Minnesota Trout Unlimited
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Chapters
    • About
    • Join TU
    • Contact Us
    • How to Support Us
  • NEWS
    • Blog
    • Events
    • Monthly Enews
    • Trout Unlimited Minnesota
  • HABITAT
  • EDUCATION
    • Education and Outreach
    • Trout in the Classroom
    • Fishing Skills Programs
    • Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo
    • Foster the Outdoors Program
    • T.U.N.E Camp
  • ADVOCACY
    • Agricultural Runoff
    • Data Centers
    • Feedlots
    • Neonics
    • Nitrates
    • Preventing Fish Kills
    • Public Waters
    • Sulfide Mining
  • FISHING
  • DONATE
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Chapters
    • About
    • Join TU
    • Contact Us
    • How to Support Us
  • NEWS
    • Blog
    • Events
    • Monthly Enews
    • Trout Unlimited Minnesota
  • HABITAT
  • EDUCATION
    • Education and Outreach
    • Trout in the Classroom
    • Fishing Skills Programs
    • Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo
    • Foster the Outdoors Program
    • T.U.N.E Camp
  • ADVOCACY
    • Agricultural Runoff
    • Data Centers
    • Feedlots
    • Neonics
    • Nitrates
    • Preventing Fish Kills
    • Public Waters
    • Sulfide Mining
  • FISHING
  • DONATE

Bill Introduction Season is Here

Kristen Poppleton2025-02-28T21:51:34+00:00

March 11, 2025

Bills are being introduced at the Minnesota legislature at a rapid pace now and we are following a number of them as they connect with our priority issues. Make sure you are signed up for our action alerts if you want to be alerted about opportunities to advocate during session.

A few bills of concern that have been introduced:

Public Waters Protection Rollback( HF 1008 / SF 1715): Public waters definition modified, and appropriation for public waters inventory eliminated.

Public waters are designated to indicate which lakes, wetlands, and watercourses over which the Minnesota DNR has regulatory jurisdiction and are listed in a public inventory. When the Inventory was first published many watercourses were left off that should have been, and the process for keeping the Public Waters Inventory updated was too slow to keep it updated with all the lakes, wetlands, and watercourses that fall under the legal definition. Many of the waterways left off the public inventory were small headwater streams, including our beloved trout streams, which are important for water quality and health of fish and aquatic life upstream.  A new law passed last year clarifies the statutory definition of public waters, dictating where a waterway is classified, not just if it is included in the published inventory.  Importantly, it also includes $1million per year to the MNDNR for it to systematically update the list and maps county by county in the inventory. Ensuring this protection is not rolled back is an important part of protecting our trout streams today and for future generations.

Delisting Little Rock Creek (SF1816): Morrison County Little Rock Creek delistment as a trout stream and trout stocking in the stream prohibition requirement provision.

Trout stream designation provides a level of protection important for maintaining and improving conditions on a stream. Little Rock Creek has in part been impacted by water diversion over the years and this bill would eliminate any protections that have been put in place to address the problem.

We encourage you to contact your Senator and/or Representative to oppose these bills and share why you as an angler are concerned. You can find out who represents you here and explore some tips on what to share here, and a letter template here.


Related Posts

TELL THE SENATE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE TO REMOVE THE PUBLIC WATERS PROVISION TODAY

April 30, 2025 In 2024, the Minnesota Legislature adopted language to provide clarity and reinforce DNR’s longstanding interpretation that a specific... read more

Celebrate Earth Day with your ❤️🗣️👐!

... read more

Actions you can take TODAY to Honor Earth Month

April 8, 2025 Keeping up with all of the important opportunities to advocate for protection of coldwater fisheries is nearly impossible... read more

No Hatch to Match? The Silent Decline of Aquatic Insects in Minnesota Trout Streams

If you’ve spent any time fishing the cold, clear streams of the Driftless Region, you know that matching the hatch... read more

MNTU JOINS LITIGATION OVER NITRATE CONTAMINATION TO PROTECT COLDWATER FISHERIES

On July 23, 2022, I helped report a massive fish kill on Rush Creek, one of my favorite local trout... read more

PRESS RELEASE: Environmental groups file lawsuit to ensure momentum to address nitrate pollution continues

DATE: 01/28/25   CONTACT: Sarah Horner, MCEA, [email protected], 612-868-3024 Saint Paul, Minn – Environmental groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday to fortify Minnesota’s... read more

Minnesota Department of Agriculture Refuses to Protect State’s Environment From Pesticide Contamination 

Contacts:  Jesús Canchola Sánchez, NRDCAF, [email protected], (312) 847-6808  Sarah Horner, MCEA, [email protected], (612)... read more

Voters want conservation

by John Lenczewski, November 11, 2024 How last week’s election results will impact our ability to better protect, restore, and sustain... read more

Groups Petition to Protect Minnesota’s Environment and Communities from Dangerous Pesticides 

October 15, 2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contacts:Jesús Canchola Sánchez, [email protected]  Sarah Horner, [email protected]  Kristen Poppleton, [email protected]  Rulemaking petition submitted to Minnesota Department of Agriculture to... read more

Vote for Coldwater Fisheries Protection Across the Ballot

Voting is a privilege and a right for American citizens and our opportunity to make choices based on our values.... read more

Contact Us

Contact Page

Send all correspondence to:

Minnesota Trout Unlimited

P.O. Box 845

Chanhassen, MN 55317

Make a Donation to MNTU

Facebook Posts

This message is only visible to admins.
Problem displaying Facebook posts. Backup cache in use.
PPCA Error: Due to Facebook API changes it is no longer possible to display a feed from a Facebook Page you are not an admin of. The Facebook feed below is not using a valid Access Token for this Facebook page and so has stopped updating.
© Copyright 2021 Minnesota Trout Unlimited. All Rights Reserved.