Residents of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District in Minnesota are being offered green to go green. The district is currently offering homeowners a significant incentive to implement eco-friendly landscaping techniques. Those who install rain gardens that allow rain water to soak into the ground, install a green roof or plant native plants along shorelines to restore stream banks could be reimbursed as much as $3,000.

The program started after watershed officials in the area were trying to assess the best way to meet clean water goals and decided that people could make a difference by making changes in their yards or bigger developments. The question is would they? Apparently by offering up some sort of financial gain they just might. Eligible individuals could qualify for as much as $3,000, with businesses and governments having the potential to earn back $25,000.

Now there's an idea! In an ideal world, would we all do this kind of landscaping because it's good for the earth? Of course. However the reality is that sometimes people need a little push to get the momentum for positive change going and waving some money (or the potential for money) in their faces is a pretty effective way of doing that.

» Star Tribune