To provide financial assistance to develop a wetland mitigation bank with credits acceptable for use in USDA wetland compliance under the wetland mitigation banking program, wmbp

The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) received a $994,815 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) under the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (CFDA 10.933), effective January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2029. This award funds the development of a wetland mitigation bank in Minnesota that will generate tradable credits acceptable for use in USDA wetland compliance under the Food Security Act of 1985, commonly referred to as Swampbuster compliance.

The primary deliverable is the establishment and operational framework of a mitigation bank that enables agricultural producers to purchase credits to offset wetland losses on their own land while maintaining eligibility for USDA program benefits. As the selected third-party operator, BWSR will manage all aspects of the bank's development and operation under NRCS oversight, including restoring previously drained wetlands to generate credits, maintaining an annual credit ledger tracking deposits and withdrawals, and facilitating producer access to compliance solutions. This four-year initiative directly supports agricultural conservation compliance across Minnesota, one of the NRCS priority states for wetland mitigation banking activities.