Contact: Celi Haga
651-215-9008 (office)
St. Paul, Minn.— The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) announced today $1 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in support of the Minnesota Wetland Bank for Agriculture. Agricultural wetland mitigation banking uses a market-based approach to restore high quality wetlands, which then can be used to compensate for impacts to other degraded wetlands, preferably in the same watershed. Wetland mitigation requires the replacement of all lost wetland functions, values, and acres.
"Wetlands are important natural resources that provide water quality, flood control, and wildlife habitat benefits,” BWSR Wetlands Section Manager Les Lemm said. “Most wetlands are protected by federal or state law – here it’s the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act – and mitigation banking programs like this one provide flexibility to agricultural producers while also improving our state’s wetland resources. It’s really a win-win for agriculture and conservation.”
The Ag Banking Program broadens the conservation options available to farmers. Established in 2012 and the first program of its kind in the nation, Minnesota’s program has approved over 20 individual bank sites with over 1,000 acres of wetlands restored.
“In a short amount of time, Minnesota was able not just to get this program up and running, but to establish it as the most advanced and successful program in the country,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “We’ve become a national model, and these funds will allow us to expand on an already strong track record.”
Federal funding was also awarded to projects in nine other states as part of the announcement. The USDA sought projects that support local efforts to conserve wetlands in areas where the potential for agricultural demand on those acres is high. The USDA news release is available here: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/newsroom/releases/?cid=NRCSEPRD1261608.
Contact: Celi Haga
651-215-9008 (Office)
St. Paul, Minn. – Continuing efforts to help counties recover from damages left in the wake of the heavy rains of 2014, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) announced an additional $2 million in grants in the third phase of flood relief funding. Fifteen counties will use the funds to implement conservation practices to address erosion and water quality problems associated with imminent threats to private or public improvements or to repair, rehabilitate, or replace existing conservation practices on private lands.
“Our local government partners have done great work to determine the best practices to address water quality, health, and safety issues,” explained John Jaschke, BWSR Executive Director. “If there are wells at risk of contamination or roads in danger of washing out, these funds will enable counties to take action."
The 15 local governments are the soil and water conservation districts in the following counties: Blue Earth, Chippewa, Freeborn, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Pipestone, Ramsey, Redwood, Rock, Scott, Sibley, Steele, and Wright.
Previous 2014 flood relief funding included $3 million in May 2016 targeted at implementation of conservation practices where human safety and health is a concern and to address erosion and water quality problems associated with imminent threats to private or public improvements. $7.8 million was awarded in the two previous phases, bringing the total for all three phases to almost $12.9 million.
For more information on BWSR’s Disaster Relief Assistance Program and a list of counties that received BWSR flood recovery grants in this phase, please visit: www.bwsr.state.mn.us.
Alternative Practices that provide a comparable water quality benefit to that of what a buffer provides while having more a more appropriate fit in regards to site conditions and land management objectives.
