Conservation Education and Implementation Pilot
Significant interest exists across Hennepin County for providing additional water and natural resources education, engagement, and technical assistance to residents that leads to implementation of conservation practices on more residential properties and across more communities. WMWA, Hennepin County, and 5 metro Watershed-Based Implementation Funding (WBIF) convening groups propose a pilot program funded in part by metro WBIF allocations. This pilot program pools financial resources from several organizations in Hennepin County to meet WMO, City, and County education and outreach needs, increase technical assistance, education, and outreach with residents focused on increasing conservation implementation success through the delivery of practical and interactive conservation education, follow-up technical assistance site visits, and financial assistance to help defray the cost of taking conservation action. Specific measurable goals for the partnership are currently being developed by the funding partners (WMWA and the metro WBIF convening groups of the Elm Creek, Shingle Creek, West Mississippi, Bassett Creek, and Richfield-Bloomington WMOs). To date, all partners have agreed to a funding and objectives framework that calls for up to 8 conservation workshops engaging up to 160 individuals in targeted audiences and leading to 160 implemented conservation projects, OR up to 4 medium to large scale multi-family housing focused equitable engagement stormwater BMP projects. The actual mix of workshop activities and equitable engagement projects will be decided by partners in the coming months. This grant will allow Hennepin County to fund half of a position that will be dedicated to coordinating the work of this partnership including workshops and equitable engagement activities. Additionally, this position will be tasked with elevating conservation messages (e.g. stormwater pollution and BMPs, chloride pollution and BMPs, etc.) with targeted audiences.
http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/board
http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/board
Annie Felix-Gerth
2019: (a) $13,591,000 the first year and $13,375,000 the second year are for performance-based grants with multiyear implementation plans to local government units. The grants may be used to implement projects that protect, enhance, and restore surface water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; protect groundwater from degradation; and protect drinking water sources. Projects must be identified in a comprehensive watershed plan developed under the One Watershed, One Plan or metropolitan surface water management frameworks or groundwater plans. Grant recipients must identify a nonstate match and may use other legacy funds to supplement projects funded under this paragraph. 2021: (a) $21,197,000 the first year and $22,367,000 the second year are for performance-based grants with multiyear implementation plans to local government units. The grants may be used to implement projects that protect, enhance, and restore surface water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; protect groundwater from degradation; and protect drinking water sources. Projects must be identified in a comprehensive watershed plan developed under the One Watershed, One Plan and seven-county metropolitan groundwater or surface water management frameworks as provided for in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 103B, 103C, 103D, and 114D. Grant recipients must identify a nonstate match and may use other legacy funds to supplement projects funded under this paragraph. This appropriation may be used for:
(1) implementation grants to watershed planning areas with approved plans, including but not limited to Buffalo-Red River, Cannon River, Cedar River, Clearwater River, Des Moines River, Hawk Creek, Lac qui Parle Yellow Bank, Lake of the Woods, Lake Superior North, Le Seuer River, Leech Lake River, Long Prairie River, Lower Minnesota River North, Lower Minnesota River West, Lower Minnesota River South, Lower St. Croix River, Marsh and Wild Rice, Middle Snake Tamarack Rivers, Mississippi East, Mississippi River Headwaters, Mississippi West, Missouri River Basin, Mustinka/Bois de Sioux, Nemadji River, North Fork Crow River, Otter Tail, Pine River, Pomme de Terre River, Red Lake River, Redeye River, Root River, Rum River, Sauk River, Shell Rock River/Winnebago Watershed, Snake River, South Fork Crow River, St. Louis River, Thief River, Two Rivers Plus, Vermillion, Watonwan River, Winona La Crescent, Yellow Medicine River, and Zumbro River; (2) seven-county metropolitan groundwater or surface water management frameworks; and (3) other comprehensive watershed management plan planning areas that have a board-approved and local-government-adopted plan as authorized in Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.801.
The board may determine whether a planning area is not ready to proceed, does not have the nonstate match committed, or has not expended all money granted to it. Upon making the determination, the board may allocate a grant's proposed or unexpended allocation to another planning area to implement priority projects, programs, or practices.
-Up to 8 workshops/year OR up to 4 multi-family housing focused projects
-Modeled pollution reduction estimates for completed projects
-Plan to guide education and engagement goals & strategies
-Measurable outcomes as dictated by above plan
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS