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WLEB Partnership praised by NRCS

Partnerships formed in the Western Lake Erie Basin are an example for the nation.  The Tri- Western Lake Erie Basin Phosphorus Reduction Initiative brings together more than 40 partners in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.  Those partners leveraged their resources to provide almost $30 million in funding to implement conservation practices.

Kirk Hanlin, assistant chief for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, says USDA will match partner dollars through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.  A total of $45.7 million in conservation assistance will be available to provide technical and financial assistance to farmers in the basin.

“On the first round, the Tri-State program that we’re here talking about today was probably the best example of partners coming together.”

Hanlin tells Brownfield, NRCS is encouraging other areas of the country to follow the Western Lake Erie Basin Partnership example.

“What we’re looking at is people who have an identifiable problem, a real solution, that they’re bringing partners to the table to attack the solution, that have a significant match and we’ll let them say what ‘significant’ means.”

A second round of funding is available through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

AUDIO: Interview with Kirk Hanlin (2:59 mp3):