Senator Saxhaug Appointed to IRRRB and LSOHC

Senator Saxhaug Appointed to IRRRB and LSOHC

With the 2011 session picking up speed, Senator Tom Saxhaug has been appointed to the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.  The IRRRB is funded by a production tax on taconite the mining companies pay and is used to develop new jobs and businesses and to help pay for Iron Range infrastructure improvements.  Saxhaug emphasizes that the agency is integral to economic development in Northern Minnesota and this will continue to allow him to work on projects that will bring jobs to the Iron Range.  As Minnesota continues to emerge from the Great Recession and the mines in northern Minnesota are all back at full production, this appointment will be very important in making sure the taconite revenue is used to create economic activities that are crucial to the region.
As a key member of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Saxhaug was also appointed to the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.  This Council is responsible for providing funding recommendations to the legislature for projects the Outdoor Heritage Fund focuses on that will preserve our natural resources. Saxhaug's appointment to this council will help ensure that northern Minnesota's forests will have a strong voice in the decisions to enhance the habitat of our region for generations to come.

Forests for the Future

One of the first recommendations made by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council and passed by the Legislature was the Upper Mississippi Forest Project, an 187,277 acre conservation easement.  This easement, finalized in 2010, is a combination of forestland and wetlands owned by UPM/Blandin.  It will remain in private ownership for the purposes of property taxes and timber harvesting, can never be developed and will also be kept open to the public for outdoor recreational activities.  The easement cost $44 million with $9.75 million coming from private donors and is one of the 10 largest conservation easements in the Nation.  The Upper Mississippi Forest project will be one of the signature projects that the people of Minnesota wanted when they voted for the Dedicated Funding Amendment in 2008.
Senator Saxhaug had the pleasure of visiting with Veterans from Itasca County during their day on the hill at the State Capitol.
Pictured left to right are: Randy Carlson, Wayne Patras, Bob Fogle, Senator Tom Saxhaug, Dale Matteson, Dave Valtinson and Marv Ott.
Next edition:  A look at the Governor's budget and a brief history of recent revenue increases in the state.