June 2014
The Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota (BALMM) will "grow" its knowledge of forestry when members meet Wednesday, June 18, from 9 a.m. to noon at the People’s Energy Cooperative, 1775 Lake Shady Avenue South, Oronoco, MN 55960. NOTE LOCATION CHANGE!
Agenda as follows:
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9 a.m.: Southeast Minnesota Landscape Committee – History and Plan Update, Amanda Kueper, Landscape Forester, Minnesota Forest Resources Council
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10 a.m.: Break
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10:30 a.m.: Healthy Forests for Healthy Waters, Rich Biske, Southeast Minnesota Conservation Coordinator, The Nature Conservancy
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11 a.m.: Open Discussion
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Noon: Adjourn
 The Minnesota Forest Resources Council is a state council established by the Sustainable Forest Resources Act (SFRA) of 1995 to promote long-term sustainable management of Minnesota’s forests. The Minnesota Legislature passed this act to promote the sustained use and enjoyment of Minnesota’s forest resources. It established a number of innovative policies, programs, and administrative mechanisms that focus on both site and landscape-level forest resource management.
As a principal administrative mechanism, the act created the Minnesota Forest Resources Council to facilitate the development of many initiatives and to serve as a forum to discuss and advise the governor as well as federal, state, county, and local governments on sustainable forest resource policies and practices.
Volunteer, citizen-based regional landscape committees are central to carrying out the council’s mission. Regional landscape committees provide an open public forum for diverse interests to cooperatively promote forest sustainability.
At the June BALMM meeting, Amanda Kueper, landscape forester with the council, will present the history and plan update of the Southeast Minnesota Landscape Committee. The Southeast Landscape Region covers about 6.7 million acres in Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Le Sueur, Mower, Olmsted, Rice Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, and Winona counties. The Southeast landscape has lost much of its forestland since European settlement with much of it converted to cropland.
The committee is working to address the challenges of a growing population increasing land development pressures, fragmentation of forests, low of biodiversity, maintenance of natural ecosystems, and increasing public awareness and participation in sustaining forests in southeast Minnesota.
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The Nature Conservancy is helping to develop a new program, "Healthy Forests for Healthy Waters” using Clean Water Funds appropriated to the DNR’s Forestry Division. Rich Biske, conservation coordinator for The Nature Conservancy in southeast Minnesota, will provide a preview of the program at the June BALMM meeting. Forestland plays an important role in preventing and reducing runoff and erosion. This new program will provide cost-share funding to landowners for forestry conservation practices.
 Neighbors in the Root River watershed will talk about protecting water resources at five local events in June from Grand Meadow to La Crescent, with the first one held June 10 in Chatfield. Portions of six counties drain to the Root River: Dodge, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, and Winona.
Similar events last spring helped shape strategies for reducing pollutants that are impairing the river and its tributaries for use as drinking water, recreation and supporting fish and other things living in the water. The June events will help identify local resources and assets for implementing land use practices that reduce pollutants in order to meet water quality standards.
The events include a light meal or snack provided by a local community group for a free-will donation. Interactive activities will allow everyone to participate in providing information for a Root River watershed plan.
Pre-registration is preferred to facilitate planning for food but is not required to attend. To pre-register or for more information, call 507-765-3878, ext. 3, or email donna.rasmussen@fillmoreswcd.org. Go to the Fillmore SWCD website for updates.
This is a one-time series with no obligations for further participation. It is organized by the Root River Citizens’ Group with support from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and University of Minnesota Extension. The events are funded by Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.
Dates and times for the remaining Root River Citizen Conversations:
- La Crescent: Saturday, June 14, 9-11:15 am at the LaCrescent Community Building (Fire Hall), 136 North 1st St.
- Grand Meadow: Monday, June 16, 6-8:15 pm at the Grand Meadow Community Center, 112 Grand Ave. E
- Preston: Tuesday, June 17, 6-8:15 pm at the F&M Bank Community Room, 100 Saint Anthony St.
- Rushford: Wednesday, June 18, 6-8:15 pm at the Rushford Village Hall, 43038 State Hwy 30
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The MPCA continues the funding round for the state Clean Water Partnership Program. The agency will is accepting proposals through July 3 for grants and loans to facilitate projects that control nonpoint source pollution.
The MPCA anticipates that about $1.1 million of grant funds and about $7 million of loan funds will be available this year. At least $2 million of the loan funds will be set aside for Green Infrastructure Reserve. These proposals provide permanent stormwater treatment by preserving or restoring the site’s natural hydrologic processes through green infrastructure projects such as, but not limited to:
- Rain water harvesting and reuse;
- Rain gardens;
- Green roofs;
- Tree boxes;
- Porous pavement
- Street and parking lot redesign; or
- Similar green infrastructure approaches.
Flood control may be a component, but not the primary objective of a project under this green infrastructure reserve.
The nonpoint source pollution project must be categorized either as protection or restoration.
The proposer of a protection project will document that the water body(ies) being addressed are currently meeting state water quality standards for a particular pollutant or have not been assessed by the MPCA, but are otherwise known to be supporting beneficial uses.
The proposer of a restoration project will document that the water body (ies) being addressed are impaired. These projects may or may not have a completed TMDL study or Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS).
Priority for funding will be given to protection projects, Green Infrastructure Reserve loan projects, and loan projects of at least $100,000 that are requesting up to $10,000 for grant to administer the loan. Project proposals must provide measurable project outcomes.
