"Touch the Sky" gets SW Foundation grant
The Southwest Minnesota Foundation announced on Monday it was awarding a $50,000 grant to the Brandenburg Prairie Foundation for it's "Touch the Sky" prairie preservation project.
In Monday's press release the foundation said the foundation's mission is to "educate, promote, preserve and expand native prairie in southwest Minnesota."
The "Touch the Sky" project is also an educational, tourism and environmental initiative, with a goal to draw people to southwest Minnesota to experience native prairie, according to the release.
The money from the SWMF will be used to purchase an additional parcel of land that will be developed as a trailhead for visitors.
There are plans by the Brandenburg foundation to build shelters on the site for parking and picnicking.
There is also a long-term goal of possibly building a Prairie Learning Center at the trailhead site.
In it's partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service the Brandenburg Foundation has secured 690 acres for the "Touch the Sky" project, which is located northwest of Luverne.
The future will also include a tie to the Southwest Regional Trails Plan for area biking and walking trails, the Highway 75 "King of Trails" project and other area tourist sites such as the Pipestone National Monument and Split Rock Creek State Park and the Blue Mound State Park.
Could you be eligible for an additional property tax refund?
Due to recent property tax legislation, more homeowners will be eligible and refund amounts may be larger.
Income limits for the refund have been raised from $71,700 to $80,180, and the maximum refund amount has been increased from $510 to $1,500.
The expanded refund was part of a property tax bill, aimed at reducing property taxes by $2.3 billion over four years.
Overall, property tax rates are expected to drop, on average, 16 percent.
If you think you might qualify for an additional refund, you will need to file form M1PR, which is available at libraries and government offices, or by calling the Minnesota Department of Revenue at 651-296-3781.
How's your nitrate levels
Do you get your drinking water from a private well? If so, you could have your water tested for nitrates for free.
On August 2, during the fair, at no cost, you can get your water tested at the fairgrounds commerce building from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), Rock County Land Management and the Minnesota Department of Health sponsor the event.
The project is a part of a series of water-testing clinics being offered throughout 2002. Only water from private wells will be tested.
Nitrates are the most common contaminants in MinnesotaÕs groundwater and a significant number of the state's wells have high nitrates.
Nitrates are a major problem if consumed by infants because they can cause suffocation due to a condition known as 'blue baby' syndrome.
According to Gene Hugoson, MDA Commissioner, studies indicate that between 5 percent and 25 percent of the private wells in greater Minnesota have nitrate levels above the federal drinking water standard.
If you want to participate you must:
Bring at least one-half cup of water in either a Whirl-Pak plastic bag or a Ziploc-type bag.
Allow the water to run five to ten minutes before filling the bag.
If you have water treatment equipment, or a water softener, take one sample before and one sample after the treatment.
Water samples should be taken no more than 24 hours before the testing, and they must be refrigerated. Samples should be cool when they arrive at the clinic.
To ensure accuracy, homeowners should mark the bags with their name, phone number and a well identification number if more than one well is sampled.
Samples are tested on the spot, and the process usually takes about five minutes.
Publisher Roger Tollefson can be contacted by e-mail at
tolly@star-herald.com