Photo by John A. Kelley, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

November is Soil Month in Minnesota, and the Board of Water and Soil Resources is seizing the opportunity to celebrate our new state soil, Lester. With Governor Mark Dayton’s declaration earlier this year, Lester joined the ranks of iconic Minnesota symbols like the loon, walleye and the pink and white lady’s slipper. Lester soils are found in 17 counties in south-central Minnesota, covering more than 500,000 acres. These soils formed under alternating prairie and forest vegetation and the majority is now in agricultural production. Lester soils are extremely productive and are of significant importance to the Minnesota economy.

BWSR works with landowners and other agencies to promote soil health and prevent erosion. Since 2003, BWSR has helped prevent nearly 700,000 tons of soil erosion each year.

The Governor's residence will have decked halls from November 27th through December 18th.

The Minnesota Governor’s Residence, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, will be open to the public for Holiday tours beginning November 27th. Following tours will be held December 4, 11 and 18 from the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day.  No reservations are required; tours will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

The interior of the Beaux Arts Revival home, designed by Minneapolis architect William Channing Whitney, has been expertly decorated by seven local design studios. The holiday tour features signature looks for each of the public spaces at the Residence. The designers, from Digs Studio, Kate and Company, Linder’s, Pomegranate Design Ltd, Studio Emme, Ten Thousand Villages and Twiggs, have donated the design, materials and installation of the holiday decorations. In the Drawing Room, the live 8-foot tree was donated by Happyland Tree Farm of Sandstone, Minnesota.

Lt. Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon and Community Nutrition Educator Jennifer Dehn volunteer at a SNAP event.

Combining commitment and effort is proving to be a successful recipe for helping hungry Minnesotans eat more nutritiously. The Nutritious Food Coalition, a public-private partnership launched by Lt. Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon at the beginning of 2012, has worked to increase participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, for low-income Minnesotans.

On Nov. 27, the regional Citizen Forums on the Environment will begin with forums in Rochester and Bloomington.

The forums are an opportunity for Minnesotans to interact with state agency commissioners and staff, and learn more about Minnesota’s Environment & Energy Report Card. Those attending the forums will be asked to answer key questions and submit more in-depth ideas for consideration.

The State of Minnesota wants to hear what Minnesotans’ priorities and visions are for the environment. The input gathered at the forums will be compiled and presented to the Dayton Administration at a statewide Environmental Congress next March.

Citizen forums:

• Nov. 27: Wood Lake Meeting Center, Rochester, 9:30 a.m.-12 noon
• Nov. 27: Normandale Community College, Bloomington, 6:30-9 p.m.
• Nov. 28: Lake Superior College, Duluth, 5:30-8 p.m.
• Dec. 10: Worthington High School, 3:30-6 p.m.
• Dec. 12: Stearns County Service Center, Saint Cloud, 5:30-8 p.m.
• Dec. 14: Minnesota State University, Moorhead, 3-5:30 p.m.

The Minnesota Environmental Congress and the Citizens Forums leading up to it are the result of Governor Dayton’s Executive Order 11-32. To assess Minnesota’s progress toward clean air, water and energy, the Environmental Quality Board is convening Citizen Forums around the state to engage citizens in constructive dialogue, identify environmental challenges, and define a vision for Minnesota’s environmental future.

Today, Governor Dayton, Commissioner of Agriculture Dave Frederickson, Minnesota’s Turkey Growers Association (MTGA), and Hunger Solutions Minnesota, kicked off Thanksgiving week in Minnesota at the Governor’s Office. Minnesota is currently ranked #1 for turkey production in the U.S. with its 250 turkey farmers raising an estimated 47 million turkeys in 2012. Governor Dayton, Minnesota’s turkey farmers, and Hunger Solutions Minnesota also addressed ending hunger across the state.

The event was a time-honored tradition, going back more than two decades.

President and turkey farmer Duane Jaenicke announced the donation of 11,150 pounds of turkey - a total of 1,180 whole birds - to Hunger Solutions Minnesota (HSM), which will be distributed to food shelves and food banks across the state.

MPCA monitors the Minnesota river for low dissolved oxygen for the first time since 1988

Op/Ed by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner John Linc Stine
Published in the Pioneer Press on Saturday, November 17, 2012.

Sometimes the science tells us we’re doing something right.

Earlier this week we stood with our state and local government partners to celebrate a noteworthy achievement. Together, citizens, state and local government along with private sector contributions have helped make the Minnesota River a lot cleaner with lowered pollution levels and increases in dissolved oxygen benefiting fish and other life in the river.  There is still much to accomplish on the Minnesota, but this is undeniably great news.

Why did we make such a big deal of our discovery? Because, environmental changes normally happen in small steps over long periods of time.  Our water in the Minnesota didn’t get polluted overnight. It took decades of unsewered communities and non-existent regulation of pollution discharges. Similarly, it’s often difficult to measure environmental gains realized with a myriad of incremental steps by thousands of people over years and decades.

With Veterans Day fresh on the minds of Minnesotans, the Minnesota Department of Revenue reminds members of the military that they may be eligible for hundreds of dollars in military related tax benefits.  

The Credit for Military Service in a Combat Zone is available to members of the military who have recently served in a designated combat zone or hazardous duty area. There is a credit of $120 for each month served beginning January 1, 2009. To claim the credit, members of the military should complete and file Form M99, Credit for Military Service in a Combat Zone, for the year(s) in which they served.

Lt. Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon recently visited the 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth, Minnesota and experienced the full-workings of the facility, including a tour, safety and survival skills training. The visit culminated in a ride in an F-16 Fighter Jet. The Lieutenant Governor donned an anti-gravity suit, or G suit, and rode in the F16, experiencing complex aerial maneuvers – even taking the wheel at one point.

The Lieutenant Governor said she was impressed with “the precision, expertise and professional capabilities of both ground and air personnel” and that she feels “confident that Minnesota has a superior National Guard”.