Pope Soil & Water

Providing Quality Conservation Resources since 1949

Providing Quality Conservation Resources Since 1949

Walk In Access Program

WalkInAccessThe primary objective of the Walk In Access Program is to provide new hunting opportunities on private lands currently enrolled in conservation programs with quality wildlife habitat, such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM), and the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). Other natural lands may also be eligible for enrollment if high-quality habitat exists.

In 2014, Minnesota had 20,708 acres enrolled into the Walk In Access Program and Pope County had 10 sites totaling 555 acres. Once enrolled, the land is open to public hunting access during any open hunting season, including spring turkey. The location of areas enrolled will be publicized in an annual book and posted on the DNR website. Bright yellow-green signs will be installed along WIA boundaries once land is enrolled. WIA land is for hunting only. There is no target practice, trapping, dog training, camping, horseback riding, driving, or fires allowed on the property. Landowners are protected from liability, unlike private leases. Trespassing and hunting violations will be dealt with by DNR Conservation Officers.

Eligible sites must meet the minimum size of 40 acres. Acreage smaller than 40 acres may enroll if the land is contiguous with a Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA), or another WIA resulting in at least 40 contiguous acres open to public hunting. Landowners sign into a one year or multi-year contract, with the ability to cancel the contract at any time without penalty.

Payment rates for signing up with the WIA program include:
· $10/acre base payment
· $1/ac. incentive payment if area is more than 140 acres
· $1/ac. incentive payment if land is located within a half-mile of other public hunting (WMA/WPA)
$1/ac. incentive payment for a multi-year agreement.

So if you have land in CRP, RIM, WRP, CREP, or any other conservation program and would be interested in earning extra money off of it please contact the Pope Soil & Water Conservation District. You can stop by our office at 1680 Franklin St N in Glenwood or call us at 320-634-5327. We would be happy to answer any questions and assist with enrollment of your land. For more information, you can also visit www.mndnr.gov/walkin. Deadline for enrollment is June 1st, 2015.

Well Sealing Program

Pope SWCD has some funding to provide cost-share assistance for well sealing.  The SWCD will contract with the property owners to share the cost of priority-abandoned wells.  In turn, the property owner must contract with a state-licensed well sealing contractor to perform all necessary work.  All work must be done in accordance with the Minnesota Well Code, including the filing of a sealed well record with the Minnesota Department of Health.  Upon completion of all of the required work and the submission of the required documents to the SWCD, reimbursement to the property owner will be made.

The Pope Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has funding available to seal abandoned wells in the County. This funding is available as cost share assistance because of the County Water Plan on a first come first serve basis. Limited funding is available on a voluntary basis. Owners of the privately owned abandoned wells in the County will be entitled to apply for cost share at a rate of 75% of the total cost per well, not to exceed $500.00 per well.

The completed applications will be reviewed and approved by the Pope SWCD board of supervisors. Applications procedures are as follows:

  1. Complete the attached well sealing application form as accurately as possible and return it to the address listed at the top of this form. A cost estimate is required from a licensed well driller as part of the application.
  2. Wells will be given top priority ranking and selected for cost sharing according to the information received in the application.
  3. Wells approved for cost share will be required to sign a cost share contract.
  4. Upon notification of approval, your licensed contractor can proceed with the well sealing. The work must be completed by the date shown on the cost-share contract or the cost-share will be forfeited.
  5. The owner is responsible for paying the well contractor for the entire well sealing costs.
  6. When the well sealing is completed, and after receiving a copy of the abandoned well record and a copy of the itemized bill, the SWCD will reimburse the well owner the specified amount in the cost share contract upon board approval at the next regular scheduled meeting.
  7. Applicants who seal wells prior to receiving a signed contract from the SWCD office will lose their eligibility for cost share.

Buffer Initiative Program

Download Conservation Buffer Brochure
Learn more about Implementing Minnesota's New Buffer Initiative-Department of Natural Resources Website

Conservation Buffers Information

Conservation Buffers Information on Board of Water and Soil Resources Website

Alternative Practices Options Available

Common Alternative Practices Guide

Natural Resources Conservation Service Funding Options-Natural Resources Conservation Service Program information

 

BUFFER UPDATES

The Buffer Law was signed by Governor Mark Dayton in 2015 requiring perennial vegetation buffers to be installed along lakes, rivers, streams, and public drainage ditches.  These buffers are designed to help filter out phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment as well as provide wildlife habitat.

