Recent News

Funding Cut for the RC&D Program

Earlier this year, Congress eliminated federal funding for Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) programs throughout the United States, including those provided by the Lake Agassiz Regional Council.

The Lake Agassiz RC&D program was established in 1972 and served as a catalyst for the development and expanded programs of the Lake Agassiz Regional Council.  Throughout its nearly 40-year history the RC&D program sponsored projects that encouraged land conservation, water management, community development, and environmental stewardship in the six-county Lake Agassiz region. 

In spite of the program’s end the Council has continued its support of the “Salt of the Earth” documentary on soil salinity, a growing problem that threatens agricultural production and incomes. The documentary will be broadcast September 20, 2011 on Prairie Public Television.  The “Upper Red River Riparian Project” will also continue to be supported by the Council.  The primary purpose of this project is to provide information and education for riparian management and restoration techniques to landowners, communities, water resource districts and soil conservation districts within the targeted watersheds. Financial assistance will be provided to landowners on selected sites to demonstrate effective riparian forest management. There will be an outreach effort for proper management of riparian areas within an urban setting. An inventory of the riparian forest has been completed in order to estimate the percentage of ash and predict the possible impacts from an Emerald Ash Borer infestation. Establishing or improving riparian vegetation will help to prevent stream bank erosion and reduce sediment.

Steve Fischer, Lake Agassiz RC&D Program Coordinator, has been transferred to another position within USDA. 

LARC Board Recommends FY 2011 CDBG Funding for Region V Projects

Each year North Dakota’s eight regions are awarded a share of the state’s annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program allocation. Region V’s 2010 award was $386,922. The same amount is preliminarily anticipated for 2011. The 2011 CDBG Program Distribution Statement, as approved by the Board, governs the process for receiving proposals and recommending funding to the state. Pre-applications were due on January 21, 2011, and the annual Board scoring and ranking session was held February 18, 2011. The LARC Board of Directors voted to recommend funding for the following projects.

• Fort Ransom Stream Bank Restoration and Stabilization Project - $45,900
• Page Water Tower Rehabilitation Project - $230,000
• Mapleton Neighborhood Storm Sewer Improvement Project - $86,022
• Pleasant Township (Cass County) Community Center Removal of Architectural Barriers - $25,000

Projects are all expected to commence upon final grant approval later in 2011.

Council Assists Local Jurisdictions with Flood Mitigation Efforts

 LARC began assisting local jurisdictions, mainly Cass County, and the cities of Valley City and Lisbon in their flood mitigation efforts after the historic 2009 flood.  2010 brought with it another of the top crests of the Red River at Fargo, further reinforcing the need for permanent measures to minimize future threats to the built environment.

Approved projects in Cass County included two projects approved through FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMA) and one through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) totaling more than $22.9 million dollars.  Since the projects began over $14.275 million was spent on the acquisition and associated costs of 70 properties in the county.

HMGP acquisition projects were also approved in Lisbon and Valley City for $1.25 million and $515,225 respectively.  Although the process has begun no homes have been acquired in either of those areas to date.

Prompted by recent and continued flooding in areas around the region, the Lake Agassiz Regional Council is currently in the process of assisting communities with more than a half dozen HMGP applications for projects ranging from a structure elevation to building levees and purchasing generators.