Task Force

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

Was unable to click just UMRR states

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

planning to get IRA info out to all Minnesotans

MN Sierra Club Waters/Wetlands mtg

IA Sierra Club and CURE pipeline webinars

Willmar Area Climate Action Group

MN Sierra Club Clean Energy Team

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

MN Sierra Club IRA group mtg

MN Sierra Club Waters/Wetlands mtg

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

I included time preparing for meeting and putting info into this database. Forgot to do this for previous months, so add 90 min. for each of June-Aug.

nancy55555@icloud.com

Mississippi River Network

3 day meeting in Memphis, TN; 30 hours

See written report....JCLWV Voter, November 2023 submission

Interaction with Tulane U professor and students on legal problems of environmental laws. EPA has been denied its previous status.

MRN is restructuring the priorities and the direction of the organization.

continued publication of changes and directions in LWV newsletters

All UMRR states (IA, IL, MN, MO, and WI)

Over forty members of MRN representing the thirty-one states along the MS River attended the Memphis meeting.

nancy55555@icloud.com

100 Grannies joined forces with the Johnson County LWV and the Burr Oak Preservation Society at the Iowa City Public Library to show the movie, Kiss the Ground, narrated by Woody Harrison. This movie demonstrates how all over the world soil is reclaimed and refurbished by simple appropriate actions that almost anyone can do, Using crop rotation, staying away from chemical fertilizers, no till, which are methods that replace the nitrogen into the soil, and bring back healthy soil within 14 years. The best example of this is farmers following sustainable practices, and the area around the China Wall which was a desert changed within 14 years to a beautiful landscape of trees and plants.

educating and making aware needs of soil, and demonstrating hope for using sustainability practices that work

sharing information, Farm Bill sustainability promotion

promoting the Farm Bill issues of sustainability

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

cooperation with other groups that have the same environmental/sustainability goals increases the spread of knowledge and collaboration. We should use this movie as a program.

nancy55555@icloud.com

Just before the LWVIA Convention, I organized the Mississippi River Network event celebrating the River. Over 20 members and friends met at the Dubuque Brewery and enjoyed a lunch by the river. Many people walked along the River Walk. We used our smart phones to write to our Congress people concerning the Farm Bill. I shared information about the Mississippi River and how important it is to care for it in a sustainable way.
I regularly write reports for the JCLWV Voter as well as the state of IA Voter.

educate about the River, submit letters from different people that go to Congress

More people knowledgeable about the Farm Bill

letters to Congress and informing members and friends

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

Gretchen Sable attended my MRN River celebration activity last year and got money from our MRN account to tun her own Celebration activity in Wisconsin previous her annual state meeting

nancy55555@icloud.com

mickeycroyle@gmail.com

LWV MO, LWV Metro St Louis

voted to support submission by ILO to LWVUS for Farm Bill action by LWV MO

Issue Action Alert to members

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

Attended the LWV MO appointed Sheryl Eufinger as Mickey's backup for ILO work = 4 hours
Mickey also presented actives of ILO UMRR regarding water and farm to LWV MO and LWV Metro STL
Mickey attended LWV US CIG Water, Renewables, and Agriculture, Farm and Soil meetings and monitored emails = 6 hours
Mickey monitor US EPA and MO Department Natural Resources emails and activities, US EPA is taking stronger action on PFAS etc = 4 hours
Mickey attended the Saint Louis Metropolitan Sewer District Board of Trustee Meeting to add comments to support PFAS efforts, flooding, nutrient decrease, etc = 3 hours
Mickey attended the Mississippi Basin Webinar on Nov 14
Mickey attended the Webinar Sackett
Mickey presented work of the ILO UMRR to the Environmental Quality and Climate Change Committee of LWV Metro STL on 11/11/23 and provided notes on the Sackett presentation as well MSD etc and informed them LWV MO did support Farm Bill request etc

mickeycroyle@gmail.com

Msd rate commission LWV metro STL and LWV Mo and Missouri coalition for the environment

St. Louis msd final decision on rate increase. That was reviewed by the Rate Commission for 165 days this summer and fall. I am League delegate). They approved rate commission report. Rejected proposal to transport sludge to Il for burning or land composting. Did select fluidized incineration of sludge as a lower carbon that does not require land decomposition and reduce nutrients into Mississippi. The incinerators will also remove PFAS. This will not require trucking of sludge. In the future they hope to capture the energy from the incinerators = module needed is another $0.3 billion

Board of trustee approved the rate commission report

Projects will continue to allow STL msd to meet the consent decree to reduce nutrient and pollution into the water systems (major msd facility is next to the Mississippi River. It will reduce PFAS and other pollution. The incinerators will decrease air pollution by 90%. There will be minimal nutrient contamination of the rivers of the regions. The storm water funding will fund flooding and river erosion including the Mississippi river

Information to members for Feb units and request for LWV metro STL take action to support both the waste water rate increase and the storm water flooding

Also impacts east STL in IL

Mississippi River Network

I sent a comment email to Katie Flahive at US EPA urging the Gulf Hypoxia Task Force to change course and support more outcome-based and targeted approaches.

