Contact: Josh Van Den Berg
651-215-9008
St. Paul, Minn.
Each year the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) gathers local, state and federal agency staff for a board tour highlighting successful conservation projects in a region of Minnesota. The tour provides staff and board members a valuable opportunity to experience Minnesota’s local conservation delivery system in action. The focus for the August 23, 2017 tour included projects in Kandiyohi County and Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District.
“The work of watershed districts and soil and water conservation districts is essential to local conservation,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “The importance of the board tour is attendees get to view the projects they approve on paper up close. It’s a powerful opportunity because you can touch these projects, meet and learn from local conservation advocates, and witness how conservation practices and partnerships have a direct impact on Minnesota’s waterways.”
The Board toured a number of projects focused on clean water and wetland restoration. This included stops at Diamond Lake project sites by Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District, a stabilization project at Neer Park by Kandiyohi SWCD and the City of New London, and the Grass Lake Restoration project in Kandiyohi County. During the tour board members heard from local and state presenters about the positive impacts of these projects.
The 20-member BWSR Board includes representatives of state agencies, local governments and citizens. The projects featured during their annual tour illustrate how successful partnerships between federal, state and local governments and private landowners are making a difference for Minnesota’s soil and water.
For a quick video recap visit BWSR's Facebook page
Contact: Josh Van Den Berg
651-508-0000
Editor’s Note: BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke will be available to answer media questions Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at a 9:30 a.m. conference call. Dial 888-742-5095, conference code 598 975 7310.
St. Paul, Minn.
Today, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources announced two additional resources for landowners working to come into compliance with the state’s buffer law. The law, which was passed with bipartisan support in 2015 and signed into law by Governor Dayton, requires the implementation of a buffer strip on public waters by November 1, 2017 and a buffer on public drainage ditches by November 1, 2018.
These additional resources, both financial and found online, are designed to help landowners be successful in complying with the law.” explained John Jaschke, Executive Director BWSR. “Local SWCDs and landowners have been working together over the past 18 months and, we are making great progress with 64 counties already 60-100% compliant.”
COST-SHARE PROGRAM
The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources has approved a new buffer cost-share program, allocating almost $5 million dollars to support landowners in meeting the requirements of the state buffer law.
The funds will be distributed to soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs) and are to be used for cost-sharing contracts with landowners or their authorized agents to implement riparian buffers or alternative practices on public waters and public drainage ditches.
These Clean Water Funds, passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Dayton at the end of the 2017 legislative session, provide important support to the Governor’s Buffer Initiative.
The 2017 legislation also recognizes that some landowners may have hardships (such as weather) in meeting the public waters deadline. The added language allows for an eight-month extension for implementation when a landowner or authorized agent has filed a riparian protection “compliance plan” with their local SWCD by November 1, 2017. Compliance waivers offer a buffer deadline extension until July 1, 2018.
NEW ONE-STOP WEBSITE
Minnesota landowners with questions about compliance waivers and other buffer topics also have another option available today with the launching of a new one-stop website for information and tips to implement the buffer law. The new site, mn.gov/buffer-law, is a user-friendly and convenient resource for landowners and the public to learn about the law, find answers about alternative practices, and get information about financial and technical assistance and more.
The new buffer site, launched by the State of Minnesota is found at mn.gov/buffer-law. For more information on the buffer law, including the cost-share program, contact your local soil and water conservation district.
COMPLIANCE
Soil and Water Conservation Districts have been hard at work with landowners statewide and progress toward compliance is being made. 64 of Minnesota’s 87 counties are 60 – 100 percent in compliance with the buffer law. Statewide, preliminary compliance with the buffer law is 89%.
Contact: Celi Haga
651-315-5082
St. Paul, Minn. —The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) released an additional common alternative practice today that expands options for water quality solutions that provide comparable benefits to a buffer strip. The updated Common Alternative Practices guidance now includes practices for public ditches located in Glacial Lake Plain areas.
“These very flat lake plain areas of the state have their own set of challenges. BWSR, landowners and local conservation partners have come together to identify an alternative practice in these unique areas,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “The buffer law’s flexibility provides options for landowners to accomplish water quality improvement practices that meet the purpose of the law on landscapes where buffers aren’t the best fit.”
Introduced in April 2017, The Common Alternative Practices guidance offers options for landowners and Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) to consider, including:
1. Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program
2. USDA Practice Standard Filter Strip
3. Grassed Waterway on Public Waters
4a. Negative Slope on Public Ditches
4b. Glacial Lake Plain Areas Public Ditches
5. Negative Slope on Public Waters
6. Buffer plus Conservation Tillage
Under Minnesota’s buffer law, landowners can use alternative practices with comparable water quality benefits to buffers. SWCDs have the authority to validate these practices and are working with landowners to find the best solutions for their land. BWSR’s role is to provide program guidance and support and ensure local government consistency. Alternative practices are not limited to the options in the Common Alternative Practices guidance. Other combinations of practices, based in the Natural Resources Conservation Service Field Office Technical Guide, can be developed in partnership with SWCDs. In addition, the BWSR Board may consider additional alternative practices to provide more options for SWCDs and landowners to develop solutions to fit their land and their needs in the coming months. With less than six months to go until the November 2017 public waters deadline, 64 of Minnesota’s 87 counties are 60-100% in compliance with the buffer law.
For more information
More information on the buffer program, including more detailed information on alternative practices and the variety of technical and financial assistance available to help landowners with implementation, can be found at BWSR’s website: www.bwsr.state.mn.us/buffers.