[Excerpts from Jan. 12th Gov. Pawlenty Press Release]
Saying that protecting and improving Minnesota's waters, forests and wildlife are crucial to an exceptional quality of life, Governor Pawlenty yesterday committed a substantial portion of his 2004 bonding proposal to environmental enhancement projects. Approximately $147.4 million will fund waters, parks and trails, forests, wildlife habitat and flood mitigation efforts in Minnesota.

Funding for protecting and restoring clean waters includes:

- $22 million to fund the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), a state-federal program to set aside agricultural lands for improved water quality and improved wildlife habitat. CREP is a cornerstone of the Governor's clean water initiative, outlined last year. When finished in a few years, the total CREP project will represent a $236 million commitment to restore 100,000 acres in watersheds in southeast, southwest, and northwest Minnesota. The federal government will pay for 80 percent of the project's total cost.

- $20 million for flood mitigation and dam safety projects to reduce soil erosion and downstream flooding while increasing water availability.

- $26.48 million in grants for local wastewater treatment and drinking water projects that will assist Minnesota communities in leveraging federal funding to improve water quality.

Full Release

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