ST. PAUL -- Gov. Mark Dayton says he won't slow down his marquee legislation to improve Minnesota's water quality.

Dayton and Minnesota lawmakers passed a law in 2015 requiring so-called buffers between cropland and waterways. Dayton and state officials said Thursday that nearly 75 percent of Minnesota counties are well on their way to meeting those requirements.

Department of Agriculture Commissioners Dave Fredrickson says he believes the state will meet a Nov. 1 deadline.

But some lawmakers are pushing to delay that deadline. Dayton says he won't sign that legislation after loosening buffer requirements for private ditches
last year.

Commissioners also point to more than 2,800 changes to which areas require buffers a sign of the state's willingness to work with Minnesotans concerned about the issue.

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