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BOARD/COMMISSION:  Board of Water and Soil Resources

(BWSR)


Address

520 Lafayette Road North
2nd Floor
St. Paul, MN
55155


Supporting Entity/Enabling Legislation Supported by Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR)

ENABLING LEGISLATION
M.S. 103B.101
Enabled: 07-01-1987
Revisor of Statutes Link

Chair and Contact
CONTACT
CHAIR

TITLE
NAME
EMAIL
PHONE
PRIMARY
No support staff found.
TITLE
NAME
EMAIL
PHONE
PRIMARY
No chairs or co-chairs found.
Membership
Membership includes three county commissioners; three soil and water conservation district (SWCD) supervisors; three watershed district (WD) or watershed management organization (WMO) representatives; two city representatives; one township representative; and three unaffiliated citizens. One member must come from each of the current soil and water conservation administrative regions throughout the state. At least three but no more than five members must come from the seven-county metropolitan area. All members must be knowledgeable of soil and water issues. Five agency members represent the University of Minnesota Extension Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Department of Health, and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Member Info

COMPENSATION

  • Per Diem: $125.00
  • Other Compensation: $125 per diem plus expenses

MEMBERSHIP DETAILS

  • Requires Older Member - no
  • Requires Senate Approval - no
  • Members file campaign finance and disclosure - yes

Entity Powers and Duties, Activity Summary
The board oversees and coordinates the water and soil resources management activities of local units (counties, SWCD's, WD's, WMO's) of government through approval of local plans, administration of state grants, cost-sharing contracts, performance evaluation, and administrative appeals and hearings. Programs include RIM Reserve, local water planning and implementation, Wetlands Conservation Act, soil conservation, riparian buffer protection, and Legacy Amendment programs and projects. The board's mission is to improve and protect Minnesota's water and soil resources by working in partnership with local organizations and private landowners.

ACTIVITY SUMMARY

Appropriations in 2024 Session Laws:

(a) $3,434,000 the second year is for a working-lands floodplain program and to purchase, restore, or preserve riparian land and floodplains adjacent to lakes, rivers, streams, and tributaries, by conservation easements or contracts to keep water on the land, to decrease sediment, pollutant, and nutrient transport; reduce hydrologic impacts to surface waters; and increase protection and recharge for groundwater. Up to $225,000 is for deposit in a conservation easement stewardship account established according to Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.103. This appropriation is added to the appropriation in Laws 2023, chapter 40, article 2, section 6, paragraph (f).

(b) $4,000,000 the second year is to purchase permanent conservation easements to protect lands adjacent to public waters that have good water quality but that are threatened with degradation. Up to $160,000 is for deposit in a conservation easement stewardship account established according to Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.103. This appropriation is added to the appropriation in Laws 2023, chapter 40, article 2, section 6, paragraph (k).

(c) $2,000,000 the second year is for developing and implementing a water legacy grant program to expand partnerships for clean water. Of this amount, $500,000 is for grants to watershed districts to reduce the costs to landowners for green infrastructure projects, including rain gardens, permeable pavement, rainwater harvesting and reuse, and other clean water practices. Priority must be given to projects in low-income and high-pollution areas. Watershed districts may partner with local community groups, nonprofit organizations, and other interested parties to perform the work and provide outreach to communities. This appropriation is added to the appropriation in Laws 2023, chapter 40, article 2, section 6, paragraph (m).

(d) $1,000,000 the second year is to provide support to soil and water conservation districts and other local governments and partner organizations in the Lake Superior basin to leverage Great Lakes Restoration Initiative or other federal Great Lakes funding to implement prioritized activities.

(e) $1,000,000 the second year is for conservation easements acquired under Minnesota Statutes, sections 103F.501 to 103F.535, or for grants or contracts to local units of government or Tribal governments, including for fee title acquisition or for long-term protection of groundwater supply sources. Consideration must be given to drinking water supply management areas and alternative management tools in the Department of Agriculture Minnesota Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan, including using low-nitrogen cropping systems or implementing nitrogen fertilizer best management practices. Priority must be placed on land that is located where the vulnerability of the drinking water supply is designated as high or very high by the commissioner of health, where drinking water protection plans have identified specific activities that will achieve long-term protection, and on lands with expiring conservation contracts. Up to $50,000 is for deposit in a conservation easement stewardship account established according to Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.103. This appropriation, including the conditions and considerations, is added to the appropriation in Laws 2023, chapter 40, article 2, section 6, paragraph (g).

