In cooperation with county Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), BWSR's Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) conservation easement programs compensate willing landowners for granting conservation easements. Conservation easements are a critical component of the state’s efforts to improve water quality by reducing soil erosion, phosphorus and nitrogen loading, and improving wildlife habitat and flood attenuation on private lands.
Established in 1986, RIM is made up of a variety of conservation easement programs. Our restoration-focused programs seek to protect economically marginal, flood-prone, environmentally sensitive, or highly erodible lands that are used for agricultural or other non-compatible uses, then restore wetlands, adjacent native grassland wildlife habitat complexes, and permanent riparian buffers, which protect and improve the state's water and soil resources. Our protection-focused programs seek to protect existing wildlife habitat, riparian buffer, or other natural land cover. Some programs are led and administered by BWSR, while others are lead and administered by conservation partners that use RIM as a tool to achieve local conservation priorities.
Most of this Conservation Easements section of the BWSR website is geared toward SWCDs to support local implementation of conservation easement programs. Landowners interested in BWSR conservation easements should contact their local SWCD for more information.
However, the Information for Landowners page has resources for private landowners interested in enrolling or with existing BWSR-held conservation easements. While this page is currently under construction, please use these links to access information for landowners:
BWSR's conservation easement programs have been and are currently funded by a variety of sources, including:
- Outdoor Heritage Fund
- Clean Water Fund
- Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund
- Bonding
- General Fund
- Federal Partnerships
