Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Soil Water Conservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Soil and Water Conservation District reports tree sales, erosion projects and staffing challenges
Summary
Clay County Soil and Water Conservation District reported selling roughly 16,000 trees in 2024, completed multiple erosion-control projects and said staff turnover and state funding uncertainty may affect several federal- and state-funded programs in 2025.
Kevin, a representative of the Clay County Soil and Water Conservation District, told the County Board on Feb. 11 that the district sold about 16,000 trees and shrubs in 2024 and installed 11.4 miles of erosion-control matting last year.
The update said the district planted trees for about 25 landowners and completed more than 50 hand-plant projects. For early 2025 the district reported 9,030 trees ordered, 20 machine-planting jobs and 5.6 miles of matting already scheduled. The district also purchased a rototiller to help landowners without heavy tillage equipment prepare sod for planting.
The district described several conservation programs it manages or supports: the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), the state’s walk-in access program for hunters, county agricultural-inspector and feedlot compliance work, buffer-law monitoring and an aquatic invasive-species outreach grant administered through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Tony, a district technician, said the district completed one CREP contract covering about 207 acres in Goose Prairie Township in 2024 and is marketing the program for 2025 but said implementation depends on federal Farm Bill funding.
The district reported 1,913 acres enrolled in Minnesota’s walk-in-access program and said five contracts covering roughly 1,200–1,300 acres are expiring in 2025 and are expected to reenroll. On feedlot oversight, staff said there are 77 registered feedlots in Clay County and that the county must inspect 7% of them annually (about six operations). The district’s county feedlot officer handles re‑registration this year, which occurs every four years.
Wetland Conservation Act work accounted for heavy activity in 2024: staff recorded about 81 distinct wetland-related projects and more than 300 landowner contacts, a sharp increase over prior years. The department asked the board to watch pending state legislative discussions affecting riparian-aid and buffer funding.
The district said it spent $514,000 on cost‑share projects in 2024 and has 11 projects planned for 2025 with $290,000 already targeted; the district said it often cost‑shares 90% of project costs with landowners and can sometimes add federal funding to stretch local dollars.
Board members asked about septic systems and a low‑interest ag BMP loan program the district administers; the district said loan demand has risen as commercial interest rates rose and that some landowners who need septic repairs cannot qualify for bank financing. The district suggested the board consider county mechanisms — used by about 30 other Minnesota counties, the district said — to place septic work costs on property tax assessments when loans cannot be obtained.
Commissioners also discussed local markets for cover-crop biomass (including a proposed aviation fuel project) and prioritized continued work on no‑till drills, pollinator habitat monitoring and urban outreach programs such as school planting projects and a water festival for fourth graders.
The district asked for questions and staff affirmed ongoing coordination with county planning and zoning and other partners; no formal county action or vote was taken on funding at the meeting.
