Conservation Easements Overview
Reinvest in Minnesota Reserve
BWSR Awards $2.5 Million in Water Storage Grants
Contact: Mary Juhl
612-358-5733; mary.juhl@state.mn.us
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is awarding approximately $2.5 million in Water Quality and Storage Program grants to 10 local governments for work that improves water quality and helps make landscapes more resilient to severe weather events in a changing climate.
Grant recipients include:
- Area II Minnesota River Basin Projects
- Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District
- Cottonwood County
- Douglas County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Isanti County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Le Sueur County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Lower Minnesota River Watershed District
- Minnehaha Creek Watershed District
- Nicollet County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Yellow Medicine County Soil and Water Conservation District
The state is experiencing more frequent and intense rainfall events, resulting in negative impacts to agricultural land and public infrastructure, significant erosion along riverbanks, and declining water quality.
“Increasing water storage on Minnesota landscapes helps communities better prepare for flooding and the associated impacts to infrastructure and farming,” BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke said. “These projects are strategically located in areas of the state that are especially prone to erosion and flooding.”
More information about BWSR’s water storage program can be found here.
RIM Refresh Pilot Process Guidance & Materials
BWSR is piloting a redesigned RIM easement acquisition process that follows current real estate transaction standards and improves efficiency for SWCD and BWSR staff.
Reporting Profile: Soil Health Delivery
Grant Description
The purpose of these formula grants is to support local efforts to raise awareness about soil health practices via outreach and education. These grants are flexible and allow for other activities such as increased staffing and practice implementation.
2026 Agroforestry Institute
The 2026 Minnesota Agroforestry Institute is a two and a half day training that includes classroom workshops and on farm visits. It will provide all participants with the opportunity to integrate the concepts learned into a practical farm plan. Learn more about the five Agroforestry practices that benefit Minnesota landowners, windbreaks, silvopasture, alley cropping, riparian forest buffers and forest farming. This training is for SWCD, NRCS and conservation professionals but the public is welcome to attend.
Format
In Person
Source
TTCP, UMN Extension
Date
-
Time
8:00-7:00
Training Type
Upcoming Training
Location
Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge,
United States
Registration Link
Notes
This event has a $100.00 registration fee.
Training Date
-
Training Source
Grazing Systems Virtual Office Hours - May 2026
Do you have questions regarding grazing management and other conservation practices that facilitate grazing management? Now is your chance to ask your questions! Jeff Duchene, State Grazing Specialist, along with other grazing specialists in Minnesota will lead a virtual office hour to answer any questions you have about grazing management techniques, planning grazing management, planning and technical specifications of conservation practices used to facilitate grazing management or any other questions you may have related to grazing. If you have topics of interest that you want discussed further, please fill out form linked below by Friday, May 8. The first part of the session will be spent providing answers to questions that were received while the last half will be spent answering live questions from participants.
Format
Webinar
Source
TTCP
Date
Time
9:00-11:00
Training Type
Upcoming Training
Registration Deadline
Registration Link
Online Location
Training Date
-
Training Subject (new 2025)
Training Source
Conservation Easement Alteration Policy
BWSR occasionally receives requests to alter or modify an existing conservation easement when a proposed activity will impact the easement area or would not be consistent with easement terms and conditions. The easement alteration policy was created to establish the requirements and conditions necessary for BWSR to consider a request to alter an existing conservation easement.