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EN-FORUM <br /> <br />Page 1 of I <br /> <br />FEMA grant to purchase land for river greenways <br />By Erin Hemme Froslie <br />The Forum - 02/08/2002 <br /> <br />Cass County will receive a $2.2 million grant from the Federal Emergency [4anagement Agency to purchase <br />undeveloped and agricultural land for a greenway along the Wild Rice and Red Rivers. <br /> <br />The goal of the grant is to keep homes and businesses out of flood-prone areas - something the county has <br />been striving for since the 1997 flood. <br /> <br />Th~s project w prevent future development n the floodpla n sa d David L. i~laurstad, regional director of <br />FEHA. "The easements will he[p provide for flood storage, improved water quality, wildlife habitat, and <br />undeveloped public green space." <br /> <br />Since the 1997 flood, Cass County leaders have worked to develop a greenway along its rivers and have used <br />previous grants to do that. These public lands allow flood waters to flow freely without causing expeflsive <br />damage. <br /> <br />One of the related projects in the past year was the buyout of about a dozen vacant lots in the Orchard Glen <br />development south of Fargo. <br /> <br />The federal grant, which will be supplemented by state and local contributions, will help the county continue <br />the process. <br /> <br />cash upfront, said County Engineer Keith Berndt. Those may include purchasing agricultural land at 85 percent <br /> <br />"We may be able to reach some satisfactory agreements that benefit everyone involved," he said. <br /> <br />Erin Hemme Frostie at (701) 241-5534 <br /> <br />httg://new,in~fo~,com/a~-ticles/priraer.¢fm?id~5063 2/8/2002, <br /> <br /> <br />