You are the epitome of “Minnesota Nice” as evidenced by the firefighters from your community who have volunteered to travel to Oregon and help our neighbors to the West fight the unprecedented fires sweeping their state.
This is personal for me. My brother’s family lives in Oregon and is completely surrounded by fire. My brother grew up here. He’s a hunter and fisherman. He brought his family to Minnesota this summer to spend a week on Lake Bemidji, where they fully enjoyed life “Up North.”
Unfortunately, that lifestyle is in peril with the growing threat of climate change. This is NOT a political issue -- this is about saving the environment we all celebrate and love here -- our lakes, the woods and the wildlife. And it’s also about saving an economy dependent on tourism.
When President Trump travels to Minnesota this week, I’d like to ask him what he intends to do to protect that way of life. Sadly, I don’t think he has an answer. I worked for Gov. Arne Carlson -- a Republican who valued science and understood that we all have to work together for the common good. I’d like to encourage my neighbors to the North to come together with me this November -- get out and vote for elected leaders who really care about the natural treasures Minnesota has.
And thank you for lending your local heroes to help our friends and families protect their natural treasures and livelihoods out West.
