St. Louis County is set to receive about $900,000 in federal money to mitigate wildfire risk.
The U.S. Forest Service chose the county as one of 100 nationwide to receive a portion of nearly $200 million through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program.
The money will assist fire departments, lake and road associations and township boards in the highest wildfire risk areas in the county, going toward planning and education, along with reducing things like underbrush that can fuel a wildfire.
The county has for years participated in the Firewise program, which assists private property owners with land adjacent to federal land by helping them reduce wildfire risk. The new money will broaden the scope of the program.
JANA HOLLINGSWORTH
MINNESOTA
MnDOT awards $7 million for rail improvement projects
Nine grants totaling nearly $7 million were awarded by the Minnesota Department of Transportation on Wednesday to fund railway improvement projects across the central and southern parts of the state.