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   The Cass Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is proud to share that Kathy Wagner, of Wabedo Township, has been selected as Minnesota’s 2025 Community Conservationist by the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD). Wagner was first chosen by the Area 8 panel—representing the Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, and Wadena SWCDs, before being selected from eight finalists statewide for the top honor. The award was presented by Melissa Lewis, Assistant Division Director at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

   This statewide recognition builds on Kathy’s earlier selection as the 2025 Community Conservationist for Cass County, announced by Cass SWCD. Kathy’s decades of conservation work, both on her own property and throughout Cass County, have demonstrated her commitment to clean water, healthy habitat, and community engagement.

A Legacy of Personal Stewardship

   Kathy’s conservation journey began on the land where her parents once ran Wolf Lodge Resort. Like many lakeshore properties of the past, its manicured turf made the shoreline prone to erosion. Determined to restore and protect the lake she loves, Kathy partnered with the Cass SWCD to install a sustainable shoreline restoration project that included coir logs, silt fencing, native vegetation, live stakes, and seed mixes. Within a year, the restored shoreline was thriving and improving water quality, strengthening habitat, and serving as a model for others.

   Her stewardship extends to her organic blueberry patch, where she maintains sustainable practices, and to the many opportunities she creates for neighbors and residents to learn about conservation.

Leadership Across Cass County

   Kathy’s leadership reaches well beyond her own property. She has been a strong advocate for responsible development, serving five years on the Wabedo Township Planning Commission to support sustainable shoreline policies. She also holds, or has held, multiple leadership roles, including:

   • President of the Wabedo, Little Boy, Cooper, and Rice Lake Association, serving 15 years on the board and six as president.

   • Board member of the Association of Cass County Lakes (ACCL) since 2016 and president from 2019-.

   • Member of the Cass County Health, Human, and Veteran Services Advisory Committee since 2018.

   Through ACCL, Kathy has advanced education and outreach, expanded aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention efforts, and helped bring current research to lake associations. Under her leadership, 42 AIS tool stations have been installed across the county, supplying boaters with the tools needed to prevent the spread of invasive species.

Commitment to Clean Water and Science

   For 15 years, Kathy volunteered with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to monitor water quality in the Boy River system. She also partnered with the Department of Natural Resources and Cass SWCD to help secure landowner permissions for culvert upgrades at Stony Creek—reducing sediment and phosphorus loads to area waters.

Her work has earned recognition before, including the 2022 Research Partnership Award presented to ACCL by the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center.

   Kathy Wagner’s statewide honor reflects a lifetime of dedication to protecting Minnesota’s waters, supporting resilient communities, and inspiring others to do the same.

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