1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to water; requiring reports by drainage authorities to the Board of Water 
1.3 	and Soil Resources; creating a work group; proposing coding for new law in 
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 103E.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [103E.023] REPORTS TO BOARD OF WATER AND SOIL 
1.7 	RESOURCES.
1.8 	(a) The drainage authority of each county must report to the Board of Water and 
1.9 	Soil Resources by October 1 of each year on the following:
1.10 	(1) the number of miles of open public drainage ditches that are under the jurisdiction 
1.11 	of the authority;
1.12 	(2) the number of ditch projects or proceedings under the authority's jurisdiction, 
1.13 	since the last survey, that have triggered the appointment of viewers and the requirement 
1.14 	for installation of permanent grass buffer strips according to section 103E.021;
1.15 	(3) the number of miles of public drainage ditches under the authority's jurisdiction 
1.16 	that are required to have a one-rod or wider permanent grass buffer strip according to 
1.17 	section 103E.021;
1.18 	(4) the number of miles of public drainage ditches identified in clause (3) that have 
1.19 	had the required grass buffer strips installed, including which sides of the ditch;
1.20 	(5) of the grass buffer strips installed according to section 103E.021 under the 
1.21 	authority's jurisdiction, the number of miles currently in place;
1.22 	(6) whether the authority has rules or policies for the harvest of grass buffer strips by 
1.23 	the landowner or assigns according to section 103E.021, subdivision 2;
2.1 	(7) how many miles have had regular inspection of ditches and required grass 
2.2 	buffer strips according to sections 103E.021, subdivision 4, and 103E.705, subdivision 
2.3 	2, since the last survey;
2.4 	(8) the number of times since the last survey that the authority has taken the 
2.5 	following grass buffer strip compliance actions according to sections 103E.021, 
2.6 	subdivision 4, and 103E.705, subdivision 2:
2.7 	(i) sent a compliance notice to a noncompliant property owner;
2.8 	(ii) issued an order to have the necessary work performed to bring a noncompliant 
2.9 	property into compliance with section 103E.021; or
2.10 	(iii) sent a statement to the county auditor and the property owner of the expenses 
2.11 	incurred to bring a property into compliance;
2.12 	(9) whether the authority has a plan or procedure in place to update drainage ditch 
2.13 	benefit determinations on a routine basis; and
2.14 	(10) any additional comments about grass buffer strips or section 103E.021.
2.15 	(b) The Board of Water and Soil Resources must provide a summary of the reports 
2.16 	to the house and senate committees having jurisdiction over the environment and natural 
2.17 	resources by the end of the year in which the reports were submitted.
2.18 	(c) The Board of Water and Soil Resources shall provide a summary of the reports 
2.19 	on its Web site.

2.20 	Sec. 2. BUFFER IMPLEMENTATION WORK GROUP.
 2.21 	(a) The Board of Water and Soil Resources shall appoint a work group to recommend 
2.22 	methods of improving implementation of Minnesota Statutes, section 103E.021. The 
2.23 	board shall provide administrative support for the work group.
2.24 	(b) The work group shall consist of representatives of:
2.25 	(1) agriculture;
2.26 	(2) environmental organizations;
2.27 	(3) local government;
2.28 	(4) the Department of Natural Resources;
2.29 	(5) the Pollution Control Agency;
2.30 	(6) the Department of Agriculture; and
2.31 	(7) the University of Minnesota.
2.32 	(c) By January 15, 2007, the work group shall report to the house and senate 
2.33 	committees having jurisdiction over environment and natural resources with 
2.34 	recommendations to:
3.1 	(1) evaluate barriers to implementation of Minnesota Statutes, section 103E.021, and 
3.2 	recommended solutions;
3.3 	(2) improve enforcement of Minnesota Statutes, section 103E.021;
3.4 	(3) provide incentives to implement Minnesota Statutes, section 103E.021;
3.5 	(4) amend statutes to encourage implementation of Minnesota Statutes, section 
3.6 	103E.021;
3.7 	(5) develop recommended methods for drainage records modernization; and
3.8 	(6) define authority to use ditch maintenance funds for grass buffer strip 
3.9 	implementation.
3.10 	(d) The work group expires upon submission of the report required under paragraph 
3.11 	(c).

3.12 	Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 3.13 	Sections 1 and 2 are effective July 1, 2006, and the first county reports must be 
3.14 	submitted by October 1, 2006.