Dear Neighbor,
The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources recently introduced a proposal that could result in thousands of dollars in fines annually for farmers who are even a few feet out of compliance across their entire property.
The Administrative Penalty Order BWSR proposed last week would fine farmers out of compliance with Minnesota’s riparian buffer law by up to $500 per linear foot. This sent shockwaves through Greater Minnesota as it seemingly came out of nowhere.
In response, the Agriculture Policy Committee, which I chair, scheduled an emergency hearing today to address this situation and, fortunately, it appears order – and common sense – has been restored on this issue as BWSR has backed off its proposed rule pertaining to fines.
During the committee hearing, concern was expressed about how much local control counties and watersheds have in terms of penalties, size of penalties and actual practices that would qualify in place of buffers. We have to look into how much authority local folks have and will BWSR have authority to say you have to qualify at least with the state standards, or can local units of governments come up with their own standards relating to the buffer law.
I was among a number of House members who sent a letter to the governor this week urging him to release the draft nitrate rule he announced in March instead of waiting until next month to do so. As noted in our letter, even if the rule has not been finalized, releasing the latest draft will give farmers, legislators, and other members of the public an opportunity to seek changes or adjustments before it enters the formal public comment period. This is the governor’s chance to correct his course and help us avoid the repeating the same mistakes that led to the BWSR controversy.
A comment period on the buffer issue lasts until 4:30 p.m. April 16 and you can file a submission by emailing buffers.bwsr@state.mn.us.
Stay tuned for more on this subject as things develop. In the meantime, other bills continue to be heard in committees as we make our way toward adjournment in six weeks or so. A hearing took place this week to discuss a bill I have authored that would provide a modest increase to Local Government Aid. Funding from LGA is crucial for towns and cities such as ours in Greater Minnesota, especially in light of the current ag slowdown. Our Main Street economies feel the effects when farmers are forced to tighten their belt, and LGA helps mitigate the impacts of lost local revenue.
Also, work continues on developing a supplemental budget package. School safety and transportation are the House’s two top priorities and I will pass along more information as our proposal comes together.
Sincerely,
Paul