By Ruth Hruby, Montgomery, Minnesota
Here in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes and sky blue waters, we understand the importance of water. We recognize the blessings God has bestowed upon our state, in particular, the blessings of our land, soil, and water. Rural and small town America depend on water to grow the crops and forage, as well as raise the livestock, that are so vitally important to our local economies.
However, it is also important to recognize that our neighbors downstream count on us to preserve the quality of water that falls on and runs across our farms. As a farmer, I recognize how important it is that I be a steward of the soil and water that have provided my family a home, a life and a livelihood since 1856. Water is life - for crops, livestock and wildlife but also for farms and ranches. Moreover, hunters, anglers, and all manner of tourists, right alongside business, industry and hundreds of millions of Americans, depend upon clean water from our rivers, lakes and streams.
Last year, President Obama’s Administration finalized the Clean Water Rule to clearly protect the streams and wetlands that form the foundation of America’s water resources from pollution and degradation. Senator Klobuchar, Senator Franken, and Representative Walz should continue to stand with the White House in standing up for clean water and the Clean Water Rule. Attorney General Swanson should stand with them by supporting the clean water friendly lawsuit filed by the Attorney General of New York.
Pictured: The Temperance River in northeast Minnesota. | Photo by Rhea Landholm
