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Buffers
Resources for Landowners
Minnesota Buffer Law
What Can I Plant?
Building Better Buffers
Does This Apply to My Land?
Where Can I Get Support?
What Are Alternative Practices?
Where Can I Find Buffer Maps?
Resources for Local Governments
Minnesota Buffer Law
Election of Jurisdiction
Implementation Guidance
Haying and Grazing of Buffers
Conservation Reserve Program Exemption Guidance
Buffer Measurement for a Public Drainage Ditch
Compliance Determinations
Average Buffer Widths
Determining the Top or Crown of a Bank for Land Adjacent to a Public Water
Vegetation Establishment Goals
What to Plant in Buffers
Determining Normal Water Level
Buffer Program Update
Buffer Establishment & Management Toolbox
Alternative Practices
Alternative Practices Introduction
Common Alternative Practice #1: Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program
Common Alternative Practice #2: NRCS Filter Strip Standard: MN 393/391 Practice Standards - Public Waters
Common Alternative Practice #3: Grassed Waterway/Cultivated Watercourses - Public Waters
Common Alternative Practice #4A: Negative Slopes or Concentrated Inflow - Public Ditches
Common Alternative Practice #4B: Glacial Lake Plain Areas - Public Ditches
Common Alternative Practice #5: Negative Slopes or Concentrated Inflow - Public Waters
Common Alternative Practice #6: Conservation Tillage/Cover Crops With Vegetated Filter Strip - Public Waters
Decision Support Tool
Procedures
Procedure 1: Compliance Determinations (Parcel and Bank Approach)
Procedure 2: Reporting and Progress Tracking
Procedure 3: MS4 Exemption
Procedure 4: Alternative Practices
Procedure 5: Other Alternative Practices Approved by the Board
Procedure 6: Local Water Resources Riparian Protection ("Other Watercourses")
Procedure 7: Failure to Implement
Procedure 8: Election of Jurisdiction
Procedure 9: BWSR's Review of County and Watershed District Buffer Rules, Ordinances and Official Controls
Enforcement
Compliance Tracking Tool (BuffCAT)
Guide to the Buffer Compliance Process
Step 1: SWCD Compliance Review
Step 2: Landowner Notification
Step 3: Notice of Non-Compliance
Step 4: Corrective Action Notice Sent
Step 5: Issuing Enforcement Action
Step 6: Parcel is Compliant
Contacts
Wetlands
Wetland Regulatory Programs
Wetlands Regulation in Minnesota
WCA Program Reports
Wetland Conservation Act Resources
Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) Contacts
Joint Application Form
WCA Forms and Templates
WCA Program Guidance and Information
Topics of the Week
Mitigation & Banking
Wetland Bank Credits and Fees
Wetland Bank Transaction Forms
Wetland Bank Guidance & Information
Local Government Road Wetland Replacement Program
Wetland Bank & Mitigation Easements
In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program
Agricultural Wetland Bank
Delineation, Assessment & Restoration
Wetland Delineation
Delineation Manuals
Delineation Guidance & Resources
Hydrology & Antecedent Precipitation
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MN WETLAND PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
Minnesota Wetland Professional Certification Program
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MWPCP Class Portal
Online Wetland Training
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Wetland Conservation Act Rulemaking
WCA Rulemaking Comments Received
Wisconsin - Minnesota Wetland Functional Assessment Initiative
404 Assumption
Minnesota Stream Quantification Tool and Debit Calculator
Waters of the U.S.
Easements
MN CREP
MN CREP for Landowners
MN CREP for SWCDs
Resources for Landowners
Conservation Easements FAQ
Conservation Easement Programs
Land Eligibility
Summary of Conservation Lands by County
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Geospatial Resources
Existing Easements
RIM Handbook & Guidance
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Easement Policy & Procedure
Grassland Management: Haying and Grazing
Tax Forfeit Lands Enrolled Into an Easement
RIM Reserve Outside Funding Request Easement Policy
Easement Alteration Policy
Master Joint Powers Agreement (MJPA) and Work Orders
Forest Management
Drainage System Maintenance Policy
Farm Bill Assistance Partnership
Habitat Establishment & Management Resources
Cover Crops for Wildlife
Seedbed Preparation from Cropland
Seedbed Preparation from Introduced Grasses to a Native Prairie Mixture
Interseeding Native Grasses and Forbs into an Existing Native Grass Stand
Seeding Tips and Establishment
Pollinator Habitat Guide
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RIM Contacts
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BWSR Climate Resiliency Toolbox
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Prioritize, Target, and Measure Application (PTMApp)
PTMApp Theory, Documentation, and User Guides
PTMAPP Learning Center
Water Quality Tools and Models
Practice Establishment & Restoration
Restoring Conservation Lands
FY25 Conservation Reserve Program State Incentives Grant Program
BWSR Ecology Update
Wetland Restoration
MN Wetland Restoration Guide
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Native Vegetation Establishment and Enhancement Guidelines
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Lawns to Legumes Program
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Pollinator and Biodiversity Toolbox
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Minnesota Habitat Friendly Solar Program
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Drainage
Drainage in Minnesota
Understanding Minnesota Public Drainage Law
Minnesota Public Drainage Manual
Drainage Work Group
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Drainage Records Modernization
Chapter 103E Ditch Buffer Strip Reporting
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Metro Watershed Management Plan
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TRAINING
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eLINK
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Linking Activities
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MinnFARM Pollution Reduction Estimates
Grants Administration Manual
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About
Processing a BWSR Grant
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Frequently Asked Questions
Implementing Practices
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Vegetation Requirements for BWSR Funded Projects
Recording Conservation Practices
Optional and Example Forms
Archive
Grant Programs
Clean Water Fund Programs
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Accelerated Implementation Grant Profile
Lake Superior Basin Implementation Grant Profile
Multipurpose Drainage Management
One Watershed One Plan Planning Grant
One Watershed One Plan Mid-Point Grant
Projects and Practices
Watershed-Based Implementation Funding Grant Profile
Watershed-based Implementation Funding Program
County Grants
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BWSR SSTS
Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems
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Wetland Conservation Act
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Buffer Law Implementation
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Conservation Contracts Program Update
Conservation Delivery
Cooperative Weed Management Area Program
Cooperative Weed Management
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Nonpoint Engineering Assistance Program
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Other Grant Programs
Performance Review and Assistance Program (PRAP) Grant Profile
Water Quality and Storage Pilot Program Grant Profile
Wellhead Protection Partner Grants Program Pilot Grant Profile
Living Landscapes Programs
Conservation Reserve Program State Incentive Grant Program (Pilot) Grant Profile
Habitat Enhancement Landscape Pilot Grant Profile
CRP State Incentives Program Grant Profile
Habitat Enhancement Landscape Program Grant Profile
Pollinator Pathways Grant Profile
Grant Program Policies
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eLINK Reporting At a Glance
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