Dayton Fends Off Attacks On Buffer Strips, Environment Quality Board

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In the closing days of the 2017 legislative session, Gov. Mark Dayton managed to fend off attempts to gut his top clean water accomplishment — a requirement for buffer strips of vegetation between farm fields and waterways.

Dayton even got some things he wanted on the environment and outdoors fronts.

His administration turned back efforts to abolish the Environmental Quality Board. And it won increases in hunting and fishing license fees to ensure continued funding for outdoor programs.

Several environmental groups say the compromises in the final days of the regular session and during the special session weaken protections and undermine public participation, so they've urged him to veto the big environmental and natural resources budget bill. However, that appears unlikely.

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