Glenwood, Minn.— Nearly 15 environmental projects have been funded in Pope County on behalf of an application written by the Pope Soil and Water Conservation District thanks to the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment – and the improvements will start to add up. The Pope SWCD received notice in late January that they would be receiving $126,900 in funding. This funding will help address some of the erosion concerns that were a result of a storm event from June 2013. Projects that will be eligible for the cost share assistance will include: grade stabilization and water and sediment control basins. If you are interested in these types of practices and have erosion issues, contact Pope SWCD staff.
Through the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources’ (BWSR) Clean Water Fund grant program, nearly $60 million has been invested in “on-the-ground” projects, where citizens and local governments are installing conservation practices to improve the quality in our lakes, rivers, wetlands and groundwater.
Holly Kovarik, District Manager said investments made through these grant programs are noticeably improving Pope County lakes and rivers. These projects will be implemented in the next two years.
“Because of the Legacy funding, we’ve been able to complete more conservation projects than ever before. The lakes and rivers in Pope County are being cleaned up or protected and the funding is creating jobs and improving property values. It’s a win-win situation,” Kovarik said.