(f) The board must require grantees to specify the outcomes that will be achieved by the grants.

(g) The appropriations in this section are available until June 30, 2028, except grant or easement funds are available for five years after the date a grant or other agreement is executed. Returned grant funds must be regranted consistent with the purposes of this section.


SOIL HEALTH APPROPRIATIONS; REPORT.
By January 15, 2026, the Board of Water and Soil Resources must submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and divisions with jurisdiction over environment and natural resources on the expenditure of money appropriated for soil health activities under Laws 2023, chapter 60, article 1, section 4, paragraph (k).

Meeting Information
Meetings typically last:
Meeting Frequency: Monthly meetings are typically held at the Board office, 520 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul.

Meetings are held at:
Board office, 520 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul.


Fiscal Information
Annual Staff Hours:
Total Appropriations: $178,914,000.00
Appropriations Description: Total revenue for the 2020-2021 biennium. More information can be found on the BWSR's website: https://bwsr.state.mn.us/budget
Fiscal Year Expenses: $178,914,000.00

Expenses Description:

Total expenditures for the 2022-2023 biennium. More information can be found on BWSR's website: https://bwsr.state.mn.us/budget

Open Positions (1)
POSITION SEAT AUTHORITY 21-DAY MIN GUARANTEE #SEATS ACTION
Elected City Official - Non Metro Elected City Official - Non Metro Governor 2/26/2025 1 APPLY

NAME POSITION APPLICATION DATE
Nikiki Coler Citizen Member 3/13/2025
Mr. Thomas Godfrey Citizen Member 2/17/2025
Todd Holman Citizen Member 11/27/2024
LUEVA KARACHALIOS Citizen Member 2/18/2025
Brad Kramer Citizen Member 12/18/2024
Mr. Keith Mykleseth Citizen Member 4/24/2025
Kendra Sommerfeld Citizen Member 2/4/2025
Stephen Walker Citizen Member 11/23/2024
Craig Weber Citizen Member 11/22/2024
Sheila Wiegman Citizen Member 4/7/2025
Mrs Tina Diedrick County Commissioner 4/7/2025
Ron Staples County Commissioner 12/17/2024
Hon. Aaron Wittnebel Elected City Official - Non Metro 4/10/2025
Thomas Schulz Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors 9/18/2024
Mark Zabel Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors 12/5/2024

No pending appointments found.

POSITION/SEAT
APPOINTING AUTHORITY
MEMBER NAME
STATUS
TERM END
Chair
Governor
Filled
01/04/2027
Commissioner of Agriculture
Commissioner of Agriculture
Filled
01/01/2028
Commissioner of Health
Commissioner of Health
Filled
06/30/2027
Commissioner of Natural Resources
Commissioner of Natural Resources
Filled
01/01/2028
Commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Commissioner of the MN Pollution Control Agency
Filled
01/01/2028
Director of the University of Minnesota Extension Service
U of M Extension Dean
Filled
01/01/2027

Current Members (15)
POSITION/SEAT
APPOINTING AUTHORITY
MEMBER NAME
STATUS
TERM END
Citizen Member #1
Governor
Filled
01/03/2028
Citizen Member #2
Governor
Filled
01/05/2026
Citizen Member #3
Governor
Filled
01/01/2029
County Commissioner #1
Governor
Filled
01/04/2027
County Commissioner #2
Governor
Filled
01/01/2029
County Commissioner #3
Governor
Filled
01/05/2026
Elected City Official - 7 County Metro Area
Governor
Filled
01/04/2027
Elected City Official - Non Metro
Governor
Posted
01/04/2027
Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor #1
Governor
Filled
01/05/2026
Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor #2
Governor
Filled
01/03/2028
Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor #3
Governor
Filled
01/01/2029
Township Officer
Governor
Filled
01/03/2028
Watershed District Rep. #1
Governor
Filled
01/03/2028
Watershed District Rep. #2
Governor
Filled
01/04/2027
Watershed District Rep. #3
Governor
Filled
01/05/2026