If you’ve fished along a trout stream in northeast Minnesota lately, you’ve probably noticed the standing dead spruce and balsam fir, open gaps in the forest canopy, and more brush than you’d expect in what used to be shaded, coniferous woods. It’s not just about aesthetics - it’s a coldwater...
Minnesota’s trout streams and groundwater are some of our most valuable — and most vulnerable — resources. Minnesota Trout Unlimited is urging our members to tell the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to strengthen the Feedlot Rule to better protect clean water and healthy aquatic ecosystems. Specific comments on aspects of the...
Our assistant director, Kristen Poppleton, often says “teamwork makes the dream work.”As I reflect on my first two years with Minnesota Trout Unlimited, I have a new appreciation for the phrase. The culture of service and commitment to conservation through boots and shovels on the ground by MNTU volunteers and...
MNTU has long partnered with the Minnesota DNR to advance its mission to conserve, protect, restore, and sustain Minnesota’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. This includes habitat projects and advocacy efforts around the state. Since 2007, with the establishment of the first aquarium in Minnesota, this partnership has increasingly included...
Living on a trout stream in southeastern Minnesota, it doesn’t require too much effort to keep an eye on what’s hatching and when. However, it still caught me by surprise to see two adult craneflies on my bathroom floor early one morning in the first week of May. Maybe they...
MNTU has a long history of developing awareness of, and urging action to reduce, nitrate contamination, especially where contamination impacts Minnesota’s trout streams (see timeline). Regulating nitrates in Minnesota, especially southeast Minnesota, is critical to protect the region’s coldwater fisheries, including brook, brown, and rainbow trout. These...
May 2025 FEDERAL ACTION TO PROTECT THE BOUNDARY WATERS The House Natural Resources Committee recently passed its reconciliation bill that dismantles Boundary Waters protections from sulfide-ore copper mining. These efforts open the door to toxic copper mining within the watershed of the Boundary Waters, a world-class recreational fishery and home to native...
April 30, 2025 In 2024, the Minnesota Legislature adopted language to provide clarity and reinforce DNR’s longstanding interpretation that a specific waterway could be a public water even if it was not listed on the Public Waters Inventory. The language reinforces the DNR’s and Court’s interpretation and affirms that it is...
On Monday, April 20, 2025 Minnesota Trout Unlimited members joined an informational hearing on SF3083, a bill to regulate neonic treated seeds. In an informational hearing votes, amendments, or other actions aren't taken on bills, but they are an excellent way to demonstrate support, connect with others...
