The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources has selected seven applicants including Red Lake Nation, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the Upper Red Lake Area Association to receive Clean Water Funds through the pilot Clean Water Legacy Partners Grant Program.
“Clean water is vital to the health and well-being of the people who call Minnesota home,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said in a release. “This pilot program provides funding opportunities to important conservation groups and expands partnerships for clean water.”
This program is intended to expand partnerships to protect and restore Minnesota’s water resources. The Legislature appropriated $400,000 in fiscal year 2022 and $600,000 in fiscal year 2023 from the Clean Water Fund “for developing and implementing a water legacy grant program to expand partnerships for clean water.”
Other awardees include Upper Sioux Community, Clean River Partners, Spark-Y: Youth Action Labs and Briggs Lake Chain Association.
A total of $1 million from the Clean Water Fund was available to nongovernmental organizations and tribal government applicants. More than 20 applications were received between Nov. 17, 2022, and Feb. 15, 2023. Funded projects include streambank and shoreline restoration, community engagement for water protection, and working with agricultural producers to protect and restore water quality.
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Minnesota voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in 2008 in part to protect, enhance and restore habitat, lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater. The Clean Water Fund receives 33% of the sales tax revenue generated by the Legacy Amendment.
More information about the Clean Water Fund is available on the Legacy Minnesota website at legacy.mn.gov/clean-water-fund.
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