1995-10-26_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

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~ TtK ring -Summer 1995 i i Development of a wetlands conservation plan for Minnesota has been underway since August 1993 under a planning grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The state matching funds have been provided by the Minnesota Department of Transportation for the first two years of the project; sources for future state funding are uncertain at this time. This project began as a voluntary initiative by nine state and federal agencies with regulatory, programmatic. or compliance responsibilities for wetlands in Minnesota, and emphasizes taking a comprehensive, coordinated approach to dealing with wetlands issues. 'The most perplexing and urgent issues with wetlands policy in Minnesota revolve around the following areas, many of which are interrelated and involve more than one agency, law, or objective: Governance: Jurisdiction (confusion & coordination due to the number & variety of government entities involved) Conflicts (greater consistency among laws & programs; equity in decision-making) e ility optioas for wetlands decisions • Ecological: Socio-Economic: Incentives that are sufficient, appropriate, and effective anal costs and beneSts (degree of effort put into protecting or creating wetlands of little relative value when more might be gained from an alternative approach) party is concerns of landowners The following government organizations, or their individual members, are participating in the project: Minnesota Board of Water & Soil, Resources, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Minnesota Department of Agriculture, U.S.DA. Natural Resource Con- servation Service, Minnesota Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administra- tion, Association of Minnesota Counties, league of Minnesota Cities, Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts. Minne- sota Association of Townships, and the Mirine- sota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts. These government entities, while not yet agreeing on perceptions of the problems or potential solutions, do agree that they should work together on solutions through a cooperative problem-solving process. The overall purpose of their efforts is to produce a comprehensive wetlands conservation plan that is truly useful and realistic for all concerned. A substantial amount of time was invested in developing a process for participation by state and federal agencies, local governments, and the private sector, that would help ensure eventual implementation of the plan. Twenty resource groups around the state were organized to participate in issues identification; in all. about 250 people participated in these resource groups, which were completed on January 11, 1995. A briefing report will be prepared to describe the issues identified by the resource groups and other current resource materials for distribution in early 1995. This 'briefing report will focus the scope and direction -of issues to be addressed by Minnesota's wetlands conservation plan.