From the Rally to What's Next
Background on the “Rally for Ducks, Wetlands and Clean Water”
While some 5,000 people attended
the “Rally for Ducks, Wetlands and Clean Water” at the
Capitol Mall in St. Paul, Minn., on Saturday, April 2, 2005,
the idea for the rally started with one individual.
In the Dec. 12, 2004, edition of
the Minneapolis Star
Tribune, outdoors columnist Dennis Anderson wrote about
the plight of ducks and duck hunters in Minnesota: “In
Minnesota, there are no ducks. Worse, there is no realistic
plan to regain the lost birds and the habitat they require, or
even stem the state’s continuing losses of wetlands and
associated uplands.”
Anderson continued: “What to do?
We begin by gathering in numbers large enough to impress upon
Pawlenty, DNR Commissioner Gene Merriam and the Legislature
that action is demanded - and expected. Call it a march if you
will. Or a rally. At the Capitol.”
Anderson’s idea quickly gained
momentum, and David Zentner of Duluth, a noted conservationist
and two-time past president of the Izaak Walton League, agreed
to serve as rally coordinator.
In late January 2005 some 40
individuals representing a broad range of interests — from
environmental groups like the Minnesota Environmental
Partnership, the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
and The Nature Conservancy, to sportsmen’s groups like Ducks
Unlimited, the Minnesota Waterfowl Association and Pheasants
Forever — along with a number of concerned citizens met at
the REI store in Bloomington.
From this first meeting it was
apparent that this would be a coalition like none other in the
state’s history. Attendees agreed to make the rally about
more than just ducks and wetlands, as it was originally
presented, and opted for a broader appeal that would attract a
wide range of conservation interests. Ultimately, more than 40
hunting, angling and environmental groups supported the rally,
uniting “guns and greens,” liberals and conservatives, in
a unique coalition. (click
here to see a list of the organizations that supported the
rally)
The “Rally for Ducks, Wetlands
and Clean Water” that developed in the ensuing weeks aimed
to spur action on a number of fronts to reverse the long-term
decline in Minnesota’s duck populations, wetland habitats
and waterways. Rally organizers hoped to create support for
both short- and long-term initiatives that would help restore
Minnesota’s outdoor heritage and quality of life.
A steering committee developed a
vision statement, along with short- and long-term goals.
Groups supporting the rally confirmed three key short-term
objectives.
A Web site (www.wetlandsrally.org)
was established to help publicize the rally, accept donations
and sell merchandise. In addition, word of the rally was
spread through posters that were sent to some 1,500 retail
locations and sportsmen’s clubs throughout the state,
billboards in 30 outstate locations, ads in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, radio public service announcements and
weekly news releases that were distributed to more than 200
media outlets throughout the state. (click
here to see the poster and billboard)
In the week leading up to the
rally, progress was made on some of the coalition’s goals.
Gov. Pawlenty and bipartisan legislative leaders announced
substantive agreement on a bonding bill that included funding
for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and
land acquisition for Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), both key
short-term objectives of the coalition.
At the rally on April 2, Gov. Tim
Pawlenty, Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson (DFL-Willmar),
former Vikings coach Bud Grant and others addressed the crowd
of 5,000. The rally also featured duck calling contests, a
casting contest for kids, a silent auction, door prizes and
informational displays from a number of groups supporting the
rally.
Courtesy
Brainerd Dispatch
Rally organizers deemed the event a
success, emphasizing the turnout, Gov. Pawlenty and Sen.
Johnson’s commitments to dedicated funding for natural
resources and passing clean water legacy legislation, and the
governor’s support for a Missouri-style citizen commission
to manage natural resources, plan strategy and allocate
funding.
Donations for a rally commemorative
wetland restoration project at Lake Maria in Murray County
were collected at the rally.
Rally
organizers intend to continue their efforts.
“As we’ve said before, the
rally was only the beginning,” said David Zentner.
“We’ll work to encourage our legislators and governor to
deliver on dedicated funding and some form of citizen
oversight this session, and to plan for the future of this
coalition. We’re pleased that so many people came out to
show their support, and we’ll work hard to keep them
involved in this effort.”
The Ducks, Wetlands and Clean Water Rally
