ST. PAUL – State Representative Greg Davids (R-Preston) said there's good news for farmers who were concerned about private ditch mapping being conducted by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as part of Minnesota's buffer law.
On January 28, Governor Dayton ordered the DNR to focus its mapping solely on public ditches.
"I was extremely troubled to hear that the DNR had been misinterpreting the buffer law, so
I'd like to thank Governor Dayton for stepping up and doing the right thing," Davids said.
Last session the House, Senate, and Governor Dayton reached an agreement stating that buffers of 16.5 feet must be installed on all public ditches by November of 2018.
But several months ago lawmakers learned that the DNR had begun mapping private ditches, which greatly exceeded the scope and intent of the compromise according to Davids.
"All parties are now following the buffer law as intended, and we hope it will have a positive impact on our water quality," Davids concluded.