Action Alert: Support clean-water crops that protect MN's rivers
Clean-water crops can help reduce erosion while soaking up pollutants before they reach Minnesota's waters. (Photo by FMR)
One of FMR’s top goals this legislative session is to build on the uniquely bipartisan support we saw for clean-water crops in 2022. An upcoming committee hearing will go a long way toward ensuring we’re on the right track — and you can help.
The Minnesota Senate’s Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development committee will hear testimony on Wednesday, Feb. 8 about two FMR-supported bills related to clean-water crops.
The first bill would ensure the University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Initiative receives the funding it needs to continue developing clean-water crops such as Kernza, winter camelina and hybrid hazelnuts. These cropping systems, when integrated into existing farm fields across the region, would reduce nitrate leaching and runoff pollution into our waters, making the Upper Midwest (as the New York Times put it) “the most forward-thinking agricultural region in the country.”
The second bill would support businesses that make up the supply chain that brings these crops to market. If passed, it would expand on the grant program FMR helped establish last session, speeding up how quickly the industry can scale to meet growing demand.
It’s critical legislators on the committee hear from their constituents about these two proposals. Use our form below to tell your senator to protect clean water crops.
Keep an eye on this page for more updates as we get closer to the Feb. 8 hearing.
(Don't see an action alert below? Sign up to be a River Guardian and we'll be in touch when the next important opportunity arises!)
Previous 2023 updates
Jan. 6: Clean-water crops get early boost from Clean Water Council
Clean-water crops received an early show of support ahead of this legislative session, a potential sign the bipartisan momentum seen last year may well carry into 2023.
The Minnesota Clean Water Council at its Dec. 19 meeting finalized its recommendations for how the state should spend money in the Clean Water Fund over the next two years. The recommendations include $6 million for our top legislative priority this session: continued support for the University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Initiative.
There are a lot of reasons to be excited about the clean-water crops being advanced by teams at the Forever Green Initiative, and FMR will work to gain additional support from the Legislature for two measures:
- Critical state investment in both the Forever Green Initiative and Forever Green Partnership, which together provide the research and organizational muscle to make clean-water crops a reality
- A boost to the “Continuous Living Cover Value Chain Development Fund" that FMR helped establish last session
We're excited to share more updates in the weeks and months ahead. In the meantime, you can read more about the environmental promise of these clean-water crops here.