Rockville Mayor Appointed To State Agency

ROCKVILLE - Governor Mark Dayton has appointed Rockville Mayor Duane Willenbring to the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.

The BWSR has the responsibility of overseeing the use of the Buffer Law. Minnesota's buffer law was started as a way to help make sure things like phosphorus, nitrogen and sediment were not making it into Minnesota's water ways.

Willenbring is also the Vice-Chairman of the Sauk River Watershed District and is also a voting member of the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts. He says his previous experiences will help him in his new position.

"I sense that my many years of experience, commitment to be environmentally conscious and the desire and passion to serve will bring value to the communities and rural land owners throughout Greater Minnesota."

Not only is Willenbring being appointed to the BWSR, he is also an appointed representative of out-state, or as Willenbring calls it "greater Minnesota" to the BWSR.

He says he hopes to help greater Minnesota farmers who may lose some crop land from the buffer zone laws..

"More importantly give farmers an incentive to have retention areas on their property to augment. what use to be wetlands, slews, meadows, pastures. Give them (farmers) an incentive and not a mandate to create the buffer zones."

Willenbring's appointment started on June 19th and will finish January 7, 2019 unless the next governor reappoints him.