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Starting March 21, the City of Minneapolis is offering more than 1,200 five- to eight-foot trees for only $25 each. Fifteen varieties are available this year and include large species, flowering trees and several kinds of fruit trees. Any Minneapolis property owner – whether resident, business or nonprofit – can order a tree to plant on private Minneapolis property this spring. Comparable trees cost about $125 at a nursery

Governor Mark Dayton announced the following appointments to the Board of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice, the Housing Finance Agency, the State Rehabilitation Council, and the Statewide Independent Living Council.

Governor Mark Dayton will host the first-ever Governor’s Water Summit at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront, to focus public attention on the serious challenges facing Minnesota’s water supplies – in both rural and urban areas of the state – and continue statewide dialogue around steps that must be taken to address those challenges

U.S. Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) toured the School Sisters of Notre Dame solar farm located atop Good Counsel Hill and discussed how important investing in renewable energy is to meeting America’s energy demands, creating jobs and addressing the threats posed by climate change.

The public is invited to attend the first meeting of the Little Rock Creek Sustainable Groundwater Use Planning Project Advisory Team, Wednesday, March 2 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Rice City Hall.

“While the Court’s temporary stay is disappointing, it does nothing to diminish our resolve in Minnesota to keep moving forward on clean energy initiatives, including the development of our state’s Clean Power Plan. President Obama’s strong leadership, the nation-leading initiatives of some of our state’s utilities, and my administration's commitment will assure our state’s continued progress.

The City of Minneapolis is beginning to plan the reconstruction of Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis in 2020. On Wednesday, Feb. 17, the scope of the project and the early planning work will be discussed at a public meeting.

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, along with Representative Collin Peterson, today announced a $7.6 million investment to support the Marsh Lake Restoration Project. In December, the lawmakers sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urging strong funding to ensure the construction phase of the project begins in 2016. By upgrading the Marsh Lake dam, the project will restore connectivity with nearby lakes and streams. These modifications will improve the water quality of the surrounding area.

Earlier today, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY), and 12 other House Democrats sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service asking the agency to clarify the tax form used by non-profit hospitals in order to encourage investments in safe, stable housing in their communities

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced today that Walgreens will be installing safe medication disposal kiosks in their stores to help families get rid of unused prescription drugs. Klobuchar passed legislation in 2010 to provide consumers with safe and responsible ways to dispose of unused prescription medications. With four out of five heroin users starting out misusing prescriptions drugs, proper disposal is an important tool to cut down on drug abuse.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will host an open house and listening session about a Waukesha, Wisconsin, proposal to divert water from Lake Michigan. The proposed diversion would be done to address declining groundwater levels and water quality concerns.

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, along with Representatives Collin Peterson and Tim Walz, today urged the Administration to provide crucial funding for the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System (LCRWS). Congress recently approved an additional $47 million for work on authorized Bureau of Reclamation water projects. In a bipartisan letter to the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, the lawmakers pressed for strong funding to advance construction on the Lewis and Clark project.

U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan applauded today’s voice vote on the House floor to send the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015, as amended by the Senate, to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The bill authorizes funding for construction of a unique, new fresh water ice- breaking vessel for use on the Great Lakes. This state of the art ship will be specially designed for fresh water ice, which is much harder to break up than sea water ice.

In a speech delivered today on the Senate floor, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), a member of the Senate Energy Committee, urged his colleagues to back his measure to adopt a national energy efficiency standard. The measure will be voted on later today

“After meeting yesterday afternoon with House Republican leaders, I have, with great reluctance, instructed the Department of Natural Resources to stop its mapping of so-called ‘private ditches’ under last year’s buffer legislation. The Republican legislators insisted that they did not intend those ditches to be included in the scope of the legislation, even though its buffering requirements would not take effect until November 2018