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Find similar grantsNatural Resources Block Grant (NRBG) is sponsored by Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). The NRBG is a composite of grants available to Minnesota Counties to implement programs designed to protect and improve water resources, including Local Water Management (LWM), Wetland Conservation Act (WCA), and Shoreland programs.
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County Grants | MN Board of Water, Soil Resources Grant Information & Resources The Natural Resources Block Grant (NRBG) is a composite of grants available to Minnesota Counties to implement programs designed to protect and improve water resources. The three core programs of the NRBG - LWM, WCA, and Shoreland – are funded through the state’s general fund in an annual appropriation to BWSR.
The SSTS portion of the NRBG is funded through an interagency agreement between the MPCA and BWSR and may include one or more SSTS programs in a given year. To be eligible for the NRBG, a county must have a locally adopted and Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) approved comprehensive local water management plan.
Grant recipients are required to follow the BWSR Grants Administration Manual which establishes the administrative and programmatic requirements for all grants administered through BWSR. Transition to Comprehensive Watershed Management Planning BWSR is committed to maintaining the NRBG program for counties as long as state appropriations are available.
However, the statewide transition to Comprehensive Watershed Management Planning (One Watershed, One Plan), may indirectly impact this program. Specifically, as more counties shift from county-based (county water plans) to watershed-based planning (One Watershed, One Plan), the eligibility requirement for NRBG will need to be revised to recognize and minimize impact of this transition.
Reporting Profiles Natural Resources Block Grants (NRBG): Reporting Profile: BWSR Septic Treatment Systems Reporting Profile: DNR Shoreland Reporting Profile: Local Water Management (LWM) Reporting Profile: Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS) Reporting Profile: Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems Upgrade Reporting Profile: Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) Visit the Clean Water Fund Programs or Watershed-Based Implementation Funding Program pages for additional opportunities.
Work Planning Work plans are currently not required for any of the NRBG programs. Work plans required in the 1990s were replaced by an Allocation and Contribution Statement, which was signed by multiple county departments to document program support, in the 2000s. In 2014, the Biennial Budget Request (BBR) replaced the Allocation and Contribution Statement.
The BBR provides statewide data regarding local contributions to these programs and has been a valuable resource in supporting the state budget processes. Grant Agreements The appropriation language allows BWSR to use a biennial grant agreement to reduce processing and speed payment in the second year of the state biennium. BWSR intends to continue with biennial grant agreements as long as appropriation language allows.
Flexible Spending A flexible spending policy has been in place for the three core programs of the NRBG since 2010. This policy allows counties to spend grant funds. For grants issued FY19 and prior, which contain a match requirement, the policy allows flexing the match component between the LWM, WCA, and Shoreland portions of the grants.
eLINK Guidance: Flex Spending Annual Grant Reporting All BWSR grants include an annual reporting requirement. The purpose of annual reporting to ensure public funds are used for their program intent and legislative purpose. For NRBG programs, grant reporting includes an update in eLINK (BWSR’s Grant Management System) to grant and, match expenditures (where required), and actual results/summary of activities completed.
In addition to grant reporting, the Shoreland, SSTS, and WCA programs have required program reports. Shoreland: A program report is required to be submitted annually to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This program report covers local implementation of the state’s Shoreland Management Program more broadly than the NRBG grant report.
Recent changes to the timing and process means the program report no longer needs to be attached in eLINK. Questions about this report should be directed to Kathy Metzker at DNR (kathleen. metzker@state.
mn. us). SSTS: SSTS grants may also have additional reporting requirements depending on a given year.
Questions about SSTS reporting can be directed to Aaron Patrick at MPCA ( aaron. patrick@state. mn.
us ). Grantees should always read program communications carefully and talk to your BWSR Board Conservationist with questions. WCA : Much the same as Shoreland, a separate WCA program report is required to be submitted outside eLINK that also does not need to be attached in the eLINK report.
Questions about this report should be directed to your BWSR Wetland Specialist .
Annual NRBG Allocations, WCA Transfer, and Local Levy Amounts FY 2026 SSTS Allocations (pdf) (posted September 24, 2025) FY 2026 & 2027 NRBG Allocations (pdf) (posted September 16, 2025) FY 2026 & 2027 WCA Transfer Amounts (pdf) (posted September 16, 2025) FY 2024 & 2025 NRBG Allocations & WCA Transfer(pdf) (posted January 7, 2025) FY 2022 & 2023 NRBG Allocations (pdf) (posted October 27, 2021) FY 2022 & 2023 LWM Grant Required Local Levy or Cash (pdf) (posted December 7, 2021) FY 2022 & 2023 WCA Transfer Amounts (posted December 15, 2021) Record Keeping Regardless of whether a grant will be financially reconciled or not, grantees are obligated to maintain sufficient books, records, documents, and accounting procedures to demonstrate compliance with the grant agreement.
This includes maintaining documentation of receipt and expenditure of funds, and sufficient information to account for staff time charged to NRBG grants. As per the grant agreement and Minnesota Statutes §16B. 98, the state reserves the right to audit all grant-related records for up to six years after the grant agreement expires as a condition of the grant agreement and state statute.
If you have questions, please email bwsr. grants@state. mn.
us
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Minnesota Counties with a locally adopted and BWSR approved comprehensive local water management plan. While this is for counties, a private landowner in Swift County may benefit through county-administered projects. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
Natural Resources Block Grant (NRBG) is funded by Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This opportunity targets applicants in Minnesota. If your organization operates elsewhere, check the official notice for location requirements.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
Multipurpose Drainage Management Grant Program is sponsored by Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). This competitive grant program funds multipurpose drainage management practices, targeting critical pollution source areas to reduce erosion and sedimentation, reduce peak flows and flooding, and improve water quality, while protecting drainage system efficiency and reducing dra…
Water Quality and Storage Program - Modeling and Conceptual Design Grants is sponsored by Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). These grants are for modeling and conceptual design related to water storage projects, particularly those that may not rank highly in watershed-wide plans but are crucial for developing feasibility studies or conceptual designs for specific projects.
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