News from Rep. Quam (July 27, 2021)

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July 27, 2021

Olmsted County Fair - July 26 - Aug 1

The Olmsted County Fair kicked off Monday. It's always a great time filled with family-friendly events and fun! See full details and events here. 

Local Road Closure Adjustment

Summer aka Road Construction Season in Minnesota is well underway and I wanted to share a quick story about government actually working as it should. 

Road construction related closures made it so a semi trucks were not able to gain access to a business complex that relied upon them due to an existing guard rail not fully known by the planners. The workarounds created a dangerous situation for drivers and the public.  

The business owner contacted my office and MnDOT. MnDOT met with the local businesses in Byron. They had a rep do a ride along and showed the issue and worked out a solution. As a result, access to an industrial area is staying open until access improvements are completed. 

This is how it should work: state government listening to the people and serving them by making a better decision from hearing from the public. 

Grazing/Haying RIM Easements 

The below message is from the Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources regarding drought related requests for grazing/haying. 

As over 50% of Minnesota is currently categorized in a severe or extreme drought, livestock producers may be contacting you regarding options for haying and grazing land enrolled in the Re-Invest in Minnesota (RIM) conservation easement program. While stand-alone RIM easements are not included or affected by USDA emergency haying and grazing guidelines, there may be cases where partial haying or grazing could benefit the existing grass cover and provide some additional cattle forage. In these instances, District staff can request permission to hay or graze RIM easements.

Things to consider before submitting requests:

• Sites that have recently been planted and have not fully established should be avoided.
• Mechanical haying low areas can cause rutting that may impact sites and make the possibility of future maintenance or haying difficult.
• Check sites for avoidance areas.
• Explain plans in detail with producer so that those activities do not adversely impact the cover.

With the end of the nesting season fast approaching on August 1, many landowners/producers will want to move quickly. When sending requests for haying and grazing permissions, please include a map along with a draft unsigned agreement for our review. The Vegetation Enhancement: Haying and Grazing Agreement can be located here and requests can be directed to John Voz at john.voz@state.mn.us. More information can be found here.

Additional Considerations

• USDA-NRCS WRE program: land enrolled in this program may be available to hay/graze if the landowner is amenable to the management activity and program requirements allow.
• USDA-NRCS EQIP program: funds may be available in next Federal Fiscal Year for activities such as fencing, watering infrastructure, etc.

Contact your local USDA Service Center for more information on USDA-NRCS programs.

Please Stay in Touch 

Please continue to stay in touch to share your thoughts or concerns. My phone number is 651-296-9236 or you can email me at rep.duane.quam@house.mn.

Have a great week!

Duane

247 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.9236