Committee Meeting Information

Northern Region Committee Meeting

Date:  Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Time:  1:00 p.m.

Location:  Red Lake Watershed District, 1000Pennington Ave. S., Thief River Falls, MN  56701

Microsoft Teams Virtual Option:  Join the meeting now

Call In (audio only):  651-395-7448

             Conference ID:  883 035 165#

Agenda:

• Review of Agenda
• Approve March 5, 2025, Meeting Minutes
• Public Access Forum
• Red Lake River Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan Renewal Amendment
• Comprehensive Watershed Management Plans Minor Amendments
• Watershed Based Implementation Funding - Past, Present, and Future

Contact:  Ryan Hughes, Northern Regional Manager, 218.580.0168, ryan.hughes@state.mn.us

Wetland Conservation Committee Meeting

Date:  Thursday, August 6, 2026

Time:  10:00 a.m.

Location:  Board of Water and Soil Resources, Lower-Level East Conference Room, 520 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN  55155

Agenda:

• Review of Agenda
• Approve April 1, 2026, Meeting Minutes
• Public Access Forum
• Wetland Conservation Act Rulemaking

Contact:  Les Lemm, Wetlands Section Manager, les.lemm@state.mn.us

Buffers Soils and Drainage Committee Meeting

Date:  Thursday, August 6, 2026

Time:  1:00 p.m.

Location:  Board of Water and Soil Resources, Conference Room 101, 520 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN  55155

Microsoft Teams Virtual Option:  Join the meeting now

Call In (audio only):  651-395-7448

             Conference ID:  688 717 218#

Agenda:

• Review of Agenda
• Public Access Forum
• Approve January 7, 2026, Meeting Minutes
• DNR PW update/overview
• Buffer Procedure #12
• Multipurpose Drainage Management Grant Updates
• Soil Health RCPP Grant Updates

Contact:  Tom Gile, Resource Conservation Section Manager, 507.696.1974, tom.gile@state.mn.us

Buffers Soils and Drainage Committee Meeting

Date:  Friday, August 14, 2026

Time:  1:00 p.m.

Location:  Board of Water and Soil Resources, Conference Room 101, 520 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN  55155

Microsoft Teams Virtual Option:  Join the meeting now

Call In (audio only):  651-395-7448

             Conference ID:  688 717 218#

Agenda:

• Review of Agenda
• Public Access Forum
• Approve August 6, 2026, Meeting Minutes
• DNR PW update/overview
• Buffer Procedure #12

Contact:  Tom Gile, Resource Conservation Section Manager, 507.696.1974, tom.gile@state.mn.us

Grants Program & Policy Committee Meeting 

Date:  Monday, August 17, 2026

Time:  9:00 a.m.  

Location:   Board of Water and Soil Resources, Conference Room 101, 520 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN  55155

Microsoft Teams:   Join the meeting now

Call In (audio only):  651-395-7448'

             Conference ID:  476 928 11#

Agenda:

• Review of Agenda
• Public Comment Period (if requested) 
• Approval of June 15, 2025, Meeting Minutes
• Fiscal Year 2027 Soil Health Delivery Grants
• Fiscal Year 2027 Buffer Implementation Grants 

Contact:  Marcey Westrick, Central Region Manager, 651-284-4153, Marcey.westrick@state.mn.us    

Committee Roster

June 2026

ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AAC)

Responsibility: The AAC consists of the Board’s chair and vice-chair and the chairs of the Board’s standing committees. The AAC may make evaluations and recommendations to the Board on various Board issues including ethics; expenses/per diem; bylaws; and implementing legislation and budgets. The AAC will act as the personnel committee for personnel actions relating to the Board’s executive director. The chair may include additional members ad hoc to address special or unique topics or issues.

Meetings: The committee will meet at the call of the chair.

AUDIT & OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (A&O)

Responsibility: The Committee consists of the Board’s chair, vice-chair, and appointed at-large members. It appraises the effectiveness of the agency’s internal controls and risk assessment and provides an avenue of communication between BWSR’s internal audit function and external auditors, management, and the Board. In addition, the A&O is also responsible for the Performance Review and Assistance Program (PRAP) oversight and receives reports on BWSR and Local Government Unit program evaluations and fiscal compliance matters.

Meetings: The Committee will meet at least once during the year or at the call of the chair or a majority of the members.

BUFFERS, SOILS & DRAINAGE COMMITTEE (BSDC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing buffer, drainage and soil conservation statutes, rules, policies, guidelines, programs and special projects and related plans, operational partnerships, and opportunities to enhance the agency’s implementation of programs; and for making the resulting recommendations to the Board.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE (DRC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for hearing appeals, including those related to the Wetland Conservation Act, watershed district rule and permit decision appeals, and, under MS103A.301, determinations of water law and policy. The authority of the DRC is established in statute and assigned to the DRC by the Board. Under current guidelines the DRC hears the appeals and makes recommendations to the Board.

Per M.S. 103B.101, Subd.10, the committee is appointed by the board chair.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as needed to process appeals that have been filed with the Board.

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing grant allocations, policies, and related procedures and making recommendations to the Board.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with Board Chair or staff.

RIM RESERVE COMMITTEE (RRC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing RIM Reserve Program statutes, rules, policies, guidelines, rates and for considering strategic plans, operational partnerships, and opportunities to enhance the agency’s conservation easements programs; and for making the resulting recommendations to the Board.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

WATER MANAGEMENT & STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE (WMSPC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for the development of strategic plans for the Board including identification of key outcomes, partnerships and opportunities. The WMSPC is also responsible for the development of program and policy to guide and direct implementation of local water and watershed management plans, including the One Watershed - One Plan program.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

WETLAND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE (WCC)

Responsibility: The Committee is responsible for reviewing Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) and wetland banking rules, policies, guidelines and plans.

Meetings: The Committee will meet as determined by the Committee chair in consultation with the Board Chair or staff.

DRAINAGE WORK GROUP (DWG)

Responsibility: The Drainage Work Group is responsible for developing recommendations for drainage system management and related water management, including recommendations for updating Minnesota Statutes Chapter 103E Drainage and related provisions.

Meetings:  The work group will meet as determined by the staff.