The goal of Envision Minnesota is to elevate environmental/conservation issues in the political and policy dialogue in the state and to create a vision for action. The working theme we are using is “how we grow, our environment and the future of our communities”. The effort will culminate on September 16 with a Citizens’ Convention and Gubernatorial debate at St. Cloud State University.

Through qualitative research, Envision learned that civic leaders in the state have a shallow depth of knowledge and commitment to these issues. We also know from quantitative research that Minnesotans place a very high value on environmental protection yet it does not top the agenda when most people vote. As such, environmental and conservation issues repeatedly get pushed down the priority list by state government leaders. Our effort aims to reach opinion leaders and citizens in order to influence candidates running for state office in Minnesota in 2006 and convince them that conservation and environmental protection merit inclusion in the top list of priorities for Minnesota’s current and future quality of life.

We also know that government action is necessary to improve our quality of life but not sufficient. Actions by businesses and other institutions as well as individuals are also critical to success.

Envision Minnesota is led by a group of 10 business, political, religious, labor and other leaders. Supporting these leaders is an advisory group of accomplished people with deep policy experience in Minnesota.

1000 Friends of Minnesota is the sponsoring organization for the effort and is actively soliciting a variety of partners and sponsors for Envision. Jeff Heegaard, President of 1000 Friends, is leading the work on Envision and has two consultants, Charles Slocum and Dawn Erlandson, working with him. Mr. Slocum has successfully elevated public awareness of and civic and business leadership commitment to other issues including housing and early childhood education. Ms. Erlandson led efforts to package a number of pro-environment tax provisions that different members of the House Ways and Means Committee had introduced but not gotten passed. The effort to amend the package to federal energy policy legislation was supported by a coalition of business, transportation and environmental interests that Ms. Erlandson built. The package passed and was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush.

In December and January five policy teams developed back ground papers with recommendations for action. These papers were presented to the Envision Leadership Circle in February. We are now in the process of creating a draft vision statement. Ultimately, citizens who attend the convention or participate online will be invited to debate and endorse this statement. The five areas that will define the actionable vision are habitat/wildlife, energy, full cost accounting, water, and growth management. Small groups of experts in each field will draft short papers that make the case for action and then lay out broadly supported and realistic steps that government, business/institutions, and individuals should take to advance our quality of life through a healthy environment that also enhances economic vitality and social justice.

A communications work group will review the policy papers for clarity and then package the vision and the work of the five groups into a compelling, crisp and clear whole that we hope will capture the attention and passion of leaders and citizens alike and motivate candidates for office to embrace the entirety of Envision.Each paper is three pages long. The papers make a compelling case for action on the topic assigned. Each group then put forward action items that government should take, action items business/institutions should take and action items individuals/families should take. Action items have been written to gain broad support. Highly controversial proposals were not included as Envision is aiming to inspire accomplishment in the near term. As the cliché goes, we must walk before we can run.

An example of a broadly supported action items that have advanced our quality of life is state funding/support for a transit/commuter rail system including continued/immediate support for the North Star Corridor and the Central Corridor. The business community and other key institutions are solidly behind these projects as are transit and environmental advocates. At the same time, some remain opposed but this action item passes the test of being broadly supported. Recycling is a wonderful example of individual and business action to reduce solid waste.

The goal of these five papers is not to create new proposals but rather to effectively package existing items that could make a difference but have been neglected or inadequately promoted.

The ultimate goal will be to craft a shared vision statement that all candidates will support.