To: The Minnesota State House, The Minnesota State Senate, and Governor Tim Walz
Protect Our Manoomin
Whereas nonferrous mining (also referred to as sulfide mining) is known to damage and destroy manoomin (wild rice) stands by releasing sulfates into waters, we the undersigned oppose legislative efforts that weaken environmental laws that protect manoomin on public and ceded lands.
Why is this important?
Manoomin (natural wild rice) is a vital cultural, spiritual, environmental, and economic resource for the Anishinaabe people in northeastern and north-central Minnesota.
As an environmental resource, healthy stands of manoomin are the barometer of a healthy ecosystem. Macroinvertebrates, vegetation, flora, fish, waterfowl, wetlands and wildlife are all interconnected in the ecosystem of manoomin.
Legislation seeks to weaken the Wild Rice/Sulfate Water Quality Standard for the benefit of foreign extractive copper resource colonies to open nonferrous mines in northern Minnesota. Additional legislation weakens the permitting process and diminishes the authority of regulatory agencies at the cost of the manoomin and the environment. Lawmakers need to consider that their actions place Minnesota's State Grain (Wild Rice) at great risk - not only for the current generation, but for the generations that follow.