Hello friends!
In August, we were asked to be a conservationist/landowner stop on a bus tour for the Minnesota State Legislature’s Sub-Committee on Water Policy. The field tour was hosted by the Hubbard County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Minnesota Legislative Subcommittee on Water Policy. In addition to SWCD staff and legislators, other state agency staff members like the DNR and state land trust agency staff visited THE HAVEN. They hoped to not only learn about how we’re managing our forests to keep them a vibrant source of protection for clean water in Minnesota’s aquafers, but also to understand how we’re thinking outside box to combine conservation work with unique business ideas in order to raise funds to do even more conservation work.
As we wandered the trail into the memorial forest, the group of about 30 asked some thoughtful questions about why we got into conservation work, what obstacles we’ve faced, and how the burial of cremated remains works. They were curious, encouraging, and supportive of what TerraTrees is trying to accomplish. We stopped at one of the white pine regeneration sites, and I could tell that many people who work for state agencies deeply understood the value of the project because of how difficult it is to get white pine to grow due to deer browse. (See our previous blog for the story and pictures on the deer-proof fencing we installed after this tour.)
My goal for the stop was to convey to the legislators how important it is to keep funding the wonderful state agencies that support landowners who are doing conservation work. Understandably, the halls of the legislature are far removed from boots-on-the-ground conservation work that happens in the field, so this type of stop on the tour was a brilliant idea on the part of the Hubbard County SWCD.
These legislators and the state agency staff who work in resource protection truly care. Many people expressed gratitude for the opportunity to visit THE HAVEN because it contributed a depth of understanding to how they can help keep Minnesota’s natural resources – land and water – healthy for generations to come.
We’re honored to have been selected to share our story with this fantastic group, and we’re excited to keep exploring new ways to help conserve and expand America’s forest footprint. 🌱
