MN HF4989

Establishes Minnesota's clean water, climate-smart, and soil-healthy farming goals requiring 50% of tillable acres using cover cropping and no-till/strip-till practices by 2030, 40% using precision nutrient management by 2030, and 100% using all three practices by 2040.

Creates a pilot program in southeastern Minnesota counties (Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, Winona, and specified townships in Dakota and Rice counties) to provide direct payments of $15-$20 per acre to farmers adopting clean water, climate-smart, and soil-healthy farming practices.

Extends the fertilizer fee of 40 cents per ton indefinitely (previously set to expire June 30, 2024), with revenue deposited into a new clean water, climate-smart, and soil-healthy farming account after June 30, 2024.

Requires the Board of Water and Soil Resources to collect soil health data and the commissioner of agriculture to monitor groundwater and surface water quality to measure program effectiveness, with annual reporting to legislative committees.

Classifies farmer names, locations, and contact information associated with soil health and water quality data as private, while classifying information associated with financial assistance applications and payments as public data.