A note from Executive Director, Catherine Neuschler
Thanks for reading our newsletter! This one is a little later than our quarterly schedule - September and October are always so busy, as we all lean into fall and try to get things done in that window between summer adventures and winter's hibernation.
Elsewhere in the newsletter there's more about pollinator events and the Environmental Congress that kept us busy at the end of the summer and start of fall. I really enjoyed getting out and interacting with all of you who attended our events, and I learned a lot too! At our pollinator events, we had a "bee or not a bee" photo identification game. Many thanks to EQB staff Rebeca and Priscilla who put it together with the help of photos from Heather Holm. I definitely improved my bee ID skills and am now spotting many sweat bees enjoying the catmint and turtleheads in my garden. I'm impressed we had photos to show - those bees are tiny and move fast! We continue to look for opportunities to get out and meet people - if you have events, conferences, or meetings where an EQB perspective might be helpful, please reach out to me or Priscilla Villa-Watt.
We continue to work on our major priorities.
- Environmental Review Climate Calculator - Steph has been driving this work forward, working with our contractor and a technical advisory team to scope the ER climate calculator. The working scope has been finalized and building the tool has begun. Keep an eye out for upcoming opportunities to test out draft versions of the calculator, and if you want to be in the user testing group, reach out to Steph Aho.
- Environmental Review Data - Led by Jesse, the ER team is working to improve our data gathering and data transparency. For any questions about the program or surveys, reach out to Jesse Krzenski.
There's a lot of upcoming work; EQB is participating with cross-agency work group developing recommendations for gas production in Minnesota; we're getting engaged in discussions about Minnesota's climate goals and sustainable aviation fuel; and we're continuing to track and connect with the MPCA's work on cumulative impacts.
And of course, along with all the other state agencies, we're preparing for the 2025 legislative session. As this is a budget year, I'll be working to make sure EQB has the funds we need to continue to make progress on our important work.
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 After five years, EQB was proud to host the 2024 Environmental Congress across four cities in Minnesota. We traveled from Brainerd to Mankato and stopped along the way in St. Cloud and Saint Paul. We collaborated with member agencies on the important environmental work and projects that we wanted to discuss with all of you. We were glad to see great conversations and connections happen across the state.
Many thanks to our Public Board Members, Commissioners, and staff at the DNR, DEED, Commerce, MPCA, and Dept. of Agriculture for their contributions to the Congress and wonderful discussions. A special thanks as well to the amazing facilitators at the Management Analysis and Development division who led our conversations and helped us plan for a successful event.
In the meantime, we'll be working on a summary report we'll share at our January 2025 Board meeting that will include what we learned and next steps.
The Environmental Review (ER) team is gearing up to review and update program guidance documents, eliminating pdf documents in favor of html web pages to improve accessibility. Updated guidance will incorporate rule changes, clarifications, and best practices gleaned since the last update. Watch for updated general program guidance and specialized guides for things like the petition process and alternative urban areawide reviews.
ER innovations continue with staff participation in the Gas Resources Technical Advisory group, a multi-agency committee charged with submitting a report to the legislature in January of 2025. The report will detail recommendations guiding an interim permitting framework during the rulemaking process for gas production in Minnesota, including hydrogen and helium.
We've also begun a survey process to collect information from RGUs to better inform us about the EAW process. For those of you that publish an EAW availability notice to the Monitor, you can expect an email from ER staff shortly after with a link to the survey. We appreciate the time taken to provide this useful information to EQB staff.
Can a project proposer contact the responsible government unit (RGU) prior to starting environmental review?
Yes! Proposers are encouraged to reach out early and often to permitting agencies and local authorities, as ER is a highly collaborative information gathering process that benefits from open communication. EQB can help determine when ER is required and identify the RGU, call 651-757-2873 or email env.review@state.mn.us with questions.
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Minnesota State Fair - Pollinator Day
The EQB participated in this year's state fair for the first (but not last) time on pollinator day. We shared our work, provided guidance on planting pollinator friendly gardens, and tested your knowledge on bees! Our "To bee or not to bee" game was a huge hit and stumped many of us who didn't realize just how many bee look-a-like insects are out and about in Minnesota. We look forward to seeing many of you again next year!
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Minneapolis Monarch Festival
We were busy bees this summer. We made sure to come out and share EQB's important work on pollinators at the 16th annual Monarch Festival in Minneapolis. We brought our bee game and had so much fun watching many of you learn about the many bees found in Minnesota, including the ever-so-tiny and cute, fairy bee.
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The EQB is made up of 17 Board Members - nine state agencies and eight members of the general public, one appointed by the governor from each congressional district. All members have an equal vote. The chair of the Metropolitan Council also attends board meetings, but does not vote. Appointed members are called public members that serve four-year terms. Interested in connecting and finding out who represents your district? Check out our website to learn more.
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