The complete Request for Proposal (RFP), proposal form, and other information are available on the state SWIFT e-supplier portal. It is listed as Event Number 2000002720 on the right side of the page. Prospective responders must have a SWIFT Vendor ID and Supplier Portal Account set up to apply. Please note that it can take up to four days to receive your vendor ID from SWIFT. If you need assistance registering in the Supplier Portal so you can bid on this solicitation, you may contact the Minnesota Department of Administration, Materials Management Division at 651-201-8100, option 1. Then follow the prompts to connect you to the correct contact person.
Proposals must be electronically received through the state SWIFT supplier portal by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, 2014. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered. This date and all other information in this notice are subject to change and only up to date information will be found in the SWIFT Vendor ID and Supplier Portal Account.
Questions may be e-mailed to Contracts.pca@state.mn.us, Attention: Tracey Josephson.
 Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson has appointed 15 citizens to serve on an advisory committee for the Minnesota Agriculture Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP).
MAWQCP is a voluntary program designed to accelerate adoption of on-farm conservation practices that protect Minnesota's rivers and streams. Producers who implement and maintain approved farm management practices will be certified and in turn assured that their operation will obtain regulatory certainty for a period of 10years. Currently, there are four pilot areas throughout the state that are being used to test and refine the program.
The committee members will be serving from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2016. Their main charge for this term will be to evaluate how the program is working in the four pilot areas of the state and to continue to make recommendations to the Commissioner.
Members starting their term July 1 are: Douglas Albin, farmer and member of the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council. Duane Bakke, Fillmore County commissioner. Dennis Berglund, CEO and general manager, Centrol Crop Consulting. Nathan Collins, district representative, Minnesota Farm Bureau board of directors. Elizabeth Croteau-Kallestad, executive director, Cannon River Watershed Partnership. Dean Fairchild, plant nutrition and protection specialist. Dennis Fuchs, district administrator, Stearns County SWCD. Kirby Hettver, farmer and member of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association board of directors. Jim Kleinschmit, Director of Climate and Energy Initiatives, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Doug Peterson, president, Minnesota Farmers Union. Kris Sigford, Water Quality Director, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. Joe Smentek, Director of Environmental Affairs, Minnesota Soybean. Tony Thompson, farmer and member of North Heron Lake Game Producers Association. James Riddle, supervisor, Winona County SWCD. Bill Zurn, farmer and past president of Minnesota Soybean Growers
For more information on the Minnesota Agriculture Water Quality Certification Program, visit the MDA's website.
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After making changes based on public input, the MPCA recently submitted its proposed 2014 list of impaired waters in Minnesota to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval.
The submittal follows an extensive public participation period that started in November 2014. The agency held five meetings across the state to discuss the listing process and the waterbodies impaired in the regions. During the formal comment period, the agency received public comments from 29 individuals or organizations, and responded to each one. Some comments warranted changes to the 2014 draft Impaired waters list or the 2014 guidance manual (the document that explains how assessments are conducted). Contents of the public meetings, the public comments, the MPCA responses to comments, and the updated guidance manual were all sent to the EPA along with the 2014 proposed list for review.
This process of posting, revising, and submitting the Impaired Waters List occurs every two years.
The MPCA is continuing work to assess waters for the 10 mg/L sulfate standard in Minnesota Rules 7050.0224, subpart 2, that protects “water used for production of wild rice during periods when the rice may be susceptible to damage by high sulfate levels” as part of the 2014 impaired waters list. The MPCA plans to make the results of the wild rice sulfate standard assessments available in an addendum to this version of the 2014 impaired waters list.
For questions on the impaired waters list, contact Miranda Nichols of the MPCA at 651-757-2614.
 Minnesota’s Adopt-a-River program, administered by the Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR), marks 25 years in 2014. Since 1989, Adopt-a-River volunteers have spent more than 18,000 hours cleaning 12,355 miles of shoreline. This has resulted in 6.3 million pounds of trash removed from Minnesota waters.
As the program’s website explains, the focus is on litter in stormwater: “To raise awareness about the problems of nonpoint-source pollution, Minnesota’s Adopt-a-River program stresses removal and prevention of rubbish accumulation by recruiting people to ‘adopt’ and maintain sections of shorelines. In this way, household hazardous waste, such as oil, aerosol cans, paint cans (still containing liquid paint), and batteries are cleaned up along with other trash. Although adopting a river often involves working with local parks, public works departments, soil and water conservation districts or county water plan coordinators, the DNR offers groups free cleanup bags and gloves, the ‘How-to’“ kit, and recognizes their efforts with a certificate signed by the Governor of Minnesota and the Commissioner of the DNR.”
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State and local partners will present “Agricultural Drainage and the Future of Water Quality” on June 26, from 7:15 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato. This workshop will kick off at 7:15 a.m. that Thursday with breakfast. The indoor session will include panel discussions, speakers and breakout sessions until 2:30 p.m., followed by an optional tour of the Blue Earth County Ditch 57 project near Mapleton in the Le Sueur River watershed.
Topics include drainage water management, law change updates, and in-field techniques for water quality. Sponsoring the workshop are Blue Earth County, I + S Group, Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture and Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources. To register, contact Kelli Renstrom at kelli.renstrom@is-grp.com or 507-387-6651.
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