Northern Regional Committee Meeting

Date:  January 6, 2025

Time:  9:30 a.m.

Location:  Beltrami County Administration Building, Commissioners Conference Room, 701 Minnesota Ave. NW, Bemidji, MN  56601

Micorosoft Teams Virtual Option:  Join the meeting now

Call In (audio only):  651-395-7448

             Conference ID:  477 44 1326#

Agenda:

• Approve September 4, 2024 Meeting Minutes
• Public Comment Period
• Upper/Lower Red Lake Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan
• Upper Mississippi-Grand Rapids Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan
• Crow Wing River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan
• Adjourn

Contact:  Ryan Hughes, Northern Region Manager, 218-770-9687, ryan.hughes@state.mn.us

Committee Roster

November 2024

ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AAC)

Responsibility: The AAC consists of the Board’s chair and vice-chair and the chairs of the Board’s standing committees. The AAC may make evaluations and recommendations to the Board on various Board issues including ethics; expenses/per diem; bylaws; and implementing legislation and budgets. The AAC will act as the personnel committee for personnel actions relating to the Board’s executive director. The chair may include additional members ad hoc to address special or unique topics or issues.

Meetings: The committee will meet at the call of the chair.

AUDIT & OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (A&O)

Responsibility: The Committee consists of the Board’s chair, vice-chair, and appointed at-large members. It appraises the effectiveness of the agency’s internal controls and risk assessment and provides an avenue of communication between BWSR’s internal audit function and external auditors, management, and the Board. In addition, the A&O is also responsible for the Performance Review and Assistance Program (PRAP) oversight and receives reports on BWSR and Local Government Unit program evaluations and fiscal compliance matters.

Meetings: The Committee will meet at least once during the year or at the call of the chair or a majority of the members.

BUFFERS, SOILS & DRAINAGE COMMITTEE (BSDC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing buffer, drainage and soil conservation statutes, rules, policies, guidelines, programs and special projects and related plans, operational partnerships, and opportunities to enhance the agency’s implementation of programs; and for making the resulting recommendations to the Board.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE (DRC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for hearing appeals, including those related to the Wetland Conservation Act, watershed district rule and permit decision appeals, and, under MS103A.301, determinations of water law and policy. The authority of the DRC is established in statute and assigned to the DRC by the Board. Under current guidelines the DRC hears the appeals and makes recommendations to the Board.

Per M.S. 103B.101, Subd.10, the committee is appointed by the board chair.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as needed to process appeals that have been filed with the Board.

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing grant allocations, policies, and related procedures and making recommendations to the Board.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with Board Chair or staff.

RIM RESERVE COMMITTEE (RRC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing RIM Reserve Program statutes, rules, policies, guidelines, rates and for considering strategic plans, operational partnerships, and opportunities to enhance the agency’s conservation easements programs; and for making the resulting recommendations to the Board.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

WATER MANAGEMENT & STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE (WMSPC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for the development of strategic plans for the Board including identification of key outcomes, partnerships and opportunities. The WMSPC is also responsible for the development of program and policy to guide and direct implementation of local water and watershed management plans, including the One Watershed - One Plan program.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

WETLAND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE (WCC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) and wetland banking rules, policies, guidelines and plans.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

DRAINAGE WORK GROUP (DWG)

Responsibility: The Drainage Work Group is responsible for developing recommendations for drainage system management and related water management, including recommendations for updating Minnesota Statutes Chapter 103E Drainage and related provisions.

Meetings:  The work group will meet as determined by the staff.