RIM Wetlands

Overview

Restoring the most productive wetland habitat in Minnesota will protect and restore previously drained wetlands and adjacent native grasslands on easements across the State. BWSR has received funding through the Outdoor Heritage Fund (from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment) and Clean Water Funds for RIM Wetland easements. The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) will utilize the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) easement program in partnership with local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) to target, protect and restore high priority habitat complexes.

Benefits

• Protect, enhance, or restore existing wetland/upland complexes, or convert agricultural lands to new wetland/upland habitat complexes
• Advance the outcome of a healthy and plentiful supply of habitat for fish, game, and wildlife
• Benefit society by storing floodwaters, filtering pollutants, serving as a carbon sink, and providing recreation sites for boating and fishing
• Provide a home to at least one third of all threatened and endangered species

Enrollment Focus and Sign-up Schedule

Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan prairie core areas, corridors and agricultural matrix. Open enrollment begins 9/30/2022. Funding decisions will be made quarterly and the first batching period deadline is November 30th, 2022.

Eligibility

RIM Reserve Program general eligibility criteria, definitions of wetland restoration areas, and specific wetland eligibility criteria are detailed in the RIM Handbook pages 1-7.

Easement Application Materials

• RIM Application Guidance (pdf)
• RIM Wetlands General Program Guidance (pdf)
• Easement Acquisition Checklist (pdf)
• Conservation Easement Application (pdf)
• Area Assessment Form Word document (docx)
• RIM Wetlands Application Workbook (xlsm)
• Conservation Easement Financial Worksheet (pdf)
• Agreement Information Form Word document (docx)
• W-9 Form (IRS Website)
• Prairie Conservation Plan Strategic Guide (pdf)

Geospatial Resources

• RIM Wetlands Additional Wildlife Benefits (zip)
• Potentially Restorable Peatlands Mapping Tool
• MN Prairie Conservation Plan Core and Corridors (zip)
• Minnesota Biological Survey Sites of Biodiversity Significance
• Permanently protected areas of Minnesota (list not comprehensive):
  • State Administered Lands - DNR Management Units
  • FWS National Realty Tracts - Simplified
  • RIM Perpetual Easements (exclude limited duration and expired easements)
  • NRCS Easements with permanent duration
  • Public Waters (PW) Basin and Watercourse Delineations

Training

• RIM Wetlands Easement Program training webinar recording 11/1/2022