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Board adopts Mississippi River Headwaters FY26–27 workplan to fund conservation projects
Summary
Itasca County approved the Mississippi River Headwaters Watershed FY26–27 workplan and budget under the One Watershed One Plan framework, directing state WBIF funds toward forest stewardship, soil‑health practices and stormwater projects in priority lakes and cities.
The Itasca County Board adopted the Mississippi River Headwaters Watershed FY26–27 workplan and budget during the April 28 meeting as part of the One Watershed One Plan (1W1P) implementation funding. The partnership’s packet lists an Itasca SWCD allocation that includes $47,000 for staff time, $49,000 for technical assistance and engineering, and $185,000 for on-the-ground project implementation.
Planned activities for the FY26–27 cycle emphasize voluntary water-quality and conservation practices: agricultural soil‑health best management practices over targeted acreage, shoreland restoration, stormwater BMPs in Deer River and Cohasset, forest stewardship plans covering tens of thousands of acres, and projects tied to priority lakes such as Lake Bemidji, Lake Plantagenet and Turtle Lake. The board’s adoption authorizes the county to accept funding to implement the watershed plan; the packet notes Beltrami SWCD is acting as fiscal agent for the overall partnership allocation.
County staff said the funding is drawn from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment and carries no direct cost to Itasca County taxpayers. The board approved the resolution 4–0; staff will proceed with grant reporting, Policy Committee coordination and the early steps of project implementation.
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