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The Chisago County Soil and Water Conservation District offices were planning to relocate this week to the mall, on the west side of the freeway in North Branch.   The new address is Suite 206.

The staff levels are at usual strength and no federal funding cuts or Trump Administration staffing reductions have impacted the  workforce (at least until a few days ago when we checked in on how the move was progressing.)

This has been in the works for months, since SWCD officials were notified that their longtime rental building on Highway 95 in the eastern part of North Branch, had been sold.   

The SWCD Board of Supervisors convened monthly meetings at the North Branch Library while renovations for the new site were being completed.

Meanwhile, the state legislature is moving a bill onto the floor that is supportive of a large increase in state aid for Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

The Representative from Eagan, Liz Reyer, authored the measure to hike SWCD funding from $12 million to $22 million. The increase is to begin in 2025 payouts.

The bill HF1066 was laid over by a vote in the House Taxes Committee March 6 for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.  The bill has multiple sponsors/signers, but Chisago County Representatives Jimmy Gordon and Max Rymer are not among the signers on the bill who are listed in House records.

Reyer stated the bill has had bipartisan support in recent review.  She spoke of positive projects and assistance the Soil and Water Conservations Districts provide land owners, who are willing participants, looking to enhance water quality and preserve soil health.

The funding had been set to decrease from $15 million to $12 million in 2025 in prior actions. 

HF1066 would repeal this and set it at $22 million.

Reyer stated she brings this forward in light of concerns about federal economic implications being “unclear” at this time.

 

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