Buffers Soils and Drainage Committee Meeting

Date:  Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Time:  5:00 p.m.

Location:  Conference Room 100, 520 Lafayette Road North, St. Paul

Agenda:

• Public Comment Period
• Approve January 2024 Meeting Notes
• Multipurpose Drainage Management Grant Batching Status Update
• Soil Health Staffing Grant Award information (Phase 1)
• Soil Health Delivery Grant Status Update (Phase 2)
• Buffer APO and Jurisdiction Overview of need for changes based on legislative outcomes
• Next meetings 

Contact:  Tom Gile, Resource Conservation Manager, 507-696-1974, Tom.Gile@state.mn.us

Grants Program and Policy Committee Meeting

Date:  Monday, August 19, 2024

Time:  8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Location:  Conference Room 116, 520 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN

Other Information:  Microsoft Teams option. Click here to join the meeting.

Agenda:

• Review Agenda
• Approval of Past Minutes
• Public Comment Period (if requested)
• Greats Lake SWCD Capacity Grant 
• Clean Water Legacy Partners Grant Program
• Adaptive Phosphorus Management Grant - Red River Basin Commission
• One Watershed, One Plan Planning Grants
• One Watershed, One Plan Mid-point Assessment Grants Update
• Grant Program Updates
• Adjourn
   

Contact:  Marcey Westrick, Central Region Manager, 651-284-4153,  marcey.westrick@state.mn.us

Northern Regional Committee Meeting

Date:  Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Time:  10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Location:  Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District Visitor Station, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Building, Upper Level Boardroom, 1732 North Tower Road, Detroit Lakes, MN  56501

Microsoft Teams Option: Click here to join the meeting.

Audio Only Option:  651-395-7448 and use Phone Conference ID: 559 950 67# 

Agenda:

• Approve Agenda
• Approval of Past Minutes
• Public Comment Period (if requested)
• Bois de Sioux Watershed District Boundary Enlargement Petition
• Red Lake Watershed District & the Sand Hill River Watershed District Petition 
• 2025 Northern Region Committee Meeting Schedule
• Adjourn
   

Contact:  Ryan Hughes, Northern Region Manager, 218-770-9687,  ryan.hughes@state.mn.us

Committee Roster

July 2024

ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AAC)

Responsibility: The AAC consists of the Board’s chair and vice-chair and the chairs of the Board’s standing committees. The AAC may make evaluations and recommendations to the Board on various Board issues including ethics; expenses/per diem; bylaws; and implementing legislation and budgets. The AAC will act as the personnel committee for personnel actions relating to the Board’s executive director. The chair may include additional members ad hoc to address special or unique topics or issues.

Meetings: The committee will meet at the call of the chair.

AUDIT & OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (A&O)

Responsibility: The Committee consists of the Board’s chair, vice-chair, and appointed at-large members. It appraises the effectiveness of the agency’s internal controls and risk assessment and provides an avenue of communication between BWSR’s internal audit function and external auditors, management, and the Board. In addition, the A&O is also responsible for the Performance Review and Assistance Program (PRAP) oversight and receives reports on BWSR and Local Government Unit program evaluations and fiscal compliance matters.

Meetings: The Committee will meet at least once during the year or at the call of the chair or a majority of the members.

BUFFERS, SOILS & DRAINAGE COMMITTEE (BSDC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing buffer, drainage and soil conservation statutes, rules, policies, guidelines, programs and special projects and related plans, operational partnerships, and opportunities to enhance the agency’s implementation of programs; and for making the resulting recommendations to the Board.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE (DRC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for hearing appeals, including those related to the Wetland Conservation Act, watershed district rule and permit decision appeals, and, under MS103A.301, determinations of water law and policy. The authority of the DRC is established in statute and assigned to the DRC by the Board. Under current guidelines the DRC hears the appeals and makes recommendations to the Board.

Per M.S. 103B.101, Subd.10, the committee is appointed by the board chair.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as needed to process appeals that have been filed with the Board.

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing grant allocations, policies, and related procedures and making recommendations to the Board.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with Board Chair or staff.

RIM RESERVE COMMITTEE (RRC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing RIM Reserve Program statutes, rules, policies, guidelines, rates and for considering strategic plans, operational partnerships, and opportunities to enhance the agency’s conservation easements programs; and for making the resulting recommendations to the Board.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

WATER MANAGEMENT & STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE (WMSPC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for the development of strategic plans for the Board including identification of key outcomes, partnerships and opportunities. The WMSPC is also responsible for the development of program and policy to guide and direct implementation of local water and watershed management plans, including the One Watershed - One Plan program.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

WETLAND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE (WCC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) and wetland banking rules, policies, guidelines and plans.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

DRAINAGE WORK GROUP (DWG) LIAISON)

Responsibility: The Drainage Work Group is responsible for developing recommendations for drainage system management and related water management, including recommendations for updating Minnesota Statutes Chapter 103E Drainage and related provisions.

Meetings:  The work group will meet as determined by the staff.