COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Conservationists in Branch County and Southwest Michigan are excited with Wednesday’s word from U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow about a major grant which includes millions of dollars to address water issues concerning the St. Joseph River. It’s a $ 6.8 million watershed conservation partnership for the river of which over 70% is in agricultural use, stretching 210 miles.
The project will offer farmers public and private financial and technical assistance to access conservation tools that reduce excessive sediment and nutrients in the St. Joseph River and improve wildlife and fish habitat. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will partner with the State of Indiana and over 30 local organizations. The St. Joseph River project is part of a $40 million investment across Michigan and the Great Lakes Region. It’s a direct result of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, created in Sen. Stabenow’s 2014 Farm Bill.
The grants will also address water quality concerns in Western Lake Erie and the Saginaw Bay as well as wildlife habitat in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula forests and forest health throughout the state.
