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PROGRAMS & SERVICES

CONSERVATION PARTNERS LEGACY (CPL) GRANT PROGRAM

The Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) Grant Program funds conservation projects that restore, enhance, or protect forests, wetlands, prairies, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife in Minnesota. Funding for the CPL grant program is from the Outdoor Heritage Fund , created by the people of Minnesota. The CPL Program has been recommended by the L-SOHC to (and approved by) the MN Legislature annually since 2009.

Koochiching SWCD has been a part of two different CPL grants.  See below for more details.

Rat Root River Sediment Control & Spawning Enhancement Project

Image courtesy of Rat Root Enterprises

The Rainy Lake Sportfishing Club (RLSC), assisted by local DNR, partnered with the Koochiching Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) to address the increase in log jams along the Rat Root River as well as the decline in walleye spawning. In January of 2011, the Koochiching SWCD received a small Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) grant for $22,500 that was matched with $1,500 cash and $944 in-kind contributions provided by the RLSC.

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Hybrid Cattail Removal and Water Flow Enhancement

The Koochiching Soil and Water Conservation District (KSWCD), in partnership with the Rainy Lake Property Owners Association (RLPOA), seeks funding to restore 9 acres of wetlands on Rainy Lake, MN at the juncture of Koochiching County Road 134 (CR 134) and Elks Bay. The site has been significantly impaired by the infestation and dominance of non-native hybrid cattails. The infestation has been accelerated by loss of natural water flow from past road construction and a legacy of privately owned septic systems that were poorly suited to the soil conditions. The consequence has been the displacement of native aquatic plant species, degradation of habitat for waterfowl and fish, and the creation of floating navigational hazards.

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