SWCD’s across the state of Minnesota have been working with landowners on installation of these buffers or review of the parcels for implementing alternative practices.  In Pope County approximately 4,445 parcels were reviewed initially and now again in 2022 with the new aerial imagery.  If a violation of buffer law is found; the Pope SWCD will be informing the enforcing agency and the Board of Water and Soil Resources.  Any appeals will be handled by the regulatory entity with the Pope SWCD staff providing technical information regarding the buffer law and the project site.  It will depend on where the public water or drainage ditch is located on who the enforcing entity is.  In Pope County it is either Pope County Land and Resource Management Office, North Fork Crow River Watershed District, or the Sauk River Watershed District.

In the 2023 Pope SWCD began the year off with 8 landowners that were in violation of their buffers. This was determined by doing arial imagery and in field site inspections in late 2022. The landowners and Pope County were then sent a Notification of Non-Compliance which keeps finding of fact records. The county then let the landowners know they had an 11-month grace period to become compliant or else fines would begin. 1 of the 8 landowners already had exceeded their 11-month grace period and was going to Conciliation Court with the county. Eventually this landowner agreed to have SWCD flag his buffer, purchased seed, and had our office seed the site. We worked with a total of 4 landowners that had our office seed buffers for them. Pope SWCD ended 2023 with 2 landowners that are in a buffer violation. 1 landowner was brought to our attention late in the year and a site inspection was conducted and a Notification of Non-compliance was sent to the county. 1 landowner has exceeded his 11-month grace period, has expressed he has no interest in planting his buffer, and will most likely be going to court with the county in the new year. In addition to working with landowners who needed to upgrade cover, we also did mid-contract site inspections for 7 landowners who previously worked with our office on Buffer Cost Share to establish their buffers. All 7 of these sites still met compliance and looked great and were notified. Overall, we worked with 10 landowners in 2023 towards upgrading our buffer program, with roughly a total of 198 hours worked. With the new year ahead, we will be working on checking aerial imagery to plan our spring 2024 site inspections.

Reminder to farmers/landowners that with spring tillage ahead, to communicate if you have a buffer on your field and not to till it up. If you have questions regarding your buffer, please contact Nicole Brede in our office at 320-634-5327.

 

BENEFITS OF BUFFERS

Conservation buffers are strips of perennial vegetation around rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands that slow water runoff thus reduces soil erosion, sequesters excess nutrients, stabilizes riparian areas, and enhances water quality. Buffers include contour buffer strips, field borders, grassed filter strips, grassed waterways, living snow fences, riparian buffers, shelterbelts/windbreaks, and wetlands.
Benefits of conservation buffers include:

  • Slow water runoff
  • Remove up to 50% or more nutrients and pesticides in runoff
  • Remove up to 60% or more pathogens in runoff
  • Remove up to 75% or more of sediment in runoff
  • Reduce noise and odor
  • Serve as a source of food, nesting cover, and shelter for wildlife
  • Stabilize streambanks and reduce water temperature in stream
  • Reduce downstream flooding
  • Reduced risk of tractor rollover due to set back of steep ditch or creek

If you are interested in buffering any waterways on your property, you can stop into our office for more information on programs and available financial assistance.

Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM)

Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) was established in 1986 is administered by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources. The goal of this program is to restore marginal agricultural land and protect environmentally sensitive areas by reducing soil erosion, enhancing water quality, minimizing damage to flood-prone areas, sequestering carbon, and supporting wildlife habitats. RIM easements are perpetual contracts that remain with the title of the land and all future owners are bound to its terms. The Landowner retains title to property and all associated rights and obligations of ownership aside from those that are restricted and transferred to the State in the easement. RIM enrollment is a competitive process and is announced periodically for specific practices:

  • Riparian Wetlands
  • Riparian Buffer Strips
  • Grasslands Reserve
  • Groundwater Protection
  • RIM-WRP Partnership
  • Flood Response

Reinvest in Minnesota FACT SHEET