The Reinvest In Minnesota (RIM) Reserve Program is a program to protect and improve water quality by encouraging landowners to retire environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production.

The program reimburses landowners for enrolling their land in a permanent conservation easement, and then provides assistance to restore the area to grass, trees, or wetlands.

Other benefits of the program include reduced soil erosion and sedimentation, enhanced fish, and wildlife habitat, flood control, and groundwater recharge.

The Kandiyohi Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) implements the program.  The program is managed on the state level by the Minnesota Board of Soil and Resources.

Eligible Lands

• Marginal Agricultural Cropland: lands that are classified as highly erodible and have been cropped two of the five years prior to the date of application.
• Riparian Lands: lands adjacent to public waters, drainage systems, wetlands or locally designated priority waters identified in a comprehensive local water management plan.
• Wetland Restoration Areas: lands containing legally drained wetlands that are feasible to restore to their pre-drainage condition.
• Sensitive Groundwater: lands where there is a significant risk of groundwater degradation from activities conducted at or near the land surface (e.g. sinkholes and areas adjacent to public supply wells).
• Other Environmentally Sensitive Lands: lands such as pastured hillsides, agricultural woodlots, and living snow fences, which provide protection of water and soil resources and furnish important fish and wildlife habitat.