[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16901]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



         HONORING THE MINNESOTA RIVER BASIN JOINT POWERS BOARD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAVID MINGE

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 26, 2000

  Mr. MINGE. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize five years of outstanding 
work by the Minnesota River Basin Joint Powers Board to coordinate the 
clean up of the thirty-seven county Minnesota River Basin.
  Since its inception in 1995, the Minnesota River Basin Joint Powers 
Board has been able to build progressive and trustworthy relationships 
among agricultural production, conservation, sporting, and 
environmental interest groups. They have also been instrumental in 
building sustainable relationships with local, state, and federal 
government agencies in order to advance the cause of a restored, 
fishable, and swimmable Minnesota River.
  The Minnesota River Basin Joint Powers Board has also been extremely 
helpful in promoting the Minnesota River Basin's Conservation Reserve 
Enhancement Program. Minnesota River CREP hopes to retire and restore 
100,000 acres of flood-prone farmland in order to improve water 
attributes in the Basin and the larger Mississippi River Basin as a 
whole. Furthermore, their ability to thoughtfully and even-handedly 
coordinate the needs of thirty-seven counties regarding watershed team 
tributary strategies has been important to the success of this basin-
wide initiative.
  I would also like to recognize this group's Executive Director, Steve 
Hansen, as a tireless and articulate advocate of water quality 
improvement and the State of Minnesota's continuing environmental 
commitment to its rivers and natural resources.
  In conclusion, I would like to stress the importance of the 
integrative and comprehensive watershed planning that the Minnesota 
River Basin Joint Powers Board is engaged in to promulgate and 
implement successful recovery of this important natural resource--the 
Minnesota River.

                          ____________________