Background:

History: Natural Resources grants provide financial assistance to landowners and local governments who will implement projects that preserve and restore the county’s natural resources and improve water quality. The Natural Resources grant program has two options: (1) the Good Steward grant, primarily for smaller projects that will improve water quality, enhance natural areas and promote environmental stewardship to the community. This program requires a 25 percent funding match from the grant applicant; and (2) the Opportunity grant, which is for larger projects that will improve water quality or preserve, establish or restore natural areas. Special consideration is given to applicants who leverage resources such as Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment funds or other funding sources.

The county received 14 Natural Resources Good Steward grant requests totaling $134,896.25 and two Natural Resources Opportunity grant requests totaling $150,000. The requests were reviewed and recommended by county staff as well as external reviewers. In addition to seeking funds from the county’s Natural Resources Opportunity grant, the applicants attempted to leverage other funding from various sources, including Clean Water Land and Legacy amendment funds, watershed districts, cities, and neighborhood associations.

Since 2013, the county has provided $947,635 in Natural Resources grants for 81 projects that protect natural resources and improve water quality. Funding for these grants comes from the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund.

Current Request: This request is to authorize the County Administrator to negotiate Natural Resources grant agreements with the following organizations for projects that preserve, protect or improve natural resources and water quality in the county.

Good Steward Grant:

• Minneapolis Public Schools-Field Community School (Minneapolis) - $19,665. The Field Community School will install two rain gardens and one vegetated drainage way to capture runoff from the staff parking lot as well as a portion of the paved playground and sidewalks. Conservation Corps of Minnesota, along with students and community volunteers, will construct and plant the raingardens. Permanent signage and enhanced fifth through eighth grade learning curriculum will be part of this project. The project will also positively benefit water quality in Minnehaha Creek.
• Metro Blooms Nokomis East Neighborhood Water Quality Project (Minneapolis) - $18,650. The project will install five runoff control systems, including eleven raingardens, one vegetated drainage way, two native plantings and one permeable pavement system on private properties throughout the neighborhood. Metro Blooms will prepare site specific designs and work with the Conservation Corps of Minnesota to prepare and install the projects. The project will also positively benefit water quality in Minnehaha Creek.
• Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association Raingarden Project (Minneapolis) – $10,000. The project will install up to 20 raingardens throughout this neighborhood. Metro Blooms will prepare site specific designs and work with the Conservation Corps of Minnesota to prepare and install the projects. Water quality in Lake Hiawatha and Minnehaha Creek will benefit from this project.
• Jim and Jennifer Bunkers Prairie Restoration Project (Independence) - $5,450. The project will restore native, pollinator-friendly habitat on 4.5 acres of the Bunker property in Independence. This project will increase habitat for pollinators and ground-nesting birds in the Pioneer Creek and Crow River watersheds.
• Doug and Geralyn McDonald Shoreline Project (Independence) - $10,600. Ravine and bank stabilization practices will be installed on this property adjacent to Lake Independence to control and eliminate gully and unstable shoreline areas. Gully stabilization will involve reshaping and armoring the channel that flows into the lake. Bank stabilization will consist of eliminating non-native, invasive vegetation and restoring it with native, deep rooted vegetation and pollinator-friendly habitat. Water quality in Lake Independence will benefit from this work.
• Heidi and Dan Niziolek, Winchester Pond Project (Bloomington) - $6,500. This will be a neighborhood effort to improve the water quality of Winchester Pond located at 102^nd Street and France Avenue. The project will install three raingardens, restore upland buffer vegetation and install two floating islands. This project will improve water quality in Nine Mile Creek and the Minnesota River.

Opportunity Grant:

• Metro Blooms Autumn Ridge Apartment Retrofit (Brooklyn Park) - $100,000. This a 17-acre highly impervious apartment complex. Metro Blooms is working with the city, Sherman Associates (property owners) and the residents to develop a five-year stormwater retrofit plan. This grant will be for the first two phases of the plan, which will include 12 raingardens, 4 trench drains, 1,000 square feet of native planting areas, and 530 square feet of permeable pavement systems. The Opportunity grant will leverage an additional $100,000 in Shingle Creek Watershed grants and a 25 percent match from Sherman Associates. This project will improve water quality in Shingle Creek.

The request is also for approval to reimburse costs incurred by the grantees after the board approval date and upon execution of the grant agreements.

Impact/Outcomes: The Natural Resources Good Steward and Opportunity grant awards will provide funds to protect water quality and enhance natural resources in Hennepin County. These grants will help implement stormwater best management practices (including bio-retention, bio-filtration, rain gardens and pollinator gardens, and conversion of impervious areas to permeable pavers), undertake stream and shoreline restorations and restore and protect prairie habitat.

APEX contract description: PW-EE Natural Resource grants