Contact: Celi Haga
651-215-9008 (office)
St. Paul, Minn.— On August 24, local and state staff came together to highlight conservation successes in northwest Minnesota as part of the 2016 Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) Board Tour. The annual tour highlights our state’s local conservation delivery system in action. This year’s tour focused on projects in the Red River of the North – Grand Marais Creek watershed, located in northwestern Minnesota, and highlighted work done by the Red Lake Watershed District and Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), West Polk SWCD, and Pennington SWCD.
“These watershed and soil and water conservation districts drive the work of local conservation,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “The board tour gives attendees a chance to see the projects they approve on paper in real-time, a chance to see how targeted implementation, conservation practices, and partnerships are having a direct, positive impact on Minnesota’s waterways.”
Over the course of the day, the Board toured a number of projects focused on clean water and resource enhancement for flood reduction. The board toured the Grand Marais Creek Restoration Project, a multi-million dollar effort providing multiple benefits to the watershed including clean water, flood reduction, and habitat protection. Other stops include drainage ditches, impoundments, and a wetland bank. Along the way, Board members heard from a number of local and state presenters about how these projects have positively impacted the landscape.
Earlier this month, Governor Dayton kicked off a “Year of Water Action.” The featured projects on this tour are examples of work already being done in Minnesota to preserve and protect our waters.
The 20-member BWSR Board includes representatives of state agencies, local governments and citizens. The projects featured during their annual tour illustrate how successful partnerships between federal, state, and local governments and private landowners are making a difference for Minnesota’s soil and water.
Pictures from the Board Tour can be found on the BWSR Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MNBWSR/. For high-resolution photos, please contact Celi Haga.