Every Earth Day, we at the Pope Soil and Water Conservation District reflect on the wonderful natural resources we get to enjoy in Pope County. Our District is grateful for the opportunity to work with members of the community to facilitate voluntary initiatives to conserve land, water, forests and wildlife in our area. We are one of 88 Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) across the state – and nearly 3,000 across the nation – that provide a neighborly presence to help preserve and protect the natural resources that we all love.

The Pope SWCD has been around for more than 73 years, and recent highlights of our work include a ravine stabilization project within the City of Glenwood, erosion and sediment control projects in the Lake Minnewaska and Lake Emily subwatersheds, tree plantings and grass seedings throughout the County.  These are just a few examples of the ongoing work of our SWCD.

SWCDs are local units of government that carry out natural resource management programs at the local level. We provide voluntary, incentive-driven approaches to landowners for better soil and cleaner water in the State of Minnesota. Private landowners – using financial and technical assistance from local SWCDs – are implementing a wide variety of conservation practices including preventing soil erosion, planting shelterbelts and buffers, and restoring wetlands.

Born in the wake of the Dust Bowl, SWCDs have been involved in delivering conservation across America for more than 75 years. Because Minnesota has a wide variety of landscapes and conservation needs, each district operates at the direction of locally elected board supervisors. This local perspective allows SWCDs to manage the resources and serve the needs of the citizens in their district.

Soil and Water Conservation District staff and supervisors build partnerships with public and private, local, state and federal entities in an effort to develop locally-driven solutions to natural resource concerns. We work with landowners every step of the way from planning to implementation.

Our work results in cleaner water, healthier wildlife habitat, better soil, and a collaborative relationship with the community. What a great thing to celebrate this Earth Day.

To learn more about how your SWCD can help you, visit our website at www.popeswcd.org.

Local conservation leaders advocated for a new state funding initiative for Soil and Water Conservation Districts at a recent legislative briefing and meetings at the State Capitol March 9-10 in St. Paul.

Keith Nygaard, Randy Pederson, Randy Mitteness, D. Gary Reents, and Holly Kovarik, from Pope Soil and Water Conservation District, joined a group of other officials from the state’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) to gather support for conservation district funding from the state. SWCDs are seeking $22 million per year in local government SWCD Aid through the Department of Revenue. The funding would get SWCDs statewide closer to fulling critical conservation needs and increasing the pace of progress toward clean water and healthy soil goals.

“SWCDs are a primary source of conservation information, support, and program management for landowners and other local units of government,” said D. Gary Reents of Glenwood. The SWCD Aid proposal being considered by legislators this session is absolutely critical to the future of conservation districts in the state, noted Reents.  The legislation has received bipartisan support and is also included in Governor Tim Walz’s supplemental budget. “We have to work hard to make sure the state’s commitment to sharing in the funding needs of SWCDs doesn’t fall by the way-side. Soil and Water Conservation Districts play an integral role in enhancing Minnesotan’s quality of life through conservation on private lands, which yields environmental, wildlife and aesthetic benefits to the public,” Reents said.

Last week, D. Gary Reents, Randy Mitteness, Keith Nygaard, Randy Pederson, and Holly Kovarik met with local legislators Representative Paul Anderson, Senator Torrey Westrom, and Representative Jeff Backer.

The event was sponsored by the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

SWCDs fill the crucial niche of providing land and water conservation services to owners of private lands.  For more information on the Pope Soil and Water Conservation District, please call 320-634-5327 or visit www.popeswcd.org.