Provides grants to Soil and Water Conservation Districts that focuses on increasing capacity to address four resource concern areas?Soil Erosion, Riparian Zone Management, Water Storage and Treatment, and Excess Nutrients.
Funding provided through this appropriation enhanced 5,024 acres of wetland habitat. Eight wetland and shallow lake infrastructure projects were competed that enhanced 1,643 acres of wetland. Cattail spraying using a helicopter outfitted with an OHF-purchased spray unit and impacted impacted 1,762 acres. Work by the Region 3 Roving Habitat Crew enhanced 1,619 acres of wetland. Finally, survey and design work was initiated on four projects to prepare for future construction.
This phase of WMA acquisition protected 1,182.25 acres of prairie grassland, wetland, and other wildlife habitat as State Wildlife Management Areas open to public hunting. With these 9 acquisition we have exceeded our planned acres of 1012 by more than 170 acres. All of the acquired properties had wildlife habitat restored to the highest quality possible.
Great River Greening (GRG), Anoka Conservation District (ACD), Isanti SWCD (ISWCD), Minnesota Land Trust (MLT), and Stearns SWCD (StSWCD) enhanced 339 acres, equaling 137% of the stated goal of 247 acres, and 0.12 miles of shoreline. Further, MLT permanently protected 86 forest and 181 wetland acres, equaling 334% of the stated goal of 80 acres, and 1.67 miles of shoreline through conservation easement.
