DEPARTMENT: Environmental Resources
FILE TYPE: Consent Action
TITLE
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Authorization To Execute Minnesota Board Of Water And Soil Resources Natural Resources Block Grant Program Agreement
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize the Environmental Resources Department Director to execute a Grant Agreement with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources for the state fiscal year 2026 and 2027 Natural Resources Block Grant Program.
SUMMARY
The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources' (BWSR) Natural Resources Block Grant (NRBG) is a composite of allocations available to counties to implement programs that protect and improve water resources.
Within the NRBG are four core programs funded through the state's general fund: Local Water Management (LWM), Wetland Conservation Act (WCA), Shoreland, and Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS). The LWM, WCA, and Shoreland programs are funded through an annual appropriation to BWSR. The SSTS program is funded through an interagency agreement between the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and BWSR and may include multiple allocations in a given state fiscal year. The Grant Agreement requires the County to transfer WCA funding directly to the Soil and Water Conservation District. The LWM and Shoreland funding are used for staffing, and the SSTS funding is used for staffing and to provide cost-share grants to low-income homeowners for repairing or replacing failing septic systems.
The following is a summary of the program allocations in the Grant Agreement:
Allocation
Amount
FY 2026 LWM
$8,094
FY 2026 WCA
$52,804
FY 2026 Shoreland
$2,615
FY 2026 SSTS
$65,117
FY 2027 LWM
$8,094
FY 2027 WCA
$52,804
FY 2027 Shoreland
$2,615
Total
$192,143
The Grant Agreement effective date begins once BWSR executes the agreement after obtaining County approval and signature. The Grant Agreement expires on December 31, 2028, or when all agreement obligations have been fulfilled, whichever comes first.
RECOMMENDATION
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