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

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.