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Contact: Celi Haga

651-315-5082

St. Paul, Minn., -  The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is pleased to announce that Melissa Barrick, District Manager for the Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has been honored as the 2016 Outstanding District Employee of the Year. 

Melissa has worked for the Crow Wing SWCD since 2008, when she joined the district as its water planner.  In 2011 she became the district manager.  During her time at the district, Melissa has become a leader in the Crow Wing and Pine River Watersheds, excelling in community engagement and collaborative efforts to enhance and restore the area’s vital water resources.

One of Melissa’s most recent accomplishments is securing $1.2 million in Clean Water Funds for the Serpent Lake Targeted Watershed Project.  This complex, multi-faced project is a high priority in the local water plan and Melissa has brought together numerous city officials, citizens, contractors, lake association members, and other local public and private partners to build support for the work.  As part of this project, Melissa worked to steer the cities of Crosby and Deerwood and the Irondale Township to adopt stormwater ordinances for future development and redevelopment based on Minimal Impact Design Standards (MIDS).

Other accomplishments this year included the construction of a stormwater pond, infiltration basin, and an alum treatment to remove high concentrations of phosphorous from Cranberry Lake. Melissa also garnered grant funding for a project on Big Trout Lake, the only lake in Crow Wing County that supports lake trout.

Melissa’s management style, skills, and communication were critical to the successful implementation of these projects.  She works to continually improve Crow Wing SWCD’s capacity for environmental conservation, and has built a team of resource professionals committed to making a difference for the community. She has demonstrated vision and is proactive in searching out ways to make the organization more efficient and effective.

“Melissa is a proactive leader who knows how to engage her community in support of the conservation mission,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “Her ability to think outside the box and create these partnerships has resulted in a diversified program that meet the needs of Crow Wing County and the surrounding region.”

The Outstanding Soil and Water Conservation District Employee of the Year is awarded at the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts’ convention, held annually in December.

BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke with Crow Wing SWCD’s Melissa Barrick, the 2016 District Employee of the Year.

Contact: Celi Haga

651-315-5082

St. Paul, Minn., - The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is pleased to announce that Myron Jesme, District Administrator for the Red Lake Watershed District, has been honored as the 2016 Outstanding Watershed District Employee of the Year.

Myron began working for the Red Lake Watershed District in 2003, having previously worked for 20 years for what was then known as the Middle River-Snake River Watershed District.  As district administrator, Myron is the key point of contact for the largest watershed district in the state.  A leader in the region, he has successfully developed and maintained positive relationships with state and federal agencies, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, multiple local units of governments, non-governmental organizations, and the public. 

Over the years, those relationships have been key to the Watershed District’s ability to get projects on the ground.  Myron has been instrumental in the completion of multiple large-scale District projects, one of the most impressive of which was the $7.25 million restoration of the Grand Marais Creek Outlet, completed in late 2015. Conservation projects with numerous stakeholders and multiple funding sources can be difficult to manage, but Myron’s careful stewardship of the project and inclusion of multiple partners on the project team helped ensure success.

Myron has also been a true leader in the One Watershed, One Plan (1W1P) program, and has served on the Local Government Roundtable, which was foundational in the program’s development, for many years. Myron is an active member of the Red Lake River 1W1P pilot program planning work group and advisory committee.  He brought recommendations to the policy committee, worked with the watershed district board to provide financial assistance, and led the planning grant application for the Thief River watershed.

 “Myron’s work has made a positive impact on the Red Lake Watershed District and throughout the state,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “He’s demonstrated time and time again the value of partnerships and a commitment to going the extra mile to make sure his projects succeed.”

The Outstanding Watershed District Employee of the Year is awarded at the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts’ convention, held annually in December.

BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke presented Myron Jesme with the award at the MAWD convention.

Contact: Celi Haga

651-315-5082

St. Paul, Minn. - Continuing statewide work to shift local water planning to a more holistic, coordinated approach, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) approved seven new planning grants for the One Watershed, One Plan program.  The August 26 board action allocates up to $1,700,000 in Clean Water Fund grants to fund seven planning projects to address water quality on a watershed basis. The program aligns planning on major watershed boundaries with prioritized, targeted, and measurable watershed plans that will be developed and implemented locally.

These new planning grants follow on the heels of a successful pilot phase that involved five watersheds from around the state.  Local governments will build on existing efforts, using current local water plans, state and local knowledge, and a systematic, science-based approach to watershed management in plan development.  The resulting plans will address the largest threats to provide the greatest environmental benefits to each watershed and will involve a broad range of stakeholders, including local governments, state agencies, and community members as true partners in the planning process.

“We learned a great deal from the pilot phase,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “Using lessons learned from those five areas, we developed program guidelines and principles that will help the rest of the state transition over the next decade to this approach.  These more efficient plans will include prioritized, targeted, and measurable implementation practices - good news for Minnesota’s waters and its citizens."

The seven planning areas are:

• Cannon River watershed, which includes parts of Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, Rice, Steele, and Waseca counties.
• Cedar River watershed, which includes parts of Dodge, Freeborn, Mower, and Steele counties.
• Lake of the Woods watershed, which includes parts of Lake of the Woods and Roseau counties.
• Leech Lake River watershed, which includes parts of Beltrami, Cass, and Hubbard counties.
• Missouri River Basin watershed, which includes parts of Jackson, Lincoln, Murray, Nobles, and Pipestone counties and all of Rock County.
• Pomme de Terre River watershed, which includes parts of Big Stone, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Stevens, and Swift counties.
• Thief River watershed, which includes parts of Beltrami, Marshall, Pennington, and Roseau counties.

More information about the One Watershed One Plan program, including its guiding principles and plan outcomes as well as a map of the participating watersheds, can be found at BWSR’s website: www.bwsr.state.mn.us.  

Governor Mark Dayton has declared a Year of Water Action in the state of Minnesota. Governor Dayton has called on Minnesotans to examine their individual responsibility in keeping Minnesota’s water drinkable, swimmable, and fishable for generations to come.  Find out more at online at mn.gov/governor or on social media using #WaterActionMN.