Grant fills longtime forestry training need
Carlton SWCD staff helped to lead a forestry practices training aimed at SWCD and NRCS conservation workers from northeastern Minnesota. The two-day session was made possible by a grant from the Technical Training and Certification Program — a partnership among BWSR, NRCS, the Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts and the Minnesota Association of Conservation District Employees.
2019 BWSR legislative session wrap up
Legislative changes made in 2019 create positive steps forward for conservation in Minnesota. Here's an overview of appropriations and policy changes that will affect BWSR's work, including information about the General Fund and Clean Water & Legacy Act program funding.
Clay SWCD builds urban conservation
In the Fargo-Moorhead area, Clay SWCD’s Urban Conservation Program reaches a nontraditional audience through workshops centered on pollinator plantings, rain barrels and compost bins. Partners include Pheasants Forever, River Keepers and Cass County Soil Conservation District in North Dakota. Pollinator Pint Night alone drew 300 people.
Technical training builds skills, boosts trust
Conservation professionals like Winona County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) resource specialist Lance Klessig are taking advantage of training opportunities through the Technical Training and Certification Program (TTCP). The program — a partnership among BWSR, NRCS, the Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts and the Minnesota Association of Conservation District Employees — has offered or organized more than 115 training courses reaching more than 2,000 participants since 2015.
Pine River 1W1P builds on past success
In the Pine River watershed, a partnership of local governments has seen early success in drafting a comprehensive watershed management plant through the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources' (BWSR) One Watershed, One Plan program. One Watershed, One Plan offers an alternative to the project-by-project competitive grant process. By developing comprehensive watershed management plans, collaborating local governments prioritize water quality improvement actions to ensure limited resources are spent where they are needed most.
Dairy farms’ feedlot fixes aid Mississippi River, trout habitat
A Plainview dairy farm worked through the Wabasha SWCD to install a new manure storage lagoon, which will not only ease the workload on the family operation but also benefit a trout stream and the Mississippi River. It’s part of the Lower Mississippi River Feedlot Management in Minnesota Regional Conservation Partnership Project, jointly funded by BWSR and NRCS.