MnDOT releases mowing, haying permit recommendations report

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation has released a report with recommendations regarding the agency’s mowing and haying permit process.

MnDOT developed the report, required by the 2017 Minnesota Legislature, with input from a stakeholder group of environmental, agricultural and other interests. In addition, MnDOT held nine listening sessions across the state during the past several months and took public comment via the website, email, regular mail and face-to-face. The information from the public engagement shaped the recommendations that were made available March 1.

“MnDOT is charged with managing and maintaining the roadway right of way,” said MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle. “We worked closely with Minnesotans from across the state to ensure that we fully understood the wishes and needs of others and how those things could be integrated with the state’s need to care for that land.”

The Legislature outlined specific elements for the recommendations, including:

• Ease of permit application or notification

• Frequency of permits or notification

• Priority given to the owner or occupant of private land adjacent to a state highway right of way

• Determination of authority to mow or hay state highway right of way in which adjacent land belongs to state or local government

• Recognition of differences in the amount of wildlife habitat based on geographic distribution across the state

The cover letter and the full report are available at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/govrel/reports.html as well as on the mowing/haying webpage. The cover letter contains MnDOT’s recommendations for changes to the permit process. The full report contains the recommendations as well as the feedback from the public meetings, including suggestions from the stakeholder group for changes in state law. It also details the process used by the stakeholder group to develop the recommendations.

Locations of the mowing/haying listening sessions and stakeholder meeting minutes can be found on the MnDOT mowing website at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/mowing.