Prairie strips: Smaller in scale, new practice offers big results

Prairie strips are a low-risk option for landowners who are new to conservation. Two soil and water conservation districts in southeastern Minnesota are encouraging producers to try the practice by offering incentive payments to landowners who plant prairie strips on land enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Program.

Winona County feedlot work tied to trout stream delisting

Landowners’ Clean Water Fund-backed work with Winona County SWCD staff contributed to water-quality improvements in a segment of Beaver Creek, a designated trout stream slated for removal from the state’s impaired waters list.

PRAP grants support local government staff, conservation delivery

The Performance Review and Assistance Program (PRAP) aims to improve the efficiency of local government units that manage the state’s land and water resources. BWSR has awarded more than $360,000 in PRAP assistance grants since the program began. Funds support activities such as updating personnel policies, hiring consultants and completing strategic plans and assessments.