This grant manual establishes the administrative and programmatic requirements for all grants administered through the Board of Water and Soil Resources. The manual includes the following sections:
Administrative requirements & policies are those matters common to all grants, including topics such as: processing and amending grants, technical quality assurances, reporting, noncompliance, and records retention. These requirements are distinguished from programmatic requirements, which are specific to an agreement or to a grant program; or implementing practices, which includes matters common only to those grants that install practices. All provisions for the administration of grants that are less restrictive than these administrative requirements are superseded, except to the extent that they are required by statute or regulation, pertain to existing agreements, or are authorized in writing by the Board or Water and Soil Resources.
Implementing practices details procedures for activities that construct practices and projects, including items such as: processing conservation practice contracts, operation and maintenance guidelines, and vegetation guidelines. The provisions within this section may be required by a specific grant program.
Optional and example forms include forms and example documents that have been made available for use, but are not required of any grant program.
- Administrative Requirements And Policies
About the BWSR Grants Administration Manual (updated 7/1/23)
Processing a BWSR Grant (updated 7/1/23)
Plan Status and Grant Eligibility Policy (updated 7/1/18)
Grant Agreement Amendments and Work Plan Revisions (updated 7/1/23)
Requesting a Reimbursement or Payment (updated 7/1/23)
Grant Noncompliance Policy (updated 7/1/19)
Technical Quality Assurance (updated 7/1/18)
Project and Practice Assurances (updated 7/1/22)
Records, Program and Project Files (updated 7/1/2024)
Reporting Requirements for BWSR Grants (updated 7/1/23)
Closing out a BWSR Grant (updated 7/1/23)
Grants Monitoring and Financial Reconciliations (updated 7/1/2024)
Time and Effort Documentation (updated 7/1/23)
Determining a Billing Rate (updated 7/1/2024)
Prevailing Wage (updated 7/1/18)
Private and Nonpublic Data (updated 7/1/17)
Conflict of Interest (updated 7/1/17)
Recommended Local Policies and Requirements (updated 7/1/17)
Financial Management and Accounting (updated 7/1/20)
Allowable and Unallowable Costs (updated 7/1/2024)
Payroll and Personnel Records (updated 7/1/17)
Frequently Asked Questions (updated 7/1/2024)
- Implementing Practices
Note: A number of forms previously in this section have been moved to Optional and Example Forms for FY24 as a result of recent amendments to Minnesota Statutes, section 103C.501, and the subsequent transition from the State Cost-Share Program to the Conservation Contracts Program.
Implementing Contracts with Land Occupiers (updated 7/1/2024)
Operation, Maintenance, and Inspection of Practices (updated 7/1/16)
Vegetation Requirements (updated 7/1/23)
Recording Conservation Practices (updated 1/17/17)
- Optional and Example Forms
For FY23 & older State Cost-Share grants, the BWSR-provided forms indicated with a "*" below are still required where applicable.
Billing Rates Option 1: + 15% F&A (xlsx) (updated 7/3/2024)
Billing Rates Option 2: + Calculated F&A (1-9 Emp. (xlsx) (updated 7/8/2021)
Billing Rates Option 2: + Calculated F&A (1-25 Emp. (xlsx) (updated 7/8/2021)
BWSR Billable Rate Video (mp4) (updated 10/21/21)
Conservation Contract Workbook (xlsm) (updated 7/2/2024)
*Contract: Percent Based (updated 7/2/2024)
*Contract: Flat Rate (updated 7/2/2024
Contract Approval Letter (docx) (updated 8/22/23)
Contract Denial Letter (docx) (updated 8/22/23)
*Corrective Action Plan Status (docx) (updated 8/22/23)
*Corrective Action Transmittal (doc) (updated 8/22/23)
Fixed Asset Template (xlsx) (updated 10/20/2021)
Forestry Small Acreage Assessment (doc) (updated 6/14/21)
Incentive Contract and Voucher (docx) (updated 8/22/23)
Invoices/Receipts Detail Video (mp4) (updated 10/20/2021)
*Mortgagee Consent Corporation (docx) (updated 1/17/17)
*Mortgagee Consent Individual (docx) (updated 1/17/17)
Personnel Activity Report: Activity Only (xlsx) (updated 8/17/16)
Personnel Activity Report: Activity + Description (xlsx) (updated 8/17/16)
*Practice Site Inspection Form (docx)
Program Log & Disbursement Journal (updated 8/22/23)
Program Project Log Sample 1 (xlsx)
Program Project Log Sample 2 (xlsx)
Project Checklist (docx) (updated 6/14/21)
*Recording Form Corporation (docx) (updated 1/17/17)
*Recording Form Individual (docx) (updated 1/17/17)
Technical Assessment (docx) (updated 6/14/21)
Time and Effort Documentation Video (mp4) (updated 10/20/2021)
*Voucher and Certification: Flat Rate (xlsx) (updated 6/14/21)
*Voucher and Certification: Percent Based (updated 8/22/23)
- Archive
If you have questions regarding the Grants Administration Manual, please contact your board conservationist.