Forestry Conservation Incentives to Protect the Crow Wing River
The Crow Wing River is a valuable natural resource and forested regions in the watershed are at risk from conversion to cropland and clearing for other uses. In order to maintain the high quality upland that protects the water quality, forestry practices are being encouraged with cost-sharing and education in an effort to manage, protect, and improve existing forest stands. This includes cost sharing for forestry management plans, training on tree thinning and planting, and encouraging participation in the Sustainable Forest Incentive Act (SFIA).The measureable goal for this project is to complete 45 Forest Stewardship Plans and enroll those lands in SFIA or the managed class 2c tax reduction in order to increase the percent of protected acres for minor watersheds with a high risk for private land conversion.
http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/board
See http://www.bwsr.state.mn.us/aboutbwsr/index.html
Annie Felix-Gerth
$10,187,000 the first year and $10,188,000 the second year are for grants to protect and restore surface water and drinking water; to keep water on the land; to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; and to protect groundwater and drinking water, including feedlot water quality and subsurface sewage treatment system projects and stream bank, stream channel, shoreline restoration, and ravine stabilization projects. The projects must use practices demonstrated to be effective, be of long-lasting public benefit, include a match, and be consistent with total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation plans, watershed restoration and protection strategies (WRAPS), or local water management plans or their equivalents. A portion of these funds may be used to seek administrative efficiencies through shared resources by multiple local governmental units.
45 Forest Stewardship Plans will be completed under this grant.
This project has resulted in an estimated annual reduction of 56 preventative practices were installed, .1 tons of Soil Loss and they completed 51 forest stewardship plans and 4 cost share projects.
LOCAL LEVERAGED FUNDS