With the Minnesota state legislative session ending Monday, May 20, at midnight, it's looking like a final budget will not be agreed upon before adjournment. This means the differences between the budgets and policies proposed by the House, the Senate, and Governor Tim Walz will likely be negotiated behind closed doors by just a few top leaders. A special legislative session will be required...
Welcome to the Land Stewardship Project Action Alerts page. The Land Stewardship Project periodically sends out Action Alerts that describe how citizens can make their voices heard on critical issues related to family farming, the environment and our rural communities.
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MN Lawmakers: Negotiating Away Our Rights Behind Closed Doors is NOT an Option
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Action Needed (Again!) to Secure Full Funds for Forever Green
With just a few days left in the Minnesota legislative session, we need another push to ensure the state fully funds its investment in the Forever Green Initiative. Members of the Legacy Finance conference committee will begin to meet this week and need to hear from Minnesotans across the state.
This is the first time that full funding for the ...
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Tell your State Representative to Protect Free Speech
The government of Minnesota belongs to the people of Minnesota — not outside corporate interests who want to write special laws for themselves at the expense of the rest of us. Right now, these outside corporate interests are attempting to weaken our free speech rights in a way that disproportionately targets Indigenous Minnesotans and other water protectors. This provision is included...
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Tell Your Legislators to Strengthen, Not Weaken, Environmental Review
Land Stewardship Project members have been active at the Minnesota Capitol because we believe our public institutions and government at all levels belong to us. These institutions must do what is best in service to people and the land. The decisions being made right now will shape the future of our state, which is why we’re working to strengthen the role of the public in...
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14 Days Left in the Legislative Session: Make Your Voice Heard
Our state of Minnesota has the power and responsibility to create a transformational, regenerative food and farm system that is good for family farmers, rural communities, and the land. But so far this state legislative session, we have not seen our leaders take the bold action we need to advance our vision for rural Minnesota....
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Tell Policymakers it's Time to Fully Invest in Forever Green
For the first time in Minnesota state legislative history, full funding for the Forever Green Initiative, —$10 million for the biennium—has been included in an omnibus finance bill. This is something to celebrate — it would not have been possible without the...
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Tell Your State Senator to Stop the Healthcare Heist
UPDATE (5/2/19): So far, the Senate has decided to punt on this issue by extending the current moratorium on HMO conversions from July 2019 to July 2023, instead of passing strong protections for our public money this year. During debate on the Senate floor, Senator Michelle Benson referred to Senator John Marty’s provision to protect nearly $7 billion of the...
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EQIP and CSP Sign-up Deadlines Coming Soon
• EQIP Deadline: April 19 in Minn.; May 17 in Wis.
• CSP Deadline: May 10
Contact Your Local NRCS Office Today
The Land Stewardship Project wants you to...
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Take Action to Protect Environmental Review from Corporate Interests
Imagine opening your local newspaper on a Monday morning and discovering that a 5,000-head factory hog farm or an 6,000-head mega-dairy is being proposed in your township — and the public comment period ends that very weekend!
We deserve the right to have a voice when major decisions that could impact the health of our communities are being made. It is the role of our public...
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Action Needed to Reinstate the MPCA Citizens' Board
Good news! State legislation that reinstates the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Citizens’ Board is moving forward, but legislators are going to need to hear from constituents for it to pass (HF 973—Persell, SF 627—Marty)....
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Call Your Legislators & Tell Them to Stop the Sunset of the Provider Tax
In our democracy, it is up to us to make sure that our elected officials act in the best interests of our communities and the land and that our government wisely uses public resources to meet public needs. For decades, stable funding for public healthcare programs and public health initiatives in Minnesota has come from a small tax paid by healthcare providers in our state. But unless...
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Action Needed for State Investment in a New Ag Economy
We at the Land Stewardship Project have a strong vision for rural Minnesota where our communities are vibrant, our soil and water healthy and our local economies are strong. Our vision for people and the land can't happen without bold policies and a real investment of our public dollars.
Our state leaders are not embracing our vision for a new agricultural economy. We need you to take...
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Good News: Winona County Respects the Animal Unit Cap!
Last night, after six hours of presentations by members of the public, the Winona County Board of Adjustment denied a request to exceed the county's animal unit cap by nearly four-fold. The Board of Adjustment found that the record clearly showed the variance request did not meet the legal requirement for a variance. (Full information on the variance issue ...
