ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates, led by Executive Director Jeff Forester, has been named one of the first ever recipients of the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center’s (MAISRC) Research Partnership Award. The award recognizes people, groups, and organizations who have gone above and beyond to contribute to MAISRC's mission of advancing aquatic invasive species knowledge and inspiring action to protect and restore Minnesota’s beloved waters.
Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates (MLRA) works to safeguard Minnesota's natural heritage for current and future generations by forging powerful links among lakes, lake advocates, and policy makers. MLRA’s strategy focuses on building a strong civic infrastructure at the grassroots level and combining it with hard science, media, and community organizing. MLRA has been actively involved and supportive of MAISRC since before the formal establishment of the Center in 2014. Most recently, MLRA worked with MAISRC researchers to disseminate a survey to lakeshore property owners and engaged partners with MAISRC’s ‘Stop Spiny’ campaign by organizing lake associations and highlighting the risks of aquatic invasive species to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
“MLRA and Jeff were instrumental in MAISRC’s creation and have provided critical legislative support and guidance to help secure long-term stable funding for the Center. In addition, MLRA has partnered with MAISRC on numerous occasions to help disseminate our research findings and have regularly advocated for the implementation of a science-based approach to management through webinars, legislative hearings, media outlets, newsletter
updates, and more,” said Nick Phelps, MAISRC Director.
The MAISRC Research and Partnership Awards were announced at the Center’s annual Research & Management Showcase event recently (9/22/21). MLRA was one of four honorees in the award’s first ever cohort. Nominations for the award were solicited from MAISRC research teams and partner program staff, and Advisory Board. “I think it was 2006 or 2007 [...] we were talking about the need for better science [...] I have to say I’m amazed and think it’s wonderful the progress that [MAISRC] has made. We were at a unique position with lake association members, individual members at the local level to plug in some of those gaps, it was really exciting work — I see a great deal of opportunity here,” explained Forester during his award acceptance on behalf of MLRA. Funding for MAISRC is provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), the State of Minnesota, and private donors.
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CONTACT
For interviews with MAISRC staff, contact Kristin Loobeek at [email protected] MAISRC Communications
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