The Red River Basin, located in parts of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, has lost a significant amount of its native prairie and wetlands which helped to buffer the Basin from severe flooding. The loss of critical water retaining land cover has also meant a loss of wildlife habitat and increased water quality concerns. In addition, complex topographies ranging from extremely flat, glacial lake plains and valleys to hilly beach ridges provide conservation challenges and the need for a variety of conservation practices to resolve the water quantity, water quality and wildlife habitat natural resource issues.

Minnesota NRCS is on a Health Kick! Healthy soil that is. The 2012 cropping season saw unusual weather patterns in the state. Wind and rain erosion was common on unprotected cropland. The time could not be more right for Minnesota NRCS to begin a new era of conservation. Conservationists across the state will work not only to protect top soil but to enhance the quality and health of our state soil resources. This initiative is called Soil Health.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications to help producers improve water and air quality, build healthier soil, improve grazing and forest lands, conserve energy, enhance organic operations, and achieve other environmental benefits.