News from Our Interleague Organization – LWV Upper Mississippi River Region (UMRR).
The Wilmette League is a member of three Interleague Organizations (ILOs): LWV-Cook County, LWV-Lake Michigan Region, and LWV-UMRR. When you join the LWV-Wilmette, you are able to share in the events of these ILOs, increasing your ability to learn from our sister leagues, and participate in their advocacy.
Last week, LWV-UMRR held its annual meeting which included a business portion and also a speaker. UMRR now has 70 member leagues spread through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Its mission is to protect the “surface and ground water in the Upper Mississippi Basin, both for the environment and human health.” It is a remarkably active chapter, having filed 17 advocacy letters on various matters in the last year.
Forty-four leagues were represented at the meeting held on Zoom. The delegates approved its Program for next year which includes advocacy for the Farm Bill reauthorization (which supports conservation practices), partnering with other organizations, and advocating for changes in federal and state legislation to protect water.
The speaker was Paul Botts, Executive Director of the Wetlands Initiative (“TWI”). He explained that a wetland is ground that is wet long enough and regularly enough to contain plants, microorganisms, and animal species that live in wet conditions and the soil chemistry is changed. Wetlands were common before farm development, levees, roads, and railroads altered the and land prevented the water from moving. Now Illinois only has 10% of its original wetlands. TWI focuses on restoring wetlands and has had great success at the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge in Hennepin, IL and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Will County. They have also developed methods to treat farm pollution before it leaves the farm to protect water resources and help the wetland absorb nitrogen. They are now working on marshes on the west branch of the Calumet River in Northern Indiana and are advocating for passage of wetlands protection bills.
Past President Anne Treadway represented our League at the meeting.
The Wilmette League is a member of three Interleague Organizations (ILOs): LWV-Cook County, LWV-Lake Michigan Region, and LWV-UMRR. When you join the LWV-Wilmette, you are able to share in the events of these ILOs, increasing your ability to learn from our sister leagues, and participate in their advocacy.
Last week, LWV-UMRR held its annual meeting which included a business portion and also a speaker. UMRR now has 70 member leagues spread through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Its mission is to protect the “surface and ground water in the Upper Mississippi Basin, both for the environment and human health.” It is a remarkably active chapter, having filed 17 advocacy letters on various matters in the last year.
Forty-four leagues were represented at the meeting held on Zoom. The delegates approved its Program for next year which includes advocacy for the Farm Bill reauthorization (which supports conservation practices), partnering with other organizations, and advocating for changes in federal and state legislation to protect water.
The speaker was Paul Botts, Executive Director of the Wetlands Initiative (“TWI”). He explained that a wetland is ground that is wet long enough and regularly enough to contain plants, microorganisms, and animal species that live in wet conditions and the soil chemistry is changed. Wetlands were common before farm development, levees, roads, and railroads altered the and land prevented the water from moving. Now Illinois only has 10% of its original wetlands. TWI focuses on restoring wetlands and has had great success at the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge in Hennepin, IL and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Will County. They have also developed methods to treat farm pollution before it leaves the farm to protect water resources and help the wetland absorb nitrogen. They are now working on marshes on the west branch of the Calumet River in Northern Indiana and are advocating for passage of wetlands protection bills.
Past President Anne Treadway represented our League at the meeting.