Buffer Initiative Program - Pope Soil & Water

Natural Resources Conservation Service Funding Options-Natural Resources Conservation Service Program information

BUFFER UPDATES

The Buffer Law was signed by Governor Mark Dayton in 2015 requiring perennial vegetation buffers to be installed along lakes, rivers, streams, and public drainage ditches. These buffers are designed to help filter out phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment as well as provide wildlife habitat.

SWCD’s across the state of Minnesota have been working with landowners on installation of these buffers or review of the parcels for implementing alternative practices. In Pope County approximately 4,445 parcels were reviewed initially and now again in 2022 with the new aerial imagery. If a violation of buffer law is found; the Pope SWCD will be informing the enforcing agency and the Board of Water and Soil Resources. Any appeals will be handled by the regulatory entity with the Pope SWCD staff providing technical information regarding the buffer law and the project site. It will depend on where the public water or drainage ditch is located on who the enforcing entity is. In Pope County it is either Pope County Land and Resource Management Office, North Fork Crow River Watershed District, or the Sauk River Watershed District.

In the 2023 Pope SWCD began the year off with 8 landowners that were in violation of their buffers. This was determined by doing arial imagery and in field site inspections in late 2022. The landowners and Pope County were then sent a Notification of Non-Compliance which keeps finding of fact records. The county then let the landowners know they had an 11-month grace period to become compliant or else fines would begin. 1 of the 8 landowners already had exceeded their 11-month grace period and was going to Conciliation Court with the county. Eventually this landowner agreed to have SWCD flag his buffer, purchased seed, and had our office seed the site. We worked with a total of 4 landowners that had our office seed buffers for them. Pope SWCD ended 2023 with 2 landowners that are in a buffer violation. 1 landowner was brought to our attention late in the year and a site inspection was conducted and a Notification of Non-compliance was sent to the county. 1 landowner has exceeded his 11-month grace period, has expressed he has no interest in planting his buffer, and will most likely be going to court with the county in the new year. In addition to working with landowners who needed to upgrade cover, we also did mid-contract site inspections for 7 landowners who previously worked with our office on Buffer Cost Share to establish their buffers. All 7 of these sites still met compliance and looked great and were notified. Overall, we worked with 10 landowners in 2023 towards upgrading our buffer program, with roughly a total of 198 hours worked. With the new year ahead, we will be working on checking aerial imagery to plan our spring 2024 site inspections.

Reminder to farmers/landowners that with spring tillage ahead, to communicate if you have a buffer on your field and not to till it up. If you have questions regarding your buffer, please contact Nicole Brede in our office at 320-634-5327.

BENEFITS OF BUFFERS

Conservation buffers are strips of perennial vegetation around rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands that slow water runoff thus reduces soil erosion, sequesters excess nutrients, stabilizes riparian areas, and enhances water quality. Buffers include contour buffer strips, field borders, grassed filter strips, grassed waterways, living snow fences, riparian buffers, shelterbelts/windbreaks, and wetlands.
Benefits of conservation buffers include:

Slow water runoff
Remove up to 50% or more nutrients and pesticides in runoff
Remove up to 60% or more pathogens in runoff
Remove up to 75% or more of sediment in runoff
Reduce noise and odor
Serve as a source of food, nesting cover, and shelter for wildlife
Stabilize streambanks and reduce water temperature in stream
Reduce downstream flooding
Reduced risk of tractor rollover due to set back of steep ditch or creek

If you are interested in buffering any waterways on your property, you can stop into our office for more information on programs and available financial assistance.