Bill > SF1157

This bill establishes a new grant program through the Board of Water and Soil Resources to support wetland restoration and creation in Minnesota. The bill appropriates funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to provide financial assistance to landowners who want to restore or create wetlands that qualify under the Wetland Conservation Act. Specifically, the grants can be used for four main purposes: conducting site assessments and evaluations, engineering design and construction (which may include modifying drainage systems), establishing vegetation on the wetland site, and covering costs associated with creating long-term legal easements to protect the wetland. The goal appears to be encouraging landowners to participate in wetland banking, a conservation approach that allows landowners to restore or create wetlands that can be used as credits to offset wetland impacts in other areas, thereby helping to preserve and expand wetland ecosystems in Minnesota.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF1157&ssn=0&y=2025