[Excerpts from Mar. 29, 2004 Gov. Pawlenty Press Release]
Minnesota’s plan to set aside tens of thousands of acres of environmentally sensitive agriculture land to prevent run-off into streams and rivers will move to the next step after an agreement announced today by Governor Tim Pawlenty, Congressman Gil Gutknecht, Congressman Colin Peterson, and representatives of conservation and agricultural stakeholders.

As part of the agreement, the State will modify its application for the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to boost the number of acres set aside. The State’s revised plan includes the following:

· An increase in the number of acres set aside from 100,000 to 120,000;
· 24,000 acres of permanent easements for wetlands restoration;
· 5,000 acres of permanent easements for flood mitigation;
· The remaining 91,000 acres would be set aside for up to 45 years.

Minnesota’s CREP application includes conservation projects along watersheds in Northwest, Southwest and Southeast Minnesota. CREP is funded with 80 percent federal money and 20 percent state. In total, the federal share will total nearly $200 million and the state portion is $46 million. Governor Pawlenty has asked the Legislature for $23 million in this year’s bonding bill as the first installment in the state share and will seek the remaining portion in the 2006 bonding bill.

Full Release

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