justnorth posted on November 14, 2007 17:23 :: 1511 Views
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will grant nine conservation clubs a total of $476,000 to improve prairies, grasslands, brushlands and wetlands on state wildlife management areas.
The grant dollars are provided through the Heritage Enhancement Grants to Local Outdoors Clubs program, which is funded from a portion of the sales tax generated by Minnesota State Lottery sales. This is the seventh year grants will be awarded through the program.
“We’re really pleased with the partnerships the Heritage Enhancement Grant Program has generated,” said Dennis Simon, wildlife management section chief. “The clubs are great to work with and have helped to get a lot of habitat work done. ”
Projects for which grants were approved range from brush shearing and native grass seeding to fish barriers and tree plantings.
This year’s grant recipients and their projects include:
- Ducks Unlimited, Inc., wetland habitat improvements, $90,000
- Hiawatha Land Pheasants Forever, woody cover development, $1,975
- Minnesota Sharp-Tailed Grouse Association, brushland management, $123,900
- Minnesota Waterfowl Association, wild rice seeding, $6,500
- Padua Conservation Club, prescribed burns, $10,000
- Pheasants Forever, prairie/grassland management and prescribed burns, $181,625
- Ruffed Grouse Society, woodcock openings, $15,000
- St. Paul Audubon Society, prairie/grassland management, $10,000
- The Nature Conservancy, prescribed burns, $37,000
The DNR received 29 grant applications seeking a total of $848,538. DNR staff reviewed each application then awarded grants based on dollars available, project value, location and other factors.
“The focus of this year’s funds will be on grasslands, wetlands and brushlands,” said Simon. “In doing so, we are continuing our commitment to enhance habitat for waterfowl, pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse and woodcock.” Simon said the projects are good for both hunters and habitat conservation.
“These dollars go right into the ground,” he explained. “They pay for seeding, burning, shearing and other types of management that improve the quantity and quality of our state’s habitat.”
Article Source:
http://justnorth.com/Articles/tabid/105/articleType/AuthorView/authorID/12/justnorth.aspx