BE IT RESOLVED, that the following agreements be approved to provide funding for the selected organizations for projects that will improve water quality in the 2020 grant cycle, during the period of March 10, 2020 through December 31, 2021 for the Natural Resources Good Steward grants; and during the period March 10, 2020 through December 31, 2022 for the Natural Resources Opportunity grants: 

Good Steward Grants

• PR00001947 with Friends of the Mississippi River, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $13,500;
• PR00001946 with Common Roots Cafe, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $25,000;
• PR00001948 with Tangletown Neighborhood Association, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $7,000;
• PR00001949 with Girard Park, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $22,500;
• PR00001999 with Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $18,700

Opportunity Grants

• PR00001997 with the City of Brooklyn Park, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $100,000;
• PR00002024 with Boisclair Corporation, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $75,000;    
• PR00001998 with Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $60,000; and    

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that following review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office, the County Administrator be authorized to sign the agreements on behalf of the county; that the County Administrator be authorized to approve one 12-month extension of the agreements; that costs incurred by the grantees after the board approval date be eligible for reimbursement upon execution of the agreements; and that the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed.

History: Natural Resources grants provide financial and technical assistance to landowners and local governments that will implement projects to preserve and restore the county’s natural resources and improve water quality. There are two types of Natural Resources grants:

1. Good Steward grants are primarily for smaller projects that 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.
2. Opportunity grants are ideal for larger projects seeking to leverage multiple funding sources. These grants are intended to help partners take advantage of opportunities to implement large projects that improve water quality or preserve, establish, or restore natural areas.

The availability of both types of grants is promoted through communication with cities, watershed management organizations and other natural resources partners, direct mail, and the Environment and Energy Department’s e-newsletter, Green Notes. Proposals for the Good Steward grants were solicited for six weeks in fall 2019. Opportunity grant requests are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.

The county received 19 Good Steward grant requests totaling $134,054 and five Opportunity grant requests totaling $500,000.

A committee consisting of county staff and external reviewers evaluated the proposals based on each project’s potential to reduce erosion, improve water quality, protect groundwater resources, protect and/or restore wildlife habitat, provide meaningful education and engagement to the public, as well as the ability of the applicant to effectively complete the project.

Since 2013, the county has provided $1.675 million in Natural Resources grants for 61 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 Good Steward and Opportunity Grant agreements with organizations referenced below for projects that will preserve, protect, or improve natural resources and water quality in the county:

Good Steward Grants

• PR00001947 with Friends of the Mississippi River, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $13,500 for a project that will create and enhance native habitat on 7.8 acres on Nicollet Island, 2 acres at Orvin “Ole” Olson Park, and 15 acres in the Mississippi River Gorge. The projects will use volunteers to plant an estimated 1,600 new trees, shrubs, native plants, and wildflowers;
• PR00001946 with Common Roots Cafe, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $25,000 for a system to capture rainwater from the roof and reuse it to water patio and boulevard plants;
• PR00001948 with Tangletown Neighborhood Association, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $7,000 for a project that will recruit neighborhood residents to install rain gardens and vegetated drainageway that will hold and infiltrate stormwater runoff on up to 15 properties in Minneapolis;
• PR00001949 with Girard Park, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $22,500 for a project to enhance a wetland buffer, remove and replace turfgrass with prairie plants, and create a vegetated drainageway that will hold and infiltrate runoff from the building’s rooftop; and
• PR00001999 with Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $18,700 for a project that will capture rainwater runoff from the roof in cisterns for reuse in metal casting processes. The system will be custom designed and fabricated by metal fine-arts staff, and will include a workshop to engage the community in the process.

Opportunity Grants

• PR00001997 with the City of Brooklyn Park, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $100,000 for a project to create a stormwater pond that will treat 300 acres of developed area upstream, the majority of which currently drain to the Mississippi River untreated. The project will also stabilize the banks of the Mississippi River and improve and create natural prairie habitats;
• PR00002024 with Boisclair Corporation, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $75,000 for a project that will work with residents of Brook Gardens, an affordable housing complex in Brooklyn Center, to develop and implement a plan to improve green space access and stormwater management on the property. The project will also remove and replace ash trees with new shade trees and create a “nature play” landscape design to provide access to higher quality natural spaces for the residents; and
• PR00001998 with Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, or affiliated entity, with the amount not to exceed $60,000 for a project to install four large rain gardens and one vegetated drainageway to treat runoff from parking lots and sidewalks at five churches in Edina and Bloomington. The Nine Mile Creek Watershed District will maintain the rain gardens for two years, and then provide hands-on training and maintenance checklists to the churches and their congregations.

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. Approval of the grant agreements with the City of Brooklyn Park and Boisclair Corporation require board approval because each entity has executed contracts with the county that exceed $100,000.

Impact/Outcomes: The Natural Resources grants will provide funds to protect water quality and enhance natural resources in Hennepin County. These grants will help implement stormwater best management practices, which include installing rain gardens and other features that use native plants and slow water movement to naturally filter and retain water. Other projects will capture rain water on-site and reuse it for other commercial and industrial purposes, thereby reducing both rain water runoff as well as potable water needs. Some projects will undertake stream and shoreline restorations that will improve wetland, woodland, and stream habitat.

Two of these projects are located in areas of concern for environmental justice. Supporting projects that improve water quality, plant trees and create green spaces will improve livability in neighborhoods experiencing disproportionate amounts of economic, environmental, and health disparities.

These projects help the county adapt to a changing climate that is wetter and warmer. Projects that naturally filter and retain water can improve water quality and help reduce localized flooding. Projects that add more trees and native plants help manage stormwater and sequester carbon. These grants leverage the intersection of the natural and built environments to help protect people and places. 

The Natural Resources grants are a part of the county’s strategic approach to prioritizing, partnering, and pursuing other funding sources to improve water quality and protect natural resources. Opportunity grants in particular are meant to leverage significant external funding sources. The three Opportunity grants selected in this round will leverage an additional $3,357,275 of funding from state, city, watershed, non-profit, and private sources.