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and residents on the value of wetlands and how to determine if an area is a wetland. <br />ACD is the clearinghouse for information and answers to most WCA related questions. <br />Funding for staff to assist with the WCA is challenging as state funds must be matched <br />dollar for dollar and conservation districts do not have the means to garner those funds. <br />WCA compliance can be challenging to those residents undertaking projects who have <br />never dealt with the WCA in the past. ACD helps residents understand how the WCA <br />impacts their project and provides them with the resources necessary to develop a <br />compliant project proposal. ACD also serves as a quality control mechanism to ensure <br />LGUs are fulfilling their obligations under the law. ACD encourages LGUs to utilize <br />escrows and deed restrictions to achieve compliance. <br />WCA enforcement is one area with the WCA that conservation districts are exclusively <br />mandated to handle. Cases can become extremely prolonged when landowners refuse <br />to voluntarily comply with restoration or replacement orders. While the expense can be <br />charged back to the violator, collecting on those invoices is unlikely. For a few years, a <br />BWSR grant program enabled ACD to enhance efforts to enforce the WCA by directing <br />more staff time toward the resolution of violations. <br />Delineation of wetlands according to the 1987 US Army Corps of Engineers Manual for <br />Identifying and Delineating Wetlands is an essential skill in enforcing the WCA. ACD <br />periodically provides wetland delineation services for small projects. This helps to <br />maintain the delineation skills of staff, which is critical for the effective implementation of <br />quality control measures for WCA compliance. It also provides residents with a <br />reasonably priced service for very small sites. <br />Monitoring of replacement wetlands and tracking of replacement wetland monitoring <br />requirements for LGUs are two tasks completed by the ACD Wetland Specialist. <br />Conservation Plans — Property level conservation plans are important components of <br />many programs. ACD develops conservation plans at many scales with variable natural <br />resource focus areas. <br />Water appropriations conservation plans are required for most Minnesota Department of <br />Natural Resources water appropriations permits. They are to be developed with, and <br />approved by, the soil and water conservation district. Most often, these plans are <br />similar to water conservation plans already developed for other projects. However, <br />some customizing is always necessary. <br />Conservation easement management plans are required whenever public funds are <br />expended to secure a conservation easement. ACD prepares plans that outline how the <br />property's soil, water and biota will be managed to maintain and improve the ecological <br />functions of the property. <br />Groundwater use audits are a concept similar to home energy audits but are aimed at <br />looking for ways to reduce consumption of groundwater as well as increasing infiltration. <br />ACD will seek funds to develop and implement groundwater use audits. <br />Financial Assistance <br />Project Cost Share — Financial assistance in the form of project cost share grants is <br />sometimes available along with our technical services to encourage projects on private <br />page 34 Anoka Conservation District Comprehensive Plan October 2014 <br />