VIROQUA, Wis. – Today, the Vernon County Land Water and Conservation Department announced they are seeking applications for conservation projects. The department can provide cost sharing on a variety of projects. The mission of Vernon County Land and Water Conservation Department is to foster and carry out locally led conservation. Locally led conservation is based on the principle that local leaders and community members are best suited to identify and resolve local natural resource problems.
With this mission in mind the department is seeking requests for projects that would help preserve two of our most valuable resources soil and water. The purpose the work done by the LWCD is to make running water walk. This not only reduces soil loss and protects our waters, but it can also help with flood mitigation. Considering the potential removal of the PL-566 dams in the Coon Creek and West Fork Watersheds, the County would like to get as many conservation projects established before that happens. While there is a need for conservation projects county wide, priority will be given to farmers and landowners in these watersheds.
“We have a new Watershed Plan being developed in Timber Coulee, and part of Coon Creek,” said County Conservationist Ben Wojahn. “Having a Nutrient Management Plan on all farms in these watersheds will greatly inform our conservation efforts. Funding is available to develop a Nutrient Management Plan. It is a great deal for farmers to save money on fertilizer and maximize their input Costs”
The Land and Water Conservation Department has a long history of providing funding and technical support for a variety of conservation projects. Some of the first conservation efforts in the country started in Vernon County, led by few brave farmers who worked with university and government officials to establish what is now a model for land and water conservation across the country.
The LWCD recognizes the enormous impact the potential removal of 13 flood control dams will have on the citizens of Vernon County. With those first conservation efforts from the 1930s serving as an example, the Land and Water Conservation Department is asking the community to help identify areas of resource concern. The county can provide cost sharing for conservation practices to address soil loss, and water quality concerns, which in turn can help with flood mitigation.
While the amount of cost sharing varies depending upon the project. Typically, the LWCD can fund 70 percent of an approved conservation project, where there is a resource concern. The department will also provide the design and technical assistance. Some of the most common projects are Farm Ponds/Dams, Diversions, Sediment and Water Control Basins, Grassed Waterways, Roof Runoff systems, Prairie Buffer/Filter Strips, Contour Strips and Nutrient Management. There is also funding available for well decommissioning and sinkhole treatment.
Considering the increased intensity of rain events in the past several years, combined with the potential removal of the flood control dams, the Vernon County Land Water and Conservation Department is asking farmers and landowners to apply for assistance with conservation projects.
Please call 608-637-5480 for more information, or email mathew.eddy@vernoncounty.org
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