What Programs are Available? | MN Board of Water, Soil Resources

Reinvest in Minnesota Overview

RIM easement sign on ACUB site with trees

Army Compatible Use Buffer Program

The ACUB easement program permanently protects private lands within a 3 mile radius around Camp Ripley from residential and commercial development.

Program Manager: Bill Penning

Minnesota Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

Landowner Information SWCD Information

Minnesota's CREP program focuses on 54 counties in southern and western Minnesota. The program is a federal, state, local partnership with the goal to enroll 60,000 acres of buffer strips, wetland restorations, and wellhead protection areas.

Program Manager: Dusty VanThuyne

Mississippi Headwaters Habitat Corridor Easements

This Program offers private landowners along or near the first 400 miles of the Mississippi River, or on a major tributary or headwaters lake, an opportunity to protect critical fish and wildlife habitat by permanently protecting the natural resource value of their land.

Program Manager: Bill Penning

Pine and Leech Watershed Shoreland Protection

Permanent easements protect undeveloped shoreland along the Lower, Middle & Upper Pine River. The program focus is to protect water quality in the Pine River watershed, which has been identified as a priority in MN for source water protection.

Program Manager: Bill Penning

RIM Critical Shorelands

The purpose of the RIM Critical Shorelines program is to protect riparian areas along the Mainstem of the Mississippi and major tributaries upstream of the Twin Cities to help preserve water quality and source water for communities that draw their drinking water from the Mississippi River. Additional benefits include wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, and scenic beauty preservation. This program is available in all or parts of the following counties: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Benton, Cass, Chisago, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Ottertail, Hubbard, Isanti Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Sherburne, Todd and Wadena.

RIM Grassland Reserve

Easements through this project will protect current grasslands and buffering native prairie that are within wildlife habitat complexes not covered by other conservation programs. The enrollment focus is within the Prairie and Forest/Prairie Transition Ecoregions.

Program Manager: John Voz

RIM Groundwater (Wellhead) Protection Easements

The RIM Groundwater Easement program protects and restores areas where drinking water supply has been designated as highly vulnerable by the MN Department of Health.

Program Manager: Sara Reagan

RIM Reforestation

The purpose of the RIM Reforestation program is to target historically forested lands for permanent protection and reforestation. In the pilot phase three watersheds will be eligible: the Redeye, Long Prairie and Rum River watersheds. Landscape Stewardship Plans have been completed for all three watersheds. These plans have prioritized land that has the most potential for restoration and protection. As a result, the ecologically highest ranked parcels will be targeted for inclusion in this voluntary program. Landowners can receive payment for enrolling in a perpetual conservation easement, financial assistance towards the completion of a Forest Stewardship Plan, and cost share for tree planting and other management activities that improve the land. Ultimately this program will sequester carbon, protect water quality, and improve wildlife habitat.

Program Manager: Bill Penning

RIM Riparian Protection - Kettle and Snake Rivers

The purpose of the RIM Kettle and Snake Rivers program is to protect riparian areas along the Kettle and Snake Rivers which are major tributaries to the St Croix River which is a National Wild and Scenic River and has excellent water quality.

RIM Riparian and Floodplain Restoration

The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) has received funding through the Outdoor Heritage Fund and Clean Water Fund to secure Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) easements along riparian areas that provide both improved wildlife habitat and water quality benefits. BWSR will utilize the RIM easement program in partnership with local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) to target, protect and restore high priority habitat complexes.

Program Manager: Dusty VanThuyne

RIM Wetlands

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 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.

Program Manager: John Voz

RIM Wild Rice Conservation Easement Program

RIM Wild Rice Conservation easements protect wild rice lakes on privately owned lands in Minnesota’s Northern Forest region. Permanent easements protect this important resource from the threat of future development.

Program Manager: Bill Penning

RIM Working Lands (Grazing)

The purpose of the Working Lands RIM Easement pilot program is to protect and promote perennial vegetation land cover for the benefit of surface and groundwater through “working lands” easements. For the pilot program, “working lands” is defined as lands that are used for haying or grazing. This program is focused on the Chippewa River, Crow Wing River, Long Prairie River, Mississippi River (Brainerd), Pine River, and Redeye River watersheds.

Program Manager: Kevin Roth

RIM Integrating Clean Water and Habitat (1W1P)

This program targets RIM projects in priority areas that contribute toward goals in Board approved and locally adopted Comprehensive Watershed Management Plans developed through the One Watershed, One Plan program. In the Twin Cities Metro Area, lands identified in a locally adopted watershed management plan, a county groundwater plan, or a soil and water conservation district comprehensive plan are also eligible.

Program Manager: Kevin Roth