On Thursday, November 2, 2017, Lennar was honored to receive the 2017 Watershed Hero Innovation Award from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) as a result of their partnership to improve the wetland located north of Marsh Lake Road east of County Hwy 43. This project has been in the works since 2015 when the partnership formed in order to discover a way to restore the MN DNR Public Water Wetland (10-201W).
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District is comprised of local government with the responsibility of maintaining and protecting the water resources in one of the most high-traffic urban watersheds in Minnesota. MCWD intends to recognize specific stewards who have partnered with them during the year to receive Watershed Hero Awards as a result of their time and dedication to the preservation and betterment of lakes, streams and wetlands in the area.
Paul Tabone, Lennar’s Land Entitlement Manager stated, “We are honored to have received this award from MCWD and thank them for their support. Rather than purchasing wetland mitigation credits from somewhere else, we put that cash right back into the local watershed – for current and future local residents – and assisted the watershed with their enhancement plans for a degraded area of Six-Mile Creek.” He continued, “It just seemed to make sense, and it is fantastic to be a part of a successful partnership. It’s not often that developers are recognized as stewards of natural resources, and hopefully we can help change that perception a bit.”
These awards have been given out since 2007. They offer an opportunity to recognize those who have dedicated their hard work to the positive influence of the Minnehaha Creek watershed. The Innovation Award specifically sets apart the work of an individual or organization to restore and maintain the quality of water in the Minnehaha Creek watershed.
Lennar’s Land Development Area Manager, Joseph Jablonski mentioned, “Lennar is excited to have received this award as a demonstration of great things that can be achieved through partnerships created between regulating agencies and developers. This award recognizes the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors to improve our environment and the quality of Lake Wasserman.”
Lennar plans to continue initiatives such as this one. The company looks forward to future collaboration to restore and improve the environment for surrounding communities. It is an honor to witness the restoration and improvement of the Minnehaha Creek watershed as a result.
“We take pride in the work that we do, making great efforts to keep our homes environmentally conscious,” Lennar Minnesota Division President, Bill Burgess said. “When the opportunity arose for us to partner with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District to improve the environment and quality of the property adjacent to Six Mile Creek, we were confident that we would be able to contribute our time and resources to help restore the wetland. I am proud of the Lennar associates who have devoted so much of their time and efforts on this project and Lennar is honored to receive the Watershed Heroes Innovation Award for their efforts.”
