House votes to extend moratorium on ditch mowing permits

Rep. Chris Swedzinski

Sponsored by Rep. Chris Swedzinski (R-Ghent) and Sen. Gary Dahms (R-Redwood Falls), HF4008/SF3569* passed by a 109-18 vote. It would extend a permit moratorium until April 30, 2019. Signed into law last year it was intended to give state transportation officials, agricultural interests and environmental advocates more time to study the issue.

Passed by the Senate 53-13 April 30, the bill now goes to the governor.

The moratorium came about following backlash to a MnDOT plan in 2016 to apply a standardized ditch mowing permit for all eight transportation districts across the state. That angered those who, for years, had been mowing or haying land in MnDOT right-of-way along highways without a permit.