The following announcement comes from our partners at TPL.

Help us help ourselves by spreading the word to our representatives.

---Jack C.

_____________________________________________________________

Dear partner in metro area conservation:

Tuesday's Pioneer Press will carry a major article recognizing the permanent protection of a core 168 acres in one of the Twin Cities' 10 most treasured natural areas, Pine Bend Bluffs. The article also will provide an overview of the growing number of efforts underway to conserve the region's ecological infrastructure as a critical component of our quality of life.

To maximize the impact of this media coverage, we need your help getting this article (and others that may appear in the Star Tribune and Dakota County weeklies) in front of key decision makers, and pointing out why it is critical to continue such efforts.

Please get a copy of this article to your state representative and senator, as well as any local decision makers that may find it of interest. You can fax it, include it as an attachment or a hyperlink in an e-mail, or send it the old-fashioned way with a postage stamp.

Please include a short note highlighting some of the following ideas:

1. The new Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area is a significant accomplishment that will benefit the region and its residents for generations to come.
   
   
2. It is the result of one of a growing number of partnerships among state and local government and non-profit organizations working to protect the region's ecological infrastructure and remaining open spaces.
   
   
3. With nearly 60 acres of metro region habitat lost each day to development, it is critical that we maintain capacity to continue this work and build on the growing momentum of conservation efforts -- even during times of budget shortfalls. These efforts cannot wait until the economic picture improves.
   

To do this, we need to:

Maintain integrity of dedicated funds, such as those for the LCMR (Future Resources Fund from cigarette tax). Make long-term capital investments in land conservation (bond for open space).

Maintain community technical assistance staff and grants to leverage local conservation efforts.

For information about how to contact your legislators:

House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee members:

http://ww3.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committee.asp?comm=10

Senate Environment Agriculture and Economic Development budget committee

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/committee/2003-2004/Environment/members.htm

Legislative Commission on MN Resources:

http://www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/lcmr/members.htm

Contact information for state legislators: (or go to committee lists and link from there)

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/hmem.asp
http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/

www.FriendsofPatrickEaganPark.org