[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6307039,"mediaKeyId","2435486-ccba08eb53ff1c4b25e78ea4e065bb71","parentId",2435486,"title","MPCA says $200 million Inflation Reduction Act award briefly frozen; agency sees portal unlocked but uncertainty remains","audioSeconds",1337,"startMs",4694000,"endMs",6031000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435486-ccba08eb53ff1c4b25e78ea4e065bb71&start=4694&end=6031","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435486-ccba08eb53ff1c4b25e78ea4e065bb71/thumbnail_4694000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6307039/Minnesota/MPCA-says-200-million-Inflation-Reduction-Act-award-briefly-frozen-agency-sees-portal-unlocked-but-uncertainty-remains","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307039-9e2fe1ca2e33c9aaa978d29e7de8a76f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168239&Signature=ht44hc6ybGSVsEZC~jnev3NNJ6U43e8s6-Vfsx5wMd0JrmSzkUah9QM-DtpV2l1nvU7c3SQW~wJCon9dm921XpuzwTJeD1xvi9AVgYYHGGzWBULxZXmTwWundweUaE7rNst6NPr3chyubYGtP8XETa-mLh5zvuFNMZ7AcFg-n3Vj3gXnAzFv6i7yjHPz~MWeSLDBAEFcwaIfhq21~LXPdvhOYhwfbmpfU-YArykqdUp~pkX61Ak4oEnlF7o886DyH2k06ppvqbPSiB3FCQbhEXZNLoEbm-dJOgm51MQ3ZyLGs7HvgM24LF3lJm6xzJtH4jjHxpV6UDmp0vCT1ii89w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Senate","date","2025-02-26T22:58:30Z","article","Senators pressed the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency about reports that a $200 million Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) grant awarded to the state for climate-smart food systems had been frozen by the federal administration. Commissioner Katrina Kessler said the application—developed with farmers, processors, counties, tribes and local governments—was awarded in July and covered dozens of projects, but a federal action briefly locked access to the award.

What the award would fund

Kessler summarized how the $200 million award was apportioned in the state's application: about $20 million to the Department of Agriculture for soil-health and Ag Water Quality Certification grants; roughly $10 million for farm transitions and equipment to reduce carbon intensity (for example, vehicle electrification); a large peatland-restoration component to be administered by Bowser and DNR; direct payments to tribes for food-sovereignty and food-rescue programs; and funding for regional organics and food-waste infrastructure. The Ramsey–Washington County organics facility (a public–private project with Dem-Con) is under construction and expecting reimbursement under the award once the federal reimbursement portal accepts claims.

Unfreeze status and reimbursement risk

Kessler told the committee that the award had appeared locked until late the previous week, after which the reimbursement portal again appeared available and MPCA planned to submit its first reimbursements. She cautioned that the grants are reimbursement-based—local governments and partners typically must pay costs up front and then seek federal reimbursement—and said she remained concerned the funds might be rescinded or reconsidered in the long term.

Local impact and follow-up

Committee members raised practical concerns: many counties and municipalities have invested time and money in planning and proposals that assumed the federal award would cover costs. Kessler said the MPCA has asked congressional delegation members to raise the matter in Washington, and she planned meetings in D.C. to press for the award’s stability. The MPCA committed to keeping the committee updated as reimbursements proceed and urged caution among local partners planning projects that require upfront capital.

Direct quote

\"As of now, the funds appear to be available to us,\" Kessler said; she added that the agency was \"concerned\" about the long-term availability and that local partners face reimbursement timing and cash-flow risk if the award is later rescinded.

No committee votes or formal actions were recorded in the transcript during this exchange.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Environment, Climate and Legacy - 02/27/25","oneSentenceSummary","Senators pressed the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency about reports that a $200 million Inflation Reduction Act grant awarded to the state for climate-smart food systems had been frozen by the federal administration; Commissioner Katrina Kessler said the federal portal appeared to be unlocked late last week but warned the award's long-term availability remained uncertain.","taxTitle","Environment, Climate, and Legacy, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Minnesota","taxId",15804,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6307054,"DNR outlines $1.5 billion budget package, proposes gas permitting program and fee increases",1402,555000,1957000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435486-ccba08eb53ff1c4b25e78ea4e065bb71&start=555&end=1957","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435486-ccba08eb53ff1c4b25e78ea4e065bb71/thumbnail_555000.jpg","/articles/6307054/Minnesota/DNR-outlines-15-billion-budget-package-proposes-gas-permitting-program-and-fee-increases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307054-cf304a64b81021bdc0e65c5da3a030bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168239&Signature=n~w0p1UkNOGBeV3XPeVN2bYxQRxh-2lCzz5uxSNq3pxR0fWCbWSh3Q4WvXAzJWfqTq0B27~WELHCh1hwb57wpFjdOfe3UIkrj7TGROK7mRfSUql6udrRGu6D1p3eITRrf50V5QUSPtvq~x~wcsjCpvYDgXGdwcWojGdso67E~g8Vis0~KGk3D4V7SuZmAdm2ZR~71Tgdcjho2LgG0k8AZBDv8rVSQmu6amXnpXVc0iIGliRGPdpvIrNnFkkKcjeDYiSgVu4E1x3mHylg3LCIb9~n4W4HiZqaFXYynShrXSXTmlY0J5U53pHWCb~pDD0n4LvxT8Tn7pfJ5cuNXag0DQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioner Sarah Stroman told the Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committee on Feb. 27 that the governor's proposed FY26–27 budget for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) totals about $1.5 billion across all DNR funds and is intended to protect natural resources while respecting the state's fiscal constraints.

