SF3410 Summary

• Expands agricultural best management practice loan program to include approved environmental service providers as eligible borrowers, in addition to farmers, agriculture supply businesses, and rural landowners.

• Allows drainage authorities to establish 16.5-foot vegetated buffer strips along public drainage ditches without traditional viewer appointments, accelerating erosion control and water quality improvements.

• Creates alternative repair cost apportionment method based on relative runoff and sediment delivery from properties, using geographic information system technology, rather than traditional pro-rata benefit assessments.

• Allows drainage authorities to plant and maintain ditch buffer strips before acquiring land rights, with costs paid under drainage law, expiring June 30, 2019.

• Lowers petition threshold from 50 percent to 26 percent of landowners or property area to trigger redetermination of drainage system benefits and damages.