This Saturday morning, as I was loading our recycling bins and a single yellow bag of garbage into the back of the car, my neighbor Joey called out from behind me: “Hey! Headed to dump? Me too, see you there!” “Great minds, I guess!” I yelled in return. Living at the end of a dirt […]
Waste Not: Reclaiming Rural Resilience in a Disposable Age Read More »
In 2024, Minnesota passed a new law called the Packaging Waste & Cost Reduction Act. This makes Minnesota only the fifth state in the U.S. to have a special law for packaging and paper products. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program, which was created by the law, aims to make companies that manufacture packaging more
CURE’s Maggie Schuppert Named to Extended Producer Responsibility Packaging Board Read More »
As Minnesota’s political landscape faces uncertainty, CURE remains steadfast in our mission to advocate for rural communities and their vital interests at the state legislature. Here are the top issues CURE will be working on this year at the legislature: Defending our Wins: In 2023, Minnesota passed the “100% Law,” which requires all utilities* to
Keeping it Rural and Real amid Capitol Chaos Read More »
The 2024 election results are in, and they’ll have big impacts for all of us. Despite the uncertainty we can promise one thing: our work to protect Minnesota’s outdoors and our rural communities moves forward with fortitude and urgency. For 33 years, CURE has served Minnesota, and we’re not going anywhere. We’ve faced tough times
Moving Forward Together Read More »
2024 Minnesota Legislative Session There were so many wins for Minnesotans and our landscapes this year—see CURE’s 2024 Legislative Wrap Up here! From stronger water protections and distributed clean energy support to stopping the Clean Transportation Standard (CTS) yet again and securing critical safeguards within a challenging permitting reform bill, CURE made sure rural communities’
CURE’s Wins and Work in 2024 Read More »
There are no lazy days for the crew at CURE! Catch up on the latest news and keep an eye on your email inbox for more webinars, action alerts, and opportunities! 100% Carbon Free Energy ☀️ 🍃 Last year, Minnesota passed the “100% Carbon-Free by 2040 Energy Standard,” which was celebrated as a crucial win
100% NOT a Boring Summer Read More »
CURE warmly welcomes Maria Oachs to our staff as a legal intern during the summer of 2024. This fall, Maria will be a third-year law student at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. As a legal intern at CURE, she will continue our work cataloging and analyzing state agency policies and how different
Maria Oachs // Summer 2024 CURE Legal Intern Read More »
CURE is excited to welcome Tom Burnett to our staff during the summer of 2024 as a Legal Intern. Tom is a second-year law student at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. During his time with CURE, Tom is conducting legal research, drafting comments for submission to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, and
Tom Burnett // Summer 2024 CURE Legal Intern Read More »
CURE would like to express our appreciation of Keeli Siyaka as she heads out to vital environmental and land conservation work this summer. Keeli was a Spring 2024 legal intern with CURE, where she helped us look into state agency policies and how different agencies make plans to engage with key rural constituencies. Keeli’s journey
Keeli Siyaka // Spring 2024 CURE Legal Intern Read More »
As we gear up for comments on whether or not burning biomass is “carbon free” at the Public Utilities Commission (news flash: it’s not), it’s important to lay out how CURE has mindfully started working at the nexus of climate and public lands. We know that properly managing natural and working lands is key to
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!
