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COST SHARE FUNDS AVAILABLE!
The Mille Lacs Soil and Water
Conservation district has Cost Share funds currently available to help land
owners install conservation practices that improve and protect water quality. Up
to 75% of project costs may be reimbursed after a qualifying practice has been
completed. Approved construction practices may include activities that:
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control nutrient runoff |
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stabilize critical eroding areas |
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divert runoff to protect and
improve water quality |
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reduce wind erosion |
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control gully, rill or sheet
erosion |
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protect shoreline from erosion |
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control storm water runoff |
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protect surface and ground water
quality |
Cost Share funds can be used for stream
or lakeshore restorations, agricultural waste management or abandoned well
sealing. Through this program the SWCD can provide technical and financial
assistance to landowners that are interested in solving water quality issues on
their land. Call 320-983-2160 for more information.
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Mille Lacs SWCD Regular Board Meeting
Schedule
Meetings are held at the SWCD Office, 1016 5th St. SE Milaca,
MN |
| January 8th |
5:30pm |
July 8th |
7:00pm |
| February 12th |
5:30pm |
August 12th |
7:00pm |
| March 12th |
5:30pm |
September 10th |
7:00pm |
| April 8th |
5:30pm |
October 14th |
7:00pm |
| May 13th |
7:00pm |
November 12th |
5:30pm |
| June 10th |
7:00pm |
December 9th |
5:30pm |
Board Meeting Minutes:
January 07,
February 07, March 07,
April 07, May 07,
June 07, June
finance, June 28 special 07,
July 07, August 07,
September 07, October 07,
Nov. 07, Dec. 07,
January 08,
February 08
Click HERE
to view Mille Lacs SWCD Annual Work Plan
Click HERE to view Mille Lacs SWCD
Annual Report
Dues paid annually to the following associations: Minnesota
Association of County Agricultural Inspectors: $75.00, Minnesota Association of
Soil and Water Conservation Districts: $2,530, MASWCD Area III: $260.00,
Minnesota SWCD Forestry Association: $60.00
District
Manager Susan Shaw and Conservation Technician Lynn Carter
MEET THE STAFF
Primary responsibility of a SWCD supervisor is to ensure that
the community uses its natural resources wisely, with have an eye toward the
future. There are three key aspects to the role of a supervisor as an SWCD
board member: policy development, annual and long-range plans and budgets,
and working with the district staff.
If you are concerned about conserving our natural resources
consider becoming a Board Member of the Mille Lacs Soil and Water Conservation
District. Each supervisor term is for four years. Terms are
staggered so no more than three terms expire in a given year. Election procedures and applicable information may
be obtained from the county auditor or the local Soil and Water Conservation
District.
| Gene Gerth, Treasurer |
Nominating District I
(Greenbush, Princeton & Bogus Brook Townships)
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| Kurt Beckstrom, Chair |
Nominating District II
(Milaca, Milo & Borgholm
Townships) |
| Ray Schultz, Vice Chair |
Nominating District III
(Dailey, Page, Mudgett, Hayland Townships) |
| Barb Eller, Member |
Nominating District IV
(Kathio, Bradbury, South Harbor, Onamia Townships) |
| Marcella Hoefert, Secretary |
Nominating District V
(East Side, Isle Harbor, Lewis Townships) |
Technical Assistance
to Landowners
* Fees are charged for some services
| Conservation Planning
can be done for properties ranging from large farms to
small backyards. The purpose of a conservation plan is to enhance soil,
water and/or wildlife resources. Plans can include practices such as
planting windbreaks and shelter belts, installing plantings to promote
wildlife by providing food and cover, stabilizing eroding areas,
restoring habitat, and treating rain water runoff. Owners of small
properties should join forces with neighbors to have a neighborhood
conservation plan developed. Staff can assist with site design, species
selection, and site management planning. |
| Invasive Species Control
is important to maintain wildlife and biological
diversity and to reduce agricultural production losses. Staff can
provide landowners with technical guidance on proper control techniques
for invasive species such as Leafy Spurge, Garlic Mustard, Purple
Loosestrife, Common Buckthorn, Common Tansy, Spotted Knapweed, Reed
Canary Grass, and Eurasian Water Milfoil.
