Pope Soil & Water

Providing Quality Conservation Resources since 1949

Providing Quality Conservation Resources Since 1949

Pope SWCD PROMOTES SOIL AND WATER STEWARDSHIP WEEK

The Pope Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) wants to remind you that each of us has a connection to natural resources. The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) is celebrating the 61st year of Stewardship Week April 24 – May 1, 2016. The 2016 Stewardship Week hinges around the theme “We All Need Trees.” Trees provide us with a multitude of benefits and services including, but not limited to: clean air and water, healthy soil, shade, wood products, fuel, and jobs.

Holly Kovarik acts as the District Manager for Pope SWCD. The District was formed in 1969 to assist people in Pope County with technical assistance for conservation of land and water through project implementation. During Stewardship Week, Pope SWCD has provided materials to 25 churches and has presented this year’s poster contest theme to three schools within the County.

“Educating the public about the importance of trees in our daily lives is an essential part of what NACD advocates for through natural resource conservation and is the essence of this year’s Stewardship theme,” said NACD President Lee McDaniel. “Trees and forests are critical to providing clean air and water, healthy soil, abundant wildlife habitat, and valuable products we use every day.”

Your local conservation district can assist you in learning more about trees and the species native to your area of the country. They can also provide insight on tree planting, care and maintenance as well as information for how to protect tress from invasive species. Districts have a long-standing history of working with state and private forest owners in helping promote and safeguard our nation’s forested lands.

Pope SWCD is a member of NACD which oversees the Stewardship Week program. Stewardship Week is one of the largest national annual programs to promote conservation. NACD represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts, which were established to encourage resource conservation across the country.

Pope SWCD encourages you to participate in conservation activities through the entire year. For information about Stewardship Week and conservation, contact Holly Kovarik at (320) 634-5327 or holly.kovarik@mn.nacdnet.net.

https://popeswcd.org/2016/04/4676/

Pope SWCD Attends Legislative Days

Holly Kovarik and Jessica Oldakowski from Pope Soil and Water Conservation District, attended a legislative briefing and meetings at the State Capitol March 21-22nd in St. Paul.

They joined a group of other officials from the state’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) who met in St. Paul to gather support for conservation districts’ programs and issues.

“It is important for us to get the conservation message out to our elected officials in St. Paul,” said Kovarik.  The 2016 Legislative Session will be critical to the future of conservation programs in the state, noted Kovarik.  “This year legislators will address issues including buffers, appropriations of constitutionally dedicated sales tax funds, bonding funds, and policy issues.  Local Soil and Water Conservation Districts are an integral component for enhancing Minnesotan’s quality of life through conservation on private lands, which yields environmental, wildlife and aesthetic benefits to the public.

During the visit to St. Paul, Kovarik and Oldakowski met with local legislators Representative Paul Anderson, Representative Jeff Backer, and Senator Torrey Westrom.

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.  Minnesota has 89 Soil and Water Conservation Districts.  For more information on the Pope Soil and Water Conservation District, please call 320-634-5327 or visit our website at www.popeswcd.org.

 

Contractor Workshop to be Held March 10, 2016

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE | Pope SWCD would like to invite contractors to a workshop on March 10th, 2016 at the Pope County Courthouse Community Room.  The workshop will begin at 8:30 a.m. to around Noon.  Topics will include: state and local funding and program requirements, federal program and funding requirements, county ordinance requirements, and implementation of conservation best management practices.  All contractors working in Pope County are encouraged to attend.

Engineering staff will be in attendance and will be able to answer questions on design and construction installation of these best management practices.  This training will only be held once every two years and is a partnership effort between the Pope Soil and Water Conservation District, Pope County Land and Resource Management Office, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.  Information provided will be helpful for contractors to understand program and project requirements as well as permitting.

Please pre-register by calling 320-634-5327.  We look forward to your attendance and discussing the conservation work that is currently being planned by agencies for the next couple of years within Pope County.

Governor Dayton Pursues $795 Million in Funding for Clean Water, Wildlife Habitat

Plan would partner with landowners to enroll up to 100,000 acres in water quality conservation efforts

ST. PAUL, MN – Continuing his work to improve water quality and wildlife habitat, Governor Mark Dayton today submitted a $795 million proposal to the United States Department of Agriculture for a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) for Minnesota. This federal, state and local partnership would work with farmers and other landowners across Minnesota to implement conservation practices on up to 100,000 acres of land to restore and protect water quality. Funding provided through CREP would provide additional financial support for farmers and landowners as Minnesota works to implement bipartisan buffer legislation enacted last session.

“This CREP funding would help tremendously, as Minnesotans work together to be even better stewards of our land and water,” said Governor Dayton. “We have begun to reverse the serious deterioration in the quality of water in parts of our state. But much more remains to be done. This is everyone’s challenge and everyone’s responsibility.”

The proposal submitted today focuses on prioritized and targeted acres that would provide the greatest water quality and habitat benefits. It would fund the implementation of buffer filter strips, wetland restoration projects, and wellhead protection efforts. The CREP proposal is  a five-agency effort, led by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) and including the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“Minnesota has a plan to improve water quality and enhance habitat, backed by sound science and local Soil and Water Conservation District readiness,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said.  “This CREP would get Minnesota closer to its natural resource goals.”

State support is already building for Minnesota’s CREP proposal. Bipartisan support at the Legislature yielded $35 million last session for conservation efforts, which will provide part of the required state contribution necessary to leverage federal CREP dollars. The Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council has also recommended the Legislature approve $20 million in Outdoor Heritage Fund in the upcoming session. Additional state matching funds will be considered by the Legislature in the upcoming session.

About the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is an offshoot of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the country’s largest private-land conservation program. Administered by the USDA-Farm Service Agency (FSA), CREP targets high-priority conservation issues identified by local, state, or tribal governments or non-governmental organizations. The proposed federal, state and local partnership would voluntarily retire environmentally sensitive land using the nationally-recognized ReInvest in Minnesota (RIM) Reserve program. This is accomplished by establishing conservation practices via payments to farmers, ranchers, and agricultural land owners.