No response as of Nov 30

All UMRR states (IA, IL, MN, MO, and WI)

The Action Committee supported this action which is in accord with LWV US positions on water, but we did not request permission from LWV US before doing it because of the short time line.

LWV ABC and the Anoka Conservation District

Colleen Werdien came to LWV ABC and asked for our assistance in securing funding to support a groundwater hydrologist for the Anoka Conservation District. LWV ABC invited the ACD manager to speak at our August meeting (video: https://youtu.be/KNVQMarT-5c?si=2gNHw2qqG9aaGEqf) and then we sent folks to speak at the County Commissioners meeting in favor of the position.

The County Board declined to fund the position.

Colleen Werdien is a member of LWV ABC, a supervisor on the Anoka Conservation District and a new Board member for UMRR.

tamaraprenosil@gmail.com

Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture

General membership meeting - discussed goals and action steps for 2024 as well as reviewed actions of 2023. Discussed ways to leverage the strengths of the various advocacy groups represented by the attendees. The main thrust for 2024 will be a moratorium on Confined Animal Feeding Operations, a Clean Water Act for Iowa and an Odor Reduction Act for Iowa. This group plans to participate in Iowa CCI Lobby Day, Iowa Farmers Union Lobby Day, IARA Call-in Lobby Day, Food and Water Watch Clean Water Forums

Tamara Prenosil plans to continue to patriciate in monthly zoom meetings

memiller.lwvumrr@gmail.com

Mississippi River Network

11 hours total over several days

I completed MRN mini-grant application seeking $10,000 to travel Sparkling Clear Water Pop Art Project throughout our five state UMRR region in 2024

Much to do to organize the exhibit schedule and seek more exhibit opportunities. A collaborator will be the Isaak Walton League

Each UMRR board member needs to send possible locations and dates for this exhibit. It will require much coordination between UMRR, local/state League meetings and the artist.

All UMRR states (IA, IL, MN, MO, and WI)

This is a great opportunity to spread word about UMRR's work plus might attract more members to our local Leagues.a

(MRCTI) Mississippi River Cities and Town Initiative

Made contact with Colin Wellenkamp, Brandt Thorington, and Mitch Reynold (Mayor of La Crosse) in regard to Saving Mississippi River Together (SMRT) Act. MRCTI is thinking of renewing their efforts for reconciling the SMRT bill with MRRRI bill or going it on their own.

Mayor Mitch Reynolds will be making contact again in May to update LWV UMRR ILO on their progress and how LWV UMRR ILO may engage with the endeavor.

Any bill that will support conservation, restore water quality and improve habitat along the Mississippi River is something that the league can support and endorse.

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

Once we have a better understanding of bill content we can mover forward and determine our inolvement.

Another action that I feel we should stay on top of is-the Farm Bill. We should utilize recent updated details of application/granting of money for climate-smart agricultural conservation practices utilized in each of our prospective states.

Local WI Leagues that are members of UMRR ILO

In writing I communicated to each LWV WI local league supporting UMRR if they had any member(s) that would like to engage /join in Water Quality issues with the UMRR Action Committee or be on UMRR's Board.

At this point in time I have had no responses. May 22, 2024

LWV UMRR wants to expand Board and Action Committee

None of the e-mail addresses that I used were returned as unsuccessful e-mail addresses so that might be a good start.

I didn't get a e-mail telling me my prior observation was successful.

MRCTI Mayor Mitch Reynolds

Asked present status of SMRT Bill and asked Mayor Reynolds to be a presenter for the American Society of Civil Engineers-WI regard the Mississippi River community of LaCrosse.

Mayor Reynold has agreed to be the presenter for the Nov. 14, 2024 ASCE WI

Mayor Reynolds will be promoting the concept of acquiring federal support for the protection and restoration of the Mississippi River.

National (anything involving a federal agency or US Congress is "national" and would also involve LWV US in approval - )

LWV UMRR WI is working in conjunction with the LWV WI to promote and support a better understanding of Climate Change Impacts on river communities-tourism, commerce, etc.

I approached the LWV WI Natural Resource Committee in regard to taking on a Chloride Project in each local league in Wisconsin.

I'm compiling some chloride research by the DNR demonstrating that Wisconsin waterways are suffering. I'm am also compiling some resources and list of organizations like "Wisconsin Salt Wise" materials for perusal. I will have these items prepared for July meeting.

I'd like to see other states that make up UMRR work to reduce chloride in waterways. Chlorides in any water source are a pollutant and impact water quality, habitat and organisms life.

Duluth Minnesota LWV is working on it and I think they could provide a good model for us. I'm willing to work with them.

I would like to discuss this Idea with Gretchen Sabel and the Action Committee

La Crosse Urban Stormwater Group

Discussed wetland stormwater issues and set up a meeting with one of the leaders.

Will have a meeting June 4, 2024 12:30. We will discuss what LWV UMRR ILO is and see whether or not the leader of this group may want to become a part of LWV UMRR ILO.

LWV UMRR ILO is trying to expand its Board and Action Committee

All UMRR states (IA, IL, MN, MO, and WI)