Cristin Curwick, Minnesota Environmental Partnership
The morning air was cold and damp on Thursday morning as we walked up the steps to the Longworth House Office Building in D.C.. We visited Senator Smith’s office the day before, and had a full day of legislative appointments ahead of us. I was joined by Steve Morse, MEP’s executive Director, and Stephen Witherspoon, Duluth community activist and avid angler. We traveled as a delegation from the Healing Our Waters Coalition to discuss Great Lakes protections with our legislators.
During our travels from Minnesota and between office visits, we caught up with each other’s lives and discussed strategy. We pulled together our stories, statistics, and policy priorities to make sure we stressed the importance of continued protections for our water and Great Lakes.
One after another, we shared post-election community concerns, weaving together solutions and collaborative efforts. We pressed hard on the importance of GLRI reauthorization, showing pictures of kids fishing for the first time on rocks that were part of a GLRI restoration project. ‘
Stephen shared what it meant to have funding for lead service line replacement, sharing stories of children he worked with who had behavioral issues relating to lead. Steve kept us on pace, giving legislative background on each issue we covered. I shared a personal anecdote, how even though my partner enjoys fishing and cooking up what we catch, I can only consume one perch from the St. Louis River per month, due to high levels of mercury in the river. Together we stitched a story that had only one ending: protect our waters.
With the new administration looming, there was an air of anxiety, as offices are trying to rework a more defensive course of action. Despite this, we emphasized points of bipartisan interests, such as the economic benefits of restoration efforts and its effects on small businesses. We discussed the success of lead service line replacement in our community, with over 600 lines having been replaced in Gary-New Duluth and more to go in the years to come. Despite the uncertainty of what’s to come, we have a lot of hope in our community’s resilience.
Making these visits to D.C. allows us to remind our representatives who they work for. No matter the leadership, they must prioritize the rights of their constituents, rights to clean water in our communities. We will continue to show up for our Great Lakes communities and speak up for Minnesotans’ rights to clean water. The health of our Great Lakes could be at risk, and if there ever were a time to defend water protections, it’s now.