Minnesota’s Buffer Bill Is Being Implemented

Implementation of the Buffer Bill is moving forward. The Buffer Bill was passed in the 2015 Minnesota legislative session and tweaked this session. It requires a buffer strip along all public waters. The first part of the implementation is knowing which public waters are included. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was instructed with the task of producing maps of waterways and public waters that would be required to have buffer strips. The preliminary buffer maps are now available on the Minnesota DNR website.

It is important that all landowners check the accuracy of the preliminary buffer maps. You know your land best and are in the best position to check the accuracy of the maps. Warren Formo with the Minnesota Agriculture Water Resources Center told me he has heard many reports from landowners who found errors in the maps. If you think there is an error you must contact your local county Soil and Water Conservation District office. The deadline for checking the maps and getting a change is May 31, 2016.