The budget matter: The proposal would pay for core operations across parks, fish and wildlife, forestry, ecological and water resources, enforcement, lands and minerals, and central operations. Stroman said about 30% of the department's overall funding would come from the general fund, about 19% from the Game and Fish Fund and roughly 10% from federal funds; other funding comes from numerous state special revenue accounts.

Major new items and staffing

- Gas permitting and leasing: The governor's package would create two separate programs to implement a temporary and later permanent regulatory framework for gas extraction, in line with recommendations from the Gas Resources Technical Advisory Committee (GTAC). The permitting proposal requests $1.3 million in general fund to support environmental review, financial assurance and other regulatory work and would fund four permitting positions. A parallel gas-leasing proposal requests $660,000 and two positions (including one attorney and one production site inspector) to handle title research, exploration-plan review and drill-site inspections.

- One-time legal-cost supplements: DNR told the committee it has seen an increase in highly contested and long-duration legal matters that exceed program budgets; the agency is requesting one-time general-fund supplements to avoid drawing down core program services. Stroman said the scale of the legal costs is affecting program budgets, but the presentation did not list a single aggregate amount for the supplement.

- Public-safety preparedness for conservation officers: The proposal includes $840,000 in general fund and one new FTE to provide training and equipment so conservation officers can assist in public-safety responses when called upon; agency staff emphasized that dedicated funds are not available for these general public-safety deployments.

Operating adjustments and fee proposals

- Cost increases: The governor's package includes an operating adjustment to cover rising employer-paid benefit costs, utilities, fleet, IT and other inflation-driven expenses: $5.4 million from the general fund plus $11.5 million from other funds. The agency cautioned this covers only part of anticipated operating increases for the biennium.

- Aquatic invasive species (AIS) surcharge: DNR proposes replacing the current flat $10.60 AIS surcharge on the 3-year watercraft registration with a sliding scale tied to boat size. The agency provided an example: for pleasure craft under 17 feet the AIS surcharge would move from $10.60 to $25 for a three-year registration period. The increased surcharge is expected to generate new fee revenue to expand grants to lake associations, tribes and local governments, increase DNR assistance for vegetation management and fund work at the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center; DNR said the proposal would also reduce general-fund support for AIS by about $660,000.

- Groundwater permitting fees: To boost technical capacity to evaluate complex groundwater permits, the presentation would raise permit fees. As an example, the first tier (up to 50 million gallons per year) would rise from $140 to $200 per permit; agency staff said about 85% of agricultural irrigation permits fall in that tier. DNR projected this fee shift would allow a $3.6 million reduction in general-fund support for groundwater work.

- State parks vehicle permits: The department proposes raising the daily park vehicle permit from $7 to $10 and the annual permit from $35 to $45 to generate roughly $850,000 for the Natural Resources Fund and to avoid service reductions in parks and recreation areas.

Legacy and one-time proposals

- Parks and Trails Legacy Fund: DNR proposed several one-time legacy projects and cited past uses of legacy funds that expanded access (for example, library park-pass programs and new campgrounds such as Shipwreck Creek at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park) and conservation work including American plains bison reintroduction at Minneopa State Park.

- Clean Water Fund: DNR submitted ten Clean Water Fund proposals to support watershed planning, data collection and implementation work to address lake, river and aquifer problems.

