Trevor Russell

The 2015 legislative session moves into high gear this month, as a raft of policy and finance bills move toward the floor in the House and Senate. While buffers, Forever Green research, and a strong biofuels bill are reasons to smile, FMR is also working hard to defeat a series of assaults on clean water protections from the GOP-controlled House.

The 2015 legislative session in Minnesota is shaping up to feature a mixed bag of water quality and natural resource conservation policy. While the Governor's buffer initiative and Forever Green funding are cause for optimism, a deluge of so-called "dirty water bills" has become an unwelcome theme in the halls of the Capitol.

In what is one of the most important water quality initiatives in decades, the Dayton Administration recently unveiled its detailed stream buffer proposal. The bills were introduced earlier this month and represent the first step in securing strong new protections for Minnesota's perennial watercourses.