Legal Advocacy

CURE’s legal team wields the power of the legal and regulatory systems to make sure rural Minnesotans are heard in decisions that impact the places we call home. Working in agency proceedings, at the legislature, and in the “court of public opinion,” our lawyers educate the public and decision-makers on issues and perspectives important to rural communities. We work with groups across the state and country to shed light on corporate overreach and bureaucratic processes that affect our energy and environmental future. When agencies violate legal standards, we hold them accountable.

Policy icon

Policy

Gavel with Document Icon

Regulatory Intervention

Continuing Legal Education Icon

Legal Intervention

Policy Documents Icon

Public Documents

Looking for policy documents?

Research Here
Group of people on steps of MN Capitol

Policy

CURE’s policy and government relations work is mostly at the state legislature, but we also engage in agency rulemakings and other policymaking. We lobby for rural values such as energy democracy, conservation, and community involvement in the projects and policies that impactrural areas. At the federal level, our team argues for strong support from agencies and Congress for a clean, affordable energy future for rural residents. Our 501(c)(3) is affiliated with a lobbying 501(c)(4) which does the majority of our legislative policy work. We also share information from agencies with policymakers to improve oversight and guide legislative fixes.
Testifying at a Regulatory Hearing

Regulatory Intervention

CURE intervenes in regulatory proceedings to stand up for rural communities in spaces where big industry and monopoly utilities usually dominate. At the state level, this includes advocating on energy projects at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, industrial permitting at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and land use decisions by agencies like the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service. We are active partners with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and have a long history of working with regulators on water issues in Minnesota farm country. At the federal level, we engage with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and Department of Agriculture.

Exterior of a Judicial Building

Legal Intervention

In court-like proceedings before Administrative Law Judges and in state and federal courts, CURE advocates for rural communities and the environments that we call home. Our legal interventions include joining contested cases before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission regarding project permits and utility issues impacting consumers’ rates and rights. We also have a long history of collaborating with groups to bring impact litigation that protects water quality in rural Minnesota. CURE seeks out opportunities to enforce our bedrock environmental and transparency laws to assure that agencies and polluters aren’t evading the law.

Aisle of Document Storage

Public Documents

CURE’s work includes making public records available to reporters and the public to improve understanding of land use and permitting issues. In this arena CURE is mostly working with the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state equivalent laws like Minnesota’s Data Practices Act. By publishing newsletters and press releases, we help our constituents understand these hidden and often technical documents and improve general understanding of how our government works for the public interest.
Scroll to Top
Kelsey Olson

Kelsey Olson

Director of Environmental Stewardship

Envelope Linkedin

Kelsey Olson (she/her) joined CURE in 2025 as its Director of Environmental Stewardship. As a skilled environmental naturalist, Kelsey’s work focuses broadly on environmental education and advocacy with a keen focus on rural land use and how that use impacts our environment and climate. Working Lands, how land is used to support agriculture and forestry, is a key focus of her work. She brings 15 years’ experience in public communication, environmental education, and rural community engagement – strong communication strategies are core in her work. This includes two terms of service with AmeriCorps in the VISTA program in Oregon and Maryland and a nearly 10-year career as a naturalist followed. She recently worked on communications and marketing for rural economic development.

Kelsey lives in New London, MN, with her young children, husband, dog, and two cats. They enjoy spending time together outside and finding small treasures in nature. Visits to Minneapolis often include visits to one of their favorite historical museums, the Minnesota Swedish Institute. Kelsey enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, whether this is canning local produce, making kombucha, or other treats!