On Wednesday, Senator Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) joined the Senate’s Agriculture Finance Committee and Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee for a joint hearing to address Governor Dayton’s Administration’s new excessive buffer penalties.

The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) recently introduced a proposed Administrative Penalty Order (APO) potentially penalizing farmers out of compliance with Minnesota’s riparian buffer law up to $500 per linear foot. The new APO would significantly exceed agreements reached between lawmakers and the administration this past session, resulting in thousands of dollars in fines annually for farmers who are even a few feet out of compliance across their entire property.

“The Board of Water and Soil Resources has lost what trust Minnesotans may have held in the agency. BWSR’s purposed enforcement policy would break both the letter and the intent of the law,” said Senator Mark Johnson, Vice-Chair of the Senate’s Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance Committee. “Minnesota farmers and landowners want clean water. Unfortunately, this administration has again shown its true colors and have rushed another order that will cause more harm than good. I urge landowners to take advantage of the limited comment period that BWSR has allowed to let the administration know how this order will impact you.”

In their initial release of the proposed Administrative Penalty Order, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources established a public comment period lasting until 4:30 PM on Monday, April 16, 2018. Senator Johnson encourages all residents to make their voices heard during this short window, asking for comments to be submitted by email to buffers.bwsr@state.mn.us, or by U.S. Mail at the following address:

Tom Gile
Buffers and Soil Loss Operations Supervisor
Board of Soil and Water Resources
3555 9th Street NW, Suite 350
Rochester, MN 55901