By Jeff Forester, MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates Executive Director What a summer! MLR staff and I have attended dozens of lake association meetings and lake events across the state. It has been a real pleasure to get to meet with you, attend your lake association meeting, learn first hand the challenges you face on… Read more »
By Sami Selter, Associate Executive Director, MN Lakes & Rivers The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Roundtable is where the state agency reports on progress for key projects and programs and facilitates discussions among leaders in Minnesota’s natural resources fields. Minnesota Lakes and Rivers (MLR) has represented lake groups at this event for years,… Read more »
by Dylan Kinny, MLR Development Coordinator Happy Holidays! As the season of generosity is upon us once again, there are big changes on the horizon when it comes to charitable giving and your taxes. The new federal tax law passed this summer (2025) will change how you choose your tax deductions and deduct charitable gifts… Read more »
By Lily Carr, Civic Leader and Program Coordinator, MLR In the midst of ever complex and contentious mining debates, the Emily Mine Information Group (EMIG) is making a case for the effectiveness of Civic Organizing as a method by which to inform and organize community members in a completely new way- not against mining, but… Read more »
Update: SAFL Phase Three Wake Study (and other AIS research on Minnetonka) Longtime MLR member, partner, champion Gabriel Jabbour is a Lake Guardian. His efforts at protecting our resources are so focused and productive that he has printed cards with Lake Guardian printed on them. He handed me one recently, saying, “If you tell people… Read more »
Minnesota’s lakeshore communities are acutely aware of the threat aquatic invasive species (AIS) pose to the native ecology and the cultural enjoyment of our lakes and rivers. AIS is a recurring topic at lake association meetings, where members are actively managing infested waters, mobilizing volunteers, and sharing practical prevention strategies to protect their waters from… Read more »
In 2019 MLR began receiving reports that large wakes were creating conflicts among different lake users, eroding shoreline, and creating other problems. During the pandemic lake based recreation increased dramatically as did the sale of watercraft. Industry data shows that consumers gravitated to the ends of the boat spectrum. Sales of large, powerful watercraft like… Read more »
Counties across Minnesota and Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates have come together to produce a unique ‘How Well Do You Know Minnesota?’ series that provides MN fun facts and information about aquatic invasive species. The series launched May 1st and will run through September 30th with a different video showcased each month. This video series… Read more »
The 2024 session was extremely short, mid-February to mid-May. This meant that there was very little time for complex or controversial legislation to work its way through the process. MLR set a more modest legislative agenda this year, focusing on issues on which we had been able to initiate in previous years. The most important of… Read more »
On May 17th, over 100 of the lake leaders from across Minnesota gathered at the Saint Anthony Falls Lab to see some of the latest science on zaqwuatic invas9ve species, algae blooms, shoreline ecology and wake and prop thrust impacts. They also had a chance to connect with eachother, share information and efforts, and build… Read more »