Reinvest in Minnesota Reserve
Background
In 1986, the Reinvest in Minnesota Resources Act was enacted to restore certain marginal and environmental sensitive agricultural land to protect soil and water quality and support fish and wildlife habitat. To-date over $200 million state dollars has resulted in over 6,000 easements covering more than 250,000 acres. The program currently focuses on permanent wetland restoration, adjacent native grassland wildlife habitat complexes and permanent riparian buffers.
BWSR’s Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Reserve program is a critical component of the state’s efforts to improve water quality by reducing soil erosion, and phosphorus and nitrogen loading, and improving wildlife habitat and flood attenuation on private lands. RIM Reserve is implemented in cooperation with county SWCDs. The RIM Reserve program compensates landowners for granting conservation easements and establishing native vegetation habitat on economically marginal, flood-prone, environmentally sensitive or highly erodible lands. The program protects the state’s water and soil resources by permanently restoring wetlands, adjacent native grassland wildlife habitat complexes and permanent riparian buffers.
How it works
The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) acquires, on behalf of the state, conservation easements to permanently protect, restore and manage critical natural resources without owning the land outright. The land remains in private ownership and the landowner retains responsibility for maintenance and paying applicable real estate taxes and assessments. BWSR provides statewide program coordination and administration and implementation at the local level is done by county Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs).
Who is involved
The RIM Reserve program is the primary land acquisition program for state held conservation easements and restoration of wetlands and native grasslands on privately owned land in Minnesota. This program partners with public and private landowners, state, federal and local government entities, non-profit organization and the citizens of Minnesota.