ISLAND VIEW — Wetlands, land acquisition and parks and trails were the focus of the Minnesota Rural Counties Caucus annual membership program Monday.

The program is conducted each year in the home county of the outgoing chairman. The event was hosted at the Thunderbird Lodge in Koochiching County as MRCC Chairman Mike Hanson stepped down from the position and Todd Schneeberger of Grant County was elected chairman for the next year.

The session concluded with a legislative panel of candidates on the Nov. 6 ballot. The panel included District 2 Sen. Rod Skoe, DFL, from Clearbrook, who is being challenged for the position by Dennis Moser; Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL, of Tower, and Republican Jennifer Havlich who are seeking the District 3 seat, which includes Koochiching County; and Rep. David Dill, DFL, of Crane Lake, who is seeking with Republican Jim Tuomala the District 3A seat. Dan Larson, MRCC administrator, told the group that challengers had been invited, but only Havlich accepted the invitation.

 The Minnesota Rural Counties Caucus was established about 17 years ago when wetland issues were beginning to impact development in many rural counties. MRCC is made up of 23 counties and Hanson estimated at least 15 of those counties were represented at Monday’s annual gathering.

Once established, the organization’s members realized that many other issues seem to impact rural counties in ways different than suburban and more populated counties.

“It’s the only organization dedicated to rural counties,” said Hanson. “I think it’s cheap lobbying, particularly if we hang together.”

And, he said “hanging together” is more important now than ever because of a number of rural-based issues.

One of MRCC’s legislative focus last year was an initiative to strengthen parks and trails in greater Minnesota and change how the state funds them through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy amendment approved by voters in 2008. As a result of MRCC’s effort, the state has agreed to increase the amount of money available to local governments from the Parks and Trail Fund, which is supported by the Legacy fund. More than $200 million is likely to be available to Minnesota’s rural counties and cities for regional parks over the next 25 years. 

“If done correctly, in the next 20 years we should have a world class trails system,” said Hanson.

Al Iffert, Douglas County park superintendent, presented an overview of a strategic plan created by the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Coalition.

The session also included a discussion of the review of the state’s wetland laws, ordered by Gov. Mark Dayton.

Included in the discussion was John Jaschke, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources; Justin Berg, Koochiching County Soil and Water Conservation District; and Koochiching County Environmental Services Director Dale Olson.

“The review of Minnesota’s wetland laws are going to impact every county, but Koochiching more than others because of the percentage of our lands that qualify as wetlands” said Hanson.

Olson provided statistics that show that the state’s no net loss of wetlands policy is not only being accomplished, but surpassed in Koochiching as more wetlands are created as a result of beaver activity and mitigation of wetland development.

A discussion on trends in private to public land acquisition and impacts to the tax base of local governments included DNR Assistant Commissioner Bob Meier, policy and government relations; Neal Feeken, The Nature Conservancy; and Bob Tomlinson, DNR manager of strategic land asset management.

Craig Halla, property manager for Molpus Woodlands Group, discussed impacts of Minnesota’s tax policy and how those policies impact the private company’s management of its property.