Local Watershed Districts Receive GROW funding.

2020/08/11Local Interest

Swan River— MLA Rick Wowchuk, MLA for Swan River, is welcoming an announcement that the PC Government of Manitoba, in partnership with Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation, is investing in local watershed district projects to support conservation and restoration activities that improve resilience to the effects of climate change.

“These kinds of initiatives will benefit all Manitobans while ensuring climate resilience,” said MLA Rick Wowchuk. “We all have a role to play in protecting our environment and the GROW Trust will have a profound impact on our province’s landscape for decades to come.”

This announcement marks the first round of GROW Trust grant distributions, which support the objectives of the Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan. This year, the trust is distributing over $5 million in conservation efforts. This includes a total of $X for the following projects that impact the Swan River constituency:

Inter-Mountain Watershed District – Advancing Landscape Resiliency within the Inter-Mountain Watershed District. $500,000.00
Swan Lake Watershed District – Surface Quality Improvement for the Swan Valley Project. $167,120.00.

Through GROW, Manitoba’s 14 Watershed Districts and other Manitoba-based conservation groups will deliver projects that improve resilience to the impacts of climate change in watersheds that affect the lives of most Manitobans while recognizing producers’ efforts to improve on-farm ecological goods and services that provide benefits to all Manitobans. Landowners will work with watershed districts and receive capital costs or annual payments to support new conservation projects.

“The GROW Trust is an innovative and forward-thinking approach to investing in sustainable, long-term solutions,” said Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen. “The fund invests in projects that restore and enhance natural areas to reduce flooding, improve water quality, sequester carbon, protect natural habitat, and safeguard soils.”

The GROW Trust is permanently endowed to support and inspire conservation projects for generations. It is managed by The Winnipeg Foundation, while the grant program and project tracking are administered by the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation.