In 2020, voters will elect a soil and water supervisor from District 5. There is one candidate on the ballot:
About the Candidate: I’ve lived in East Bethel since 1998. During that time, I’ve have developed a great appreciation for the wetlands and natural areas in her district which serve as a water recharge area for the metro area. I’ve been interested in green living since participating in the first Earth Day and have engaged in continuing education on various “green” subjects like sustainability and climate change ever since.
I work for the State of Minnesota and am a member of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE). I hold a BA from Metro State University majoring in Philosophy.
In my free time, I volunteer for various environmental causes and am studying herbal medicine which has broadened my understanding of the intricacies of nature and how much we depend on the plants that surround us to keep us healthy.
Important Issues: Joni Mitchell’s words “you don’t know what you’ve lost till its gone” reflect one of the most important issues we face today. Environmentally sensitive areas are always at risk of suffering irreparable harm from human activities.
We have already lost a good percentage of our topsoil which puts nutrients into our food, and water issues continue to be an ongoing problem—both in quality and quantity. Adopting sustainable practices is increasingly important–as defined by what we do today will allow future generations to enjoy a world left to them in the same, or better condition, than we have today.
Fairness is also an important issue. We must facilitate understanding between environmental and social justice concerns to ensure that projects improving the environment are fairly distributed among all socioeconomic classes in Anoka County.
Everything is connected and our work needs to reflect that connectedness, not be done in isolation.
Goals if Elected: My main goal is to continue to work towards safeguarding the natural environment in Anoka County. Some would call this the county’s “natural resources”, but I hesitate to use those words because although nature is a resource to all living beings, I believe those words imply nature is a commodity to be bought and sold. I believe we need to look at nature in other ways—that we co-exist with nature and understand its existence as something that is far more valuable than can be measured in monetary worth.
One specific goal I’d like to achieve is the complete elimination of the use of herbicides by the Anoka Conservation District. Use of herbicides is considered to be a best practice in the world of conservation, it is less labor intensive than other methods, but I still want to work towards finding alternatives to herbicides that will meet our needs.
Endorsements: None listed.
Connect with Me:
Web: https://lemay4soilandwater.wordpress.com/
Email: lemay3309@gmail.com
