Flowers bloom in the shadow of a great white bear

White Bear is a lake with a storied past. At 2438 acres, it is the second largest lake in the Twin Cities metro, and its history features a legendary fight with a giant bear, steamships, gangsters, famous authors, legal battles, and even an amusement park. Recently, efforts led by the Washington Conservation District have focused on improving habitat and reducing stormwater runoff from small communities located along the southeast shore of the lake.    

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An apple farmer by day, conservation champion for a lifetime

Over the course of his career, Jim Birkholz has supported SWCDs around the state, established a thriving family-run orchard, and helped to complete dozens of large-scale land and water protection efforts in Chisago County.

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New grant funds will help to improve habitat connectivity in Washington County

In the coming year, Washington Conservation District (WCD) will receive $185,000 in funding through the Pollinator Pathways program and $246,000 through the Habitat Enhancement Landscape Program (HELP) to restore and improve wildlife and pollinator habitat in more than a dozen priority locations.

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2021 will bring $2.6 million in new funding for watershed work in the St. Croix region

Just in time for the holidays, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources approved $12.3 million in Clean Water Fund grants to be used statewide for water quality improvement projects across Minnesota. Locally, partners in the Lower St. Croix watershed will receive $1.4 million in Clean Water grants in addition to $1.2 million already…

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