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Join LSP Dec. 20 for Healthcare Meeting & Petition Delivery
Join Us at the State Capitol Thursday, Dec. 20
Thanks to the hard work of Land Stewardship Project members and supporters, we gathered more than 3,200 signatures this fall on our petition calling for Minnesota's next Governor to take bold action to address the rural healthcare crisis.
Petition signers are invited to join us on Thursday, Dec. 20, at the Minnesota State...
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Stand up for Rural Communities Dec. 4 at MPCA Public Meeting in Mabel
Demand an Environmental Impact Statement on Proposed Fillmore County Factory Hog Farm
On Tuesday, Dec. 4, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is holding a public meeting on the proposed Catalpa, LLC factory hog farm. The meeting will be at the Mabel Community Center (201 South Main Street, Mabel, Minn.). MPCA Commissioner John Linc Stine will...
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Demand Full Environmental Review for Mega-Dairy Operation Proposed in Winona County
UPDATE (11/1/18): On October 31, the Ramsey County District Court rejected the attempts by corporate ag to squelch public comment on an environmental review of the mega-dairy expansion proposal described below. District Court Judge Jennifer L. Frisch ruled yesterday against an injunction filed by several Minnesota corporate ag groups seeking to limit the public comment period...
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Sign the Petition by Nov. 10 to Call for Bold Action on Healthcare
Demand Bold Action from Our Next Governor on the Rural Healthcare Crisis
High premiums, closing rural clinics and few available insurance plans mean rural people are too often not getting quality healthcare. This is a matter of life and death. Sign and share the LSP petition calling on our next Governor to make this a priority.
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MPCA Needs Comments on Daley Farms' Proposed Mega-Dairy Expansion by Nov. 15
On Tuesday, Oct. 16, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) held a public information forum regarding Daley Farms of Lewiston, Minn., and the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) which is part of the operation's current permit application approval process. Daley Farms wants to more than double its dairy herd from 1,728 cows and calves to 4,628 total. This would make it the largest...
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Demand a Process that Allows for Real Public Participation in Environmental Review of Mega-Dairy Expansion
UPDATE (10/10/18): We have learned that Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner John Linc Stine is making a decision on this tomorrow, and we need calls into him by noon on Thursday, Oct. 11.
We need to take action to ensure that there is a process that provides for meaningful public participation and that fully evaluates the cost to our community resources and...
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MPCA Needs to Hear from Us (Again!) on Full Environmental Review for Massive Factory Hog Farm
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is avoiding ordering an in-depth Environmental Impact Statement of the proposed Catalpa, LLC factory farm. The agency needs to hear from us (again)!
State law requires that if a project has “the potential for significant environmental impacts,”...
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URGENT: Call on MPCA for FULL Environmental Review of Proposed Factory Hog Farm
LSP Members are Standing Up Against a Massive Factory Hog Farm Proposed in their Community in Fillmore County
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URGENT: Proposed Massive Factory Farm in Fillmore County Needs FULL Environmental Review
MPCA Public Informational Meeting scheduled for June 19, 2018
Catalpa LLC out of Waukon, Iowa, is proposing a massive factory hog farm in Fillmore County. The proposal is undergoing an initial environmental review. Due to public pressure, the comment period was extended until Tuesday, July 3, 2018, at 4:30 p.m.
Here...
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Tell the Senate We Need a Farm Bill That Supports the Land & the People
The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee passed its version of the 2018 Farm Bill on Wednesday, June 13. We expect a vote on the bill by the full Senate in coming weeks. This bill is an improvement on what was introduced and failed in the House of Representatives last month. In fact, because of the hard work of our...
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We Need Gov. Dayton's Veto
We need Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton to use his veto pen. The "Guilty by Association" legislation, Senate File 3463, was passed by the Minnesota Legislature Saturday and is on its way to the Governor's desk. This bill is being driven by corporate interests that want to chill dissent and prevent people from standing up to corporate power. In fact, the language for this bill comes directly...
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Call Today: Vote No on the House Farm Bill
UPDATE: The House Farm Bill was voted down 212-198 on Friday, May 18; click here for details.
Today (Friday May 18th), the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on the 2018 Farm Bill, H.R. 2.
This is a disastrous bill and...
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