1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to agriculture; appropriating money for a southeast regional groundwater
1.3 protection and soil health initiative.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. APPROPRIATION; SOUTHEAST REGIONAL GROUNDWATER
1.6PROTECTION AND SOIL HEALTH INITIATIVE.
1.7 (a) $....... in fiscal year 2026 and $....... in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated from the
1.8general fund to the Board of Water and Soil Resources for grants to soil and water
1.9conservation districts in the counties of Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston,
1.10Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona to reduce leaching of excess crop
1.11nutrients into groundwater, immobilize unused nitrogen from the rooting zone, and reduce
1.12erosion as part of a new southeast regional groundwater protection and soil health initiative.
1.13 (b) Notwithstanding any provision of Minnesota Statutes, section 103F.06, to the contrary,
1.14a soil and water conservation district that receives a grant under this section may use the
1.15grant to make subgrants for projects that conform to the requirements and limitations of the
1.16Olmsted County groundwater protection and soil health initiative, including a cover crop
1.17program, alternative crops program, and a haying, grazing, and pasture enhancement program.
1Section 1.
REVISOR CKM/LJ 25-0489403/14/25
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 2708
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by Smith and Pursell03/24/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Agriculture Finance and Policy