The 750 free tickets for the Governor’s Water Summit Feb. 27 were reserved within 24 hours.

Gov. Mark Dayton called for a summit in St. Paul to gather public input on challenges facing Minnesota’s water supplies in both rural and urban areas of the state. The summit is viewed as part of the ongoing statewide dialogue to formulate ways to address those challenges.

The summit will bring together water quality experts, farmers, legislators, regulators, the business community, members of the public, local leaders, and a wide variety of other stakeholders.

How many rural residents will be there remains to be seen, given how quickly tickets were claimed.

You can still make your voice heard, whether or not you will be attending in person. I encourage you to participate by clicking on here.

This link takes you to an online survey, launched in conjunction with the summit. Information and input gathered from the survey will help inform the administration and legislature on Minnesota's water quality challenges and possible solutions.

The survey asks how residents use Minnesota’s waters (work, home, recreation) and what their concerns are regarding state waters. There are 14 statements given, of which you are to select up to five. Statements given address development and runoff impact on water, invasive species impact, the state’s role in protecting natural resources, targeting Legacy Amendment funds to maximize water protection and clean-up and addressing concerns about aging water infrastructure.

Please do this today!