Contact Susan Shaw,
County Agricultural Inspector |
| Education Staff can
be available to present a wide variety of educational information to
audiences ranging from school classrooms to community groups. We can
cover topics such as water quality, ground water, septic care, wildlife,
native plants, back yard conservation, lawn care and small pasture
management. The Mille Lacs SWCD hosts an Outdoor Conservation Day for
area 5th grade classrooms each fall. The event gives fifth grade
students in the county a hands on opportunity to learn about wildlife,
forestry, recycling, fisheries, and other topics at a local park or
wildlife area. Students visit stations where resource professionals from
around the area discuss topics that give students insight into what they
do and how a community works together to conserve our natural resources.
The SWCD also supports the Area Envirothon, an environmental competition
for high school teams to challenge their environmental knowledge and
problem solving skills. Five learning stations are presented by natural
resource professionals in the fields of water, wildlife, forestry,
soils, and a current environmental issue. In addition, students will be
asked to make a 10 minute oral presentation in the current event issue
at a sixth station. The contest takes place in an outdoor setting.
Teams are composed of 4 to 5 students. At each station, teams are given
a short presentation and students must then answer 20 questions specific
to that site. |
Financial Assistance to
Landowners
| CRP/WHIP
Conservation Reserve Program and the Wildlife Habitat
Incentives Program are two federal programs that can assist landowners
with the implementation of their conservation plan. CRP is limited to
agricultural land, but WHIP is available to small lot owners. These
programs pay up to 75% of the cost to install practices and may even
provide additional incentive payments. |
| Environmental Quality Incentives
Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation
program for farmers and ranchers who are engaged in livestock or
agricultural production on eligible land. EQIP offers financial and
technical help to assist eligible participants install or implement
structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land. EQIP
may cost-share up to 50% of the costs of certain conservation
practices. Incentive payments may be provided for up to 3 years to
encourage producers to carry out management practices they may not
otherwise use without incentive. However, limited resources producers
and beginning farmers and ranchers may be eligible for cost shares up to
90 percent. |
| State Cost Share
Limited cost share finds are available to pay for up to
75% of the cost of projects to control erosion, sedimentation, or
improve water quality. Statewide, cost share funds are used for
practices such as windbreaks shelterbelts, grassed waterways, streambank
stabilization, lakeshore stabilization, and gully stabilization. |
State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF)
low interest loans are available through
Mille Lacs SWCD to provide financing to rural landowners and farmers to
assist with:
| Individual Septic Treatment Systems (ISTS)
upgrades. |
| Water quality improvement projects, including
erosion and sediment control and other water quality projects. |
| Conservation tillage equipment
loans.
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The state revolving fund low interest loan has a 3%
interest rate plus an origination fee. Loans are available with a
maximum of $50,000 per participant, and a maximum loan length or 10
years, depending on the project. |
Product Sales
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Conservation Tree and Shrub Seedlings The
District annually provides landowners with the opportunity to purchase
tree seedlings at an affordable price. We do this because tree planting
is an important conservation practice that provides countless benefits,
and we seek to make this practice affordable and convenient. One of the
main objectives of this program is to encourage landowners to plant
windbreaks and shelterbelts to help reduce soil losses from erosion and
conserve energy, and enhance wildlife habitat. Species sold include
coniferous tress and deciduous trees and shrubs that are well adapted to
our local soil variations. The district works to provide variety of
species native to Mille Lacs county and eliminated any species thought
to have invasive tendencies. |
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Native Plant & Wildflower Seedlings The
Mille Lacs SWCD will be offering native plant and wildflower seedlings
annually at an affordable price to encourage the restoration of native
plant communities as an element of good land stewardship in our
community. |
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Wildlife and Conservation Books The
District offers a variety of conservation books that provide information
on wildlife, woodworking and shoreline restoration. |
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