Committee questions and next steps

Senator Green pressed the agency for account balances and line-item spreadsheets; Assistant Commissioner Bob Meyer said those figures are complex, but the department committed to providing a detailed table of account balances and subfunds to the committee. The department also told senators it has identified nearly $8 million in general-fund reductions built into the governor's package through a combination of existing appropriations and proposed fee changes.","Commissioner Sarah Stroman told the Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committee on Feb. 27 that the governor's proposed FY26–27 budget for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) totals about $1.5 billion across all DNR funds and is intended to protect natural resources while respecting the state's fiscal constraints.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6307044,"Board of Water and Soil Resources highlights cover-crop, habitat and water-retention work; federal match pending",1140,5882000,7022000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435486-ccba08eb53ff1c4b25e78ea4e065bb71&start=5882&end=7022","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435486-ccba08eb53ff1c4b25e78ea4e065bb71/thumbnail_5882000.jpg","/articles/6307044/Minnesota/Board-of-Water-and-Soil-Resources-highlights-cover-crop-habitat-and-water-retention-work-federal-match-pending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307044-fefe54d5187ca88e8cf8206d589e610d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168239&Signature=Pzlw1n2xslDCRXfBpx07xW61ev9VJ6vuL4lWVZoAqNQ4pMgRgPtrbYc~iD4pjwF8qgEaxZ2NqUwhQvfk9tsNV7HqIPFda-CuC4M8LgDhSc2pDpH2NDxzTxgk0StNujKNtnwJVqhpq9womqvJxxixEK4E~cfIKkm2ZvjF4wBozW8dN2uQw2DTMTXGlWEKIiCx62ngZkZAlp~FUVi6TSSOkOljjn~vTlZCaBX8cUlhPYWdcXH2FQf1XOIPQ~HxLsQb7j~h6ItFAhwK8djuZcJZvF065k-aEpBZ7RAQSjoom~OX~AsKCZh9QsESpVL4GYjcX3qRMRBKjVslWFHsEAypWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Jasky, executive director of the Board of Water and Soil Resources (Bowser), and Andrea Fish, assistant director, presented updates on state-funded conservation programs and federal matching efforts that fund on-the-ground projects such as wetland restoration, cover crops and habitat improvements.

Why it matters: Bowser is the state agency that channels large shares of conservation and clean-water funding through local governments, watershed districts and soil-and-water conservation districts to private-landowners and others. Many programs rely on paired federal grants, so federal funding availability materially affects project timelines and local economies.

Key program updates

- Living-landscape initiatives: Bowser manages three related pollinator and habitat programs—lawns-to-legumes (homeowner pollinator habitat reimbursements), Habitat Enhancement Landscape grants (larger-scale habitat work) and the Habitat Friendly Utilities program (habitat on utility corridors and solar/wind facilities). The agency said federal- and state-funded rounds from the prior biennium remain partially unspent: lawns-to-legumes had about $361,000 remaining of a $4 million appropriation; habitat enhancement had $315,000 remaining of $4 million; habitat-friendly utilities had about $470,000 remaining of $1 million.

- Cover crops and federal match: Bowser said it has obligated most of a $21.1 million state appropriation for cover-crop and related programs and has a federal agreement for $25 million secured last fall; agency staff said they are awaiting confirmation from USDA and are pausing obligations in places to avoid exceeding available funds if federal money is delayed or changes.

- Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) and CRP pairing: Bowser described an updated multi-county agreement to pair state reinvestment easements with the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The agency said changing the state:federal funding ratio to $3 state : $7 federal increases available acreage and added a practice to target drinking-water-supply protection areas.

- Water-retention structures and watershed work: Bowser noted investments in projects that slow peak flows and retain water on agricultural landscapes. The agency said the Clean Water Fund recommendation includes a $90 million allocation that will be distributed across watershed areas to support implementation work.

Economic context and next steps

Bowser cited an economic analysis done with USDA that estimated a 1.8 local economic multiplier for conservation and clean-water spending—meaning each dollar spent on on-the-ground conservation activity generates roughly $1.80 in local economic activity through contractors, equipment and related spending. Jasky and Fish said they will provide the committee the economic analysis and follow up on federal-agreement timing for cover-crop and reforestation funds.

Staffing and budget

Bowser said its governor-recommended change is a small operating adjustment; the agency has roughly 140–148 FTEs and is not proposing additional permanent staff in the governor's package. The agency also said the Clean Water Fund requests follow the Clean Water Council recommendations.

Committee follow-up

Senators asked for the agency's full budget and employee counts; Bowser committed to providing additional details and the economic multiplier report. No formal votes were taken in committee during the presentation.","John Jasky, executive director of the Board of Water and Soil Resources (Bowser), and Andrea Fish, assistant director, presented updates on state-funded conservation programs and federal matching efforts that fund on-the-ground projects such as wetland restoration, cover crops and habitat improvements.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":42,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6307049,"MPCA seeks more permitting capacity, sustainable aviation fuel readiness and product-stewardship authority",2643000,3980000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435486-ccba08eb53ff1c4b25e78ea4e065bb71&start=2643&end=3980","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435486-ccba08eb53ff1c4b25e78ea4e065bb71/thumbnail_2643000.jpg","/articles/6307049/Minnesota/MPCA-seeks-more-permitting-capacity-sustainable-aviation-fuel-readiness-and-product-stewardship-authority","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307049-7588741f2c319bb035b100e039603e5d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168239&Signature=g84hwVhzRQ8ITrYE3TPmFv5wXvUAb42twGm7UKf48IvvvbNobIwuAmcfKIorhb9cQKcWdlL8eK4z8RYINv6F9btreidv3Y1yTUC7h4vsnDrvohjY5qLqTQAPCFYiECjaY7YjJb5OLbYR8RpCmlAjadfk7kANdL4u93~8HuVosn7G0fVfewTHah4FJ4zTgBb~6kIeVY5KKqtJm2QQUD5qNbztltUCI260AEU5gfk7MA7-VGvX~~3rIM54lsQ6gClFgvoKr-LkOgEwKr51vCv1DqxlYWHoT5pPeT9X1lolryxoVG9HzqaQCIvI3kqwE7AxENPi-a5MYyc8Vgy2WrS7mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Katrina Kessler, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, told the Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committee that the MPCA's budget request focuses on resourcing the agency's core work, improving permitting transparency and speed, and positioning the state for technology and materials transitions such as sustainable aviation fuel and battery recycling.

Why it matters: The MPCA enforces state and delegated federal pollution-control programs and administers several pass-through and remediation funds. Commissioner Kessler said the agency must balance customer service, delegated federal responsibilities and the technical demands of new environmental priorities while operating in a constrained fiscal environment.

Core-operating and air-program funding

Kessler described two near-term items: a modest operating adjustment to cover inflation-driven costs such as fleet, phones and compensation, and an environmental-fund appropriation to align air-program funding with a statutory expectation that air fees cover program costs.

Permitting reform and technical capacity

The MPCA proposal combines staff and technology: the agency would fund permit writers and engineers as a temporary “SWAT team” to address backlog, pilot use of machine learning tools for high-volume tasks such as comment review, and create a temporary permit ombudsman position (described in companion legislation) to assist complex applicants. The agency indicated some of the permitting support will come from the general fund and some from the environmental fund.

Sustainable aviation fuel and circular-economy items

Kessler said the agency proposes three environmental-fund positions to prepare MPCA to review and regulate facilities that would produce sustainable aviation fuel, including assessing feedstock streams and solid-waste implications. The MPCA also proposed a product-stewardship model for electronics and batteries; the agency said it expects to recover program administration costs from the producer-responsibility organization and that the agency request includes approximately four FTEs and agency administration costs (the presentation showed agency costs in the $700,000 range).

Other targeted proposals

- Mercury in skin-lightening creams: one FTE and program funds to support testing, online marketplace enforcement and culturally appropriate outreach.
- Food-waste and organics diversion: two FTEs to provide technical assistance and to manage the large Climate Smart Food Systems grant previously awarded to the MPCA.
- Remediation backlog: additional remediation division staff, funded by the remediation fund, to triage and assess increasing numbers of contaminated-site reports.
- Emergency response cost recovery: a technical correction to clarify the agency’s ability to bill responsible parties for emergency responses that do not meet hazardous-waste definitions; MPCA estimated about $200,000 per year in recovered funds.
- County feedlot appropriation correction: a fix to a 2023 appropriation to align biennial intent and save approximately $1 million in the biennium.

Staffing and capacity

Director Tom Johnson said the MPCA workforce is about 900 full-time employees on a typical day; Kessler told the committee that many of the proposed positions are temporary or are drawn from non-general-fund sources.

Committee questions and federal grant context

Committee members asked about the number of new FTEs and how the proposed positions would be funded. Kessler and Director Johnson noted many proposals are funded from special funds. Commissioners and staff also discussed needing to prioritize work where federal funds and state match interact. Kessler addressed questions about the previously reported $200 million Inflation Reduction Act grant (see separate item): she said the award was frozen and then, as of late last week, the federal portal appeared to be unlocked and the MPCA planned to begin submitting reimbursement requests, but she expressed uncertainty about the long-term availability of those federal dollars.","Commissioner Katrina Kessler presented a package of operating adjustments, permitting-reform proposals, staffing for sustainable aviation fuel reviews, an e-waste and battery product-stewardship program, and other targeted items including remediation staffing and mercury enforcement measures.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

MPCA says $200 million Inflation Reduction Act award briefly frozen; agency sees portal unlocked but uncertainty remains

DNR outlines $1.5 billion budget package, proposes gas permitting program and fee increases

Board of Water and Soil Resources highlights cover-crop, habitat and water-retention work; federal match pending

MPCA seeks more permitting capacity, sustainable aviation fuel readiness and product-stewardship authority