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The University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment (IonE) seeks your input on draft recommendations for conservation and preservation of Minnesota's environment and natural resources.

About the Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan

In 2006 the Institute on the Environment was awarded a contract by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) to produce a Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan ("Plan") with funds from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.  The intent was to create an integrated inventory and assessment of Minnesota's environment and natural resources that could guide decision-makers on future short and long term planning, policy, and funding investment.

The Plan consists of two parts: a Preliminary Plan (released July 2007) and a Final Plan (to be released July 2008).  The Preliminary Plan (see Additional Information below) was a preparatory document for the Final Plan that identified critical issues and trends having impacts or implications for Minnesota's environment and natural resources.  The Final Plan
provides a series of recommendations for addressing the issues and trends identified.
The recommendations included in the Final Plan will prove useful to a wide variety of public and private entities, but in particular, they will be used to help guide expenditures from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

Public Forums
This series of Forums launches an effort to engage the public in helping to further refine the Final Plan recommendations and begin using them to inform and facilitate interaction and collaboration around the issues and trends they address.  The Forums will be 2-3 hour working sessions to involve people in shaping draft recommendations before the Institute on the Environment finalizes the recommendations and delivers the Final Plan to the
LCCMR in July.  Participants will be introduced to the draft recommendations and asked to provide input on them.

Ongoing Public Input Opportunities
In addition to the Forums, participants and others can offer comments on the Plan and its recommendations through the project website: www.MnConservationPlan.net
.  Comments on the draft recommendations need to be received no later than June 15th to be considered before the Institute on the Environment delivers the Final Plan to the LCCMR.  However, all comments are always welcomed, encouraged, and will continue to receive
consideration into the future by the LCCMR.  While the recommendations in the Final Plan
are intended for use today, it is also expected that these ideas will require revisiting and revision as new information and changing conditions arise over time.

RSVP
To ensure we can accommodate all Forum attendees, we request that you confirm your attendance by contacting Jean Coleman, event coordinator, at 612-588-4904 or
jcoleman@crplanning.com with the date and location of the Forum you plan to attend.  Approximately 7-10 days before the Forums, draft recommendations will be e-mailed to confirmed attendees and posted on the web at www.MnConservationPlan.net
 and www.lccmr.leg.mn.

Additional Information
For additional information on the Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan, including downloading the Preliminary Plan, visit www.MnConservationPlan.net
 or www.lccmr.leg.mn.

STATEWIDE CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION PLAN PUBLIC FORUMS

 FORUM 1:
MORRIS
Date: Thursday, May 22nd
Time:   5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Location:  University of Minnesota Extension West Central Regional Outreach
Center, 46352 State Highway 329, Morris, MN 56267-5419
Website:    http://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu 
Directions:  http://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/Directions.html

FORUM 2:
GRAND RAPIDS
Date:   Tuesday, May 27th
Time:   5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Location:  University of Minnesota North Central Research and Outreach Center, 1861 East Highway 169, Grand Rapids, MN 55744-3396.
Website: http://ncroc.cfans.umn.edu
Directions:  http://ncroc.cfans.umn.edu/Contact___Location.html

FORUM 3:
SAINT PAUL
Date:   Thursday, May 29th
Time:   5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Location:  University of Minnesota Continuing Education and Conference Center, 1890 Buford Avenue,  St. Paul, MN  55108
*Parking in the lot adjacent to the Center (Lot S-104) will be free to participants
Website:    http://www.cce.umn.edu/conferencecenter
Directions:   http://www.cce.umn.edu/conferencecenter/directions.html

FORUM 4: MANKATO
Date:   Thursday, June 5th
Time:   5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Location:       Best Western North Mankato, 111 Range St.,  Mankato, MN 56003-2214