Mower County recently received $108,969.

Sunday, July 09, 2000

Mower County recently received $108,969.00 state grant for resource management within the county.

The grant includes:

n $29,373 for local water planning, which will be used on items such as soil erosion control, the Mower County Messenger newsletter and Environmental Agriculture Days. This money will be matched by $8,127 raised through local taxes:

n $12,200 for administration of the Wetland Conservation Act (WCA), a state law that requires landowners draining or filling wetlands to restore or create wetlands elsewhere.

n $3,746 for administration of the Shoreland Management Program, which regulates shoreland activities such as dredging and filling.

n $62,662 for feedlot-related items such as permitting, compliance checks and education.

n $988 to reimburse the county for the work needed to approve and administer an ordinance regulating individual sewage treatment systems.

"Obviously, we’re pleased to get this money," said Ray Tucker, chairman of the Mower County Board of Commissioners and member of Southeast Minnesota Water Resources Board, which coordinates water-planning activities with eight other counties.

"State and local governments must work together as partners in order to ensure good natural resource management," Tucker said.

The funding comes through a Natural Resource Block Grant administered by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, a state agency that provides resource management assistance to local governments. The county receives the grant each year.

"Local governments throughout the state do an excellent job of administering these programs," Ron Harnack said, executive director of the BWSR.

"Local administration allows these programs to be adapted to meet varying needs across the state," Harnack concluded.