Contact: Celi Haga
651-215-9008
St. Paul, Minn. – The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) works, in partnership with local governments and private landowners, year-round to make a difference for Minnesota’s natural resources. Through Clean Water Fund grants, conservation easement programs, disaster relief, and more, BWSR helps local conservation staff get projects on the ground that are cleaning up and protecting our waters and our soil.
“Minnesotans enjoy an abundance of natural resources. Our local conservation delivery system works on a daily basis to make sure those resources can be enjoyed for generations to come,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “These partnerships have put hundreds of conservation practices in the ground over the past year to keep our state moving towards its soil and water quality goals.”
Improving Water Quality through Strategic Local Investments
Minnesota is known for our plentiful water resources, and improving and protecting our rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater is a state priority thanks to the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment. BWSR awarded $14 million through 94 competitive grants in January 2015, dollars that fund on-the-ground conservation projects implemented locally. These projects provide multiple benefits for water quality and wildlife habitat and are estimated to provide a reduction of over 25,000 tons of sediment and 21,500 pounds of phosphorus per year from entering Minnesota waters.
Permanently Protecting Critical Lands
The Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Reserve Program is a critical component of the state’s goals to protect and improve water quality and protect and enhance wildlife habitat through permanent easements that remain in private ownership. In 2015, BWSR acquired more than 180 easements protecting over 11,000 acres through the program. That’s thousands of acres of permanent protection, home to native plants, pollinators, pheasants, and other wildlife.
Increasing Local Capacity for Conservation
Minnesota’s soil and water conservation districts are the front lines of our state’s natural resources work. These districts will receive $22 million over the biennium from the Clean Water Fund to boost their local capacity, accelerating their work to protect, restore, and enhance Minnesota’s natural resources.
Rapid Response to Natural Disasters
BWSR’s Disaster Relief Assistance Program went into high gear after the summer flooding of 2014. In early 2015, BWSR allocated $2.5 million to 17 Minnesota counties to repair existing conservation practices damaged in the floods. This past summer, an additional $5.6 million was allocated to 26 counties, funding almost 200 conservation practices that will stabilize gullies and eroding croplands.
Training Today’s Conservation Leaders
A record-setting 420 local government conservation professionals took part in October’s BWSR Academy, an annual event that provides practical, hands-on training sessions and professional development that directly applies to their work.
Developing the Conservation Leaders of Tomorrow
BWSR is looking to the future through the Apprentice Academy, produced in partnership with the Minnesota Conservation Corps and funded by the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. Thirty interns and recent graduates were paired with experienced natural resources professionals in 30 soil and water conservation districts to gain knowledge, insight, technical skills, and understanding of both the practical and policy work done by Minnesota’s local conservation agencies.
The state agency that oversees soil and water conservation, BWSR believes in wise use of the state resources, a cooperative approach, and planning and implementation that is driven at the local level. For more information about BWSR and its programs, please visit www.bwsr.state.mn.us.
Contact: Celi Haga
651-215-9008
St. Paul, Minn. – As 2015 draws to an end, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) recognizes outstanding work done at the local level this past year to advance Minnesota conservation.
John Jaschke, BWSR’s Executive Director, explains, “Our local government partners are on the front lines of the state’s conservation work. The excellent work being done by Dan, Brad, and Darren shines a light on the passion and commitment of Minnesota’s local conservation staff. We applaud Lake of the Woods County for their leadership and commitment to conservation.”
2015 Outstanding Watershed Employee of the Year
Dan Wilkens, District Administrator for the Sand Hill River Watershed District, was honored at the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts annual meeting on December 4, 2015. Dan was involved in the creation of the district in 1975, and has served as District Administrator since 1999. He is a leader on Red River Basin flood control and statewide drainage issues.
2015 Outstanding District Employees of the Year
Brad Mergens, District Manager for the West Otter Tail Soil and Water Conservation District, and Darren Newville, District Manager for the East Otter Tail Soil and Water Conservation District, were honored at the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts annual meeting on December 7, 2015. Brad and Darren were honored for their partnership to develop the successful Otter Tail County Buffer Initiative and their track records as exceptional district managers.
2015 County Conservation Award
Lake of the Woods County was honored at the 2015 Association of Minnesota Counties annual meeting on December 8, 2015, for its work to improve state wetland mitigation policy. County staff helped drive changes to the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act that will improve the targeting of wetland mitigation sites.
More information about the BWSR’s local government partners and the local conservation delivery system can be found at BWSR’s website: www.bwsr.state.mn.us. Full profiles of the award winners are available on the BWSR homepage. Pictures of the award winners are available by request.
Contact: Celi Haga
651-315-5082 (Cell)
St. Paul, Minn.— Restored shorelines, blooming raingardens, clearer lakes – throughout Minnesota these projects speak to the work being done to improve and protect our state’s natural resources thanks to the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. Today, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) announced another wave of Clean Water Fund grants, more than $11 million to help local governments put more projects in the ground that benefit Minnesota’s streams, rivers, lakes and groundwater.
BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said these projects are helping the state make progress toward its water quality goals. “Using sound science and the expertise of local government conservation staff, these projects are prioritized and targeted to make the most effective use of Clean Water Fund dollars. This work, and the state, local and private landowner partnerships that support it, will continue to move Minnesota forward.”
The Clean Water Legacy funds are used to both protect at-risk waters and target polluted waters throughout the state. Gully stabilizations, basins that slow down water, and raingardens are just some of the practices used in this year’s projects. This round includes six Multipurpose Drainage Management grants, new to the program this year, which focus on water quality improvements in public drainage systems.
BWSR funded 64 applications totaling $11.7 million dollars this round, but interest in this program continues to outpace available funding. 133 applications were received, totaling $31.4 million in requests.
Some examples of funded projects:
See how the Legacy funds are affecting the land and waters important to you. For detailed project information and maps visit www.bwsr.state.mn.us.