2021 MN Wetland Professional Certification Program
The Minnesota Wetland Professional Certification Program (MWPCP) held nine training events in 2021 despite the ongoing global pandemic. These trainings occurred after all 2020 MWPCP courses were cancelled due to COVID-19 and marked the first complete training season for the program since it was transferred to BWSR from the University of Minnesota in January 2020. The training calendar included two virtual regulatory training courses, two technical regional training courses, one wetland delineation refresher course, three week-long basic classes, and a wetland delineation “crash course” for Tribal professional staff.
Over 170 people participated in the regulation-focused virtual training that was offered in the spring before the busy field season. All in-person courses were at or near capacity per each venue’s COVID requirements. Nearly 200 people participated in the in-person training courses. This equates to a little over 30,000 culminative training hours. Approximately 50% of the in-person participants were Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) Local Government Unit (LGU) and/or Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP) members.
When asked to reflect on his experience taking the MWPCP Basic Delineation & Regulation Class, Jack Distal, Water Resources Specialist for the City of Bloomington responded: “Even with a background in wetland management, I found the basic class to be quite beneficial because it brought together all aspects of wetlands — from the hard sciences of geomorphology to biology to the human components of policy. The class content was fast paced and hands-on. It also presented a great opportunity to meet and learn with peers from around the state.”
MWPCP Professional and Professional In-Training exams were administered on two separate days. In total, 95 people passed the certification exams, including 24 new professionals. There are currently 458 MWPCP certified individuals, of which roughly 55% are certified as wetland professionals. The remaining 45% are wetland professionals in-training.
One of the overarching goals of the MWPCP is to provide accessible, affordable, and relevant wetland training to WCA LGU and TEP members. The affordability of MWPCP courses appear to be driving increased LGU and TEP participation in the program.
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One of the overarching goals of the MWPCP is to provide accessible, affordable, and relevant wetland training to WCA LGU and TEP members. The affordability of MWPCP courses appear to be driving increased LGU and TEP participation in the program.
Approximately 50% of the in-training professionals are WCA LGU and/or TEP members. That’s a nearly 30% increase from 2020. While only about 20% of all current wetland professionals are LGU and/or TEP members, 70% of those who passed the professional exam in 2021 are LGU, Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), or state agency employees.
When asked about the certification and participation numbers, Ken Powell, WCA Operations Supervisor, said: “I was very pleased to see a substantial increase in the number of local government unit staff attending the training in 2021 compared to previous years. This indicates that our efforts to improve their participation are working.”
The MWPCP is currently planning the 2022 training schedule, which will most likely include two basic classes, multiple regional courses around the state, and an expert level wetland delineation course.
More information about the MWPCP, including future training opportunities, can be found here:
bwsr.state.mn.us/minnesota-wetland-professional-certification-program
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 Basic Hydrology Training
The Technical Training and Certification Program is offering Basic Hydrology training as an online webinