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Follow on Google News | Midwest Prairies Participates in First Water Quality Trading Project in WisconsinBy: Midwest Prairies Legislation allowing for water quality trading was promulgated by the state several years ago, but it was not until December 2015 that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued its first water quality trading permit to the Baker Cheese company in St. Cloud, WI. In order to satisfy their permit requirements, Baker converted 20 acres of erodible farm land into a perennial native prairie. Baker Cheese's wastewater consultant, The Probst Group of Brookfield, WI, introduced the idea of water quality trading as an effective, environmentally- Midwest Prairies, LLC, designed the prairie plantings, construction plan and long-term maintenance plan for the site. Planting occurred in July 2015. "The site looks great," said Carl Korfmacher, owner of Midwest Prairies, LLC. "Baker Cheese wanted to do things right. We were given a lot of flexibility in coming up with the best approach, which is always a pleasure. In a situation like this, failure is not an option. We installed several dozen native plant species from seed and used state of the art erosion control methods. By fall, native plants were popping up everywhere so we are confident the end result will be spectacular." Baker Cheese CEO Jeff Baker said, "As the first permittee under the water quality trading rules, we knew we would be breaking new ground with the regulators and expected some challenges. The Probst Group, Godfrey & Kahn and Midwest Prairies did a great job working with the DNR and pulling this together. We are pleased with the results. Not only are we meeting all the water quality requirements expected of us, but we've added meaningful habitat to the local land base and are improving our business operations at the same time." Ertel concluded, "Since water quality trading is a new program in Wisconsin, there's uncertainty in the state about whether it can be used successfully and is a reliable compliance option for permittees. Baker Cheese's work has demonstrated that water quality trading can be a very effective compliance option for permittees facing low phosphorus limits. Baker Cheese not only created positive benefits to the watershed in terms of improving water quality, but also provided high-quality native habitat for wildlife." Midwest Prairies, LLC, is a natural resources consulting and contracting company dedicated to restoring prairie, savanna, wetland and woodland habitats throughout the state of Wisconsin. For more information, please contact Carl Korfmacher at 800.382.1132. www.midwestprairies.com End
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