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Soil and Water district reports $514,000 in county projects, expands tree and conservation programs
Summary
Clay County Soil & Water Conservation District summarized 2024 work — tree sales, planting, no‑till drill rentals, feedlot compliance, wetland work and $514,000 in cost‑shared projects — and outlined 2025 priorities including wetland rules, CREP, aquatic invasive species outreach and low‑interest ag loans.
Kevin, a Soil and Water Conservation District presenter, told the Clay County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 11 that the district ran a busy year of conservation work and is again hiring to fill staff turnover.
The district sold “just about 16,000 trees and shrubs” in 2024 and planted for 25 landowners, Kevin said. Staff installed 11.4 miles of matting and performed more than 50 hand‑plant jobs. In 2025 the district had taken 9,030 tree orders and planned 20 machine planting jobs and 5.6 miles of matting as of the board meeting.
The program includes equipment loans and rentals meant to help smaller landowners. Technician Tony demonstrated a rototiller the district bought to help landowners without tillage equipment prepare sod for planting. The district also continued a long‑running no‑till drill rental program: 1,750 acres were planted for 35 landowners in 2024.
Kevin and district staff described several compliance and grant programs the district administers. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is active in the county, with one CREP contract completed for about 207 acres in Goose Prairie Township in 2024 and several landowners on a waiting list because the federal farm bill rules are in flux. The state’s walk‑in access program had about nine contracts covering roughly 1,913 acres; five contracts covering about 1,200–1,300 acres were expiring in 2025 with an anticipated March application period.
The district manages the county agricultural inspector program and proctored commercial and noncommercial applicator licensing; staff licensed 58 individuals in 2024 and sprayed 291 miles of county road right‑of‑way. Gabe, the county feedlot officer, reported 77 registered feedlots in the county and said state rules require compliance checks on 7% of feedlots (six farms) annually; 2025 is a reregistration year.
Wetland work and the Wetland Conservation Act dominated much of the district’s workload last year; staff completed about 81 distinct wetland projects and made more than 300 landowner contacts. The district also runs a $16,000 per‑year aquatic invasive species grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that funds outreach, billboards and education at events such as youth water festivals.
District staff said they cost‑shared 14 watershed and erosion projects in 2024, paying up to 90% of landowners’ costs; total spending on county projects last year was $514,000. The board was told 11 projects were already on the books for 2025 with $290,000 targeted so far.
Other programs include a low‑interest Agricultural Best Management Practices loan program (3% loans) for septic upgrades and conservation equipment, a pollinator habitat project, urban conservation education and partnerships with riverkeeper and fishing organizations on outreach. Kevin and Tony emphasized that some state and federal program budgets are uncertain while rules for wetland implementation are being revised.
The presentation closed with staff inviting questions from commissioners about septic financing, re‑enrollment in walk‑in access and coordination with county planning staff.
