INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A $500,000 grant is expected to increase the number of soil conservation practices in Indiana and improve water quality in watersheds across the state.
The Indiana Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program announced the grant Monday. The Indiana State Department of Agriculture says the funding was provided from a legal settlement that was stewarded in part by the Indiana Wildlife Federation.
The program seeks to improve water quality by creating buffers and wetlands aimed at reducing pollution from sediment, nutrient, pesticide and herbicide losses from agricultural runoff into watersheds near the Wabash and White Rivers.
Participants in the program remove cropland from agricultural production and convert the land to native grasses, trees and other vegetation.
