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Congressman Walz Announces Conservation Dollars
$420,000 Recovery Act Assistance to Five Counties
For Immediate Release
April 22, 2009
Contact: Meredith Salsbery
507-388-2149
WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressman Tim Walz today announced that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is sending $420,000 to parts of Nobles, Olmsted, Rock, Wabasha and Winona Counties through the American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) Act of 2009. The funding will come through the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and will be specific to the Kanaranzi-Little Rock and Whitewater Watersheds.
“This announcement represents a renewed investment in conservation in rural Minnesota at a time when our farmers need the assistance most,” said Walz. “These dollars will have a positive impact on the environment and the local economy in targeted watersheds.”
The funding is in response to local sponsor requests in both the Kanaranzi-Little Rock Watershed (Nobles & Rock Counties) and the Whitewater Watershed (Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona Counties) and will be administered through the local watershed boards.
Both the Kanaranzi-Little Rock and the Whitewater Watersheds are approved USDA land treatment watersheds, and will once again be able to assist landowners install conservation practices such as waterways, terraces, water and sediment control basins, diversions, and more as a result of this special funding.
Farmers can receive up to 65% cost share assistance to install these conservation practices on their farms.
“This is a voluntary effort that provides necessary technical and financial assistant resulting in significant water quality improvements, reduction in soil erosion and enhancement of wildlife habitat. Such watershed efforts have proven to be very successful investments to assist our livestock and crop producers,” concluded Walz.
The ARRA funding has been broken down between the two watersheds with $200,000 and $220,000 allocated to the Kanaranzi-Little Rock and the Whitewater watersheds respectively. Signups for this financial assistance is now underway at local USDA Ag Service Centers in the affected counties.
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