Koochiching County commissioners said Tuesday it’s imperative to have a presence at meetings reviewing the state’s wetland rules.

In response to Governor Mark Dayton’s Executive Order 12-04, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources is facilitating a stakeholder process to evaluate the Wetland Conservation Act.

The order directs BWSR to work in cooperation with the Pollution Control Agency, and Departments of Natural Resources, Transportation, and Agriculture. The order also invited stakeholders regarding how to maintain no net loss of wetlands as a state goal under the Wetland Conservation Act and to further advance the long-term protection and enhancement of Minnesota’s wetland resources.

Commissioners Wade Pavleck and Mike Hanson attended meetings last week in the Twin Cities on the review.

The first meeting they said was for BWSR and local government officials. Among 20 people at the meeting, Hanson said four were from Lake of the Woods and Koochiching counties. Both counties have retained more than 80 percent of the presettlement wetlands.

Hanson said he made a “fool of my self and pounded on the table” as he discussed the lengthy time it takes to go through the process to develop and mitigate wetlands.

Pavleck said the second meeting including mining interests. “They now realize what we have known,” he said of the complex and lengthy process.

Pavleck said he encouraged streamlining the process.

“Every time this is reopened, we lost ground here,” he said. “The main thing is that the state not further restrict and focus on streamlining. That would help mining, agriculture and this county.”

Pavleck said northern county representatives are urging the state to consider the value of wetland replacement where it is needed the most instead of the process to replace wetlands in the watershed where they were developed.

“This should be about what’s best for the state of Minnesota,” he said. “Does it make sense to replace wetlands in Koochiching where a lot of wetlands already exist? I think they’re starting to understand that.”

Forums are scheduled for Mankato, Bemidji, Chisholm and the Twin Cities late this month and in October.

“It would be good for us to have a presence at them all,” said Pavleck of the upcoming meetings.

BWSR and cooperating agencies will also encourage organizations to develop and submit written comments throughout the process, according to a news release from BWSR.