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How will the program work? <br />The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, which will oversee the new law, is working to get program <br />details developed. Landowners may install buffers on their own at any time, or can wait until the buffer <br />protection maps are complete in 2016. The local SWCD will provide technical assistance and answer questions <br />about financial assistance options. Landowners also have the option of working with their SWCD to determine if <br />other alternative practices aimed at protecting water quality can be used. <br />Sufficient <br />Buffer <br />Is there financial assistance available? <br />The stream on the left <br />has insufficient buffer <br />coverage. Areas circled <br />in red should have a <br />buffer. <br />The stream on the right <br />has sufficient buffer <br />coverage. 50 feet of <br />perennial vegetation <br />borders the entire <br />shoreline. <br />Yes. The 2015 Buffer Law relies on long-standing federal, state, and local programs to provide financial and <br />technical support to landowners to implement buffers or alternative water quality practices. Landowners may <br />use federal Farm Bill resources, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Continuous CRP, and the <br />Environmental Quality Incentives Program to get buffers installed. State resources include programs such as the <br />Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) easement program, Conservation Cost -Share, and the Minnesota Agricultural Water <br />Quality Certification Program. <br />What's the timeline? <br />The new law specifies: <br />November 1, 2017: Buffers in place on all public waters <br />November 1, 2018: Buffers in place on all public drainage systems <br />Who is responsible for enforcement? <br />Counties or watershed districts will be the first point of contact when noncompliance is identified. If a landowner <br />fails to install buffers on identified waters, penalties may include a $500 fine. <br />Where do I go for more information? <br />Contact your local SWCD for more information about buffers and local requirements. For more information on <br />the new buffer law, please visit: www.bwsr.state.mn.us/buffers/. <br />Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources www.bwsr.state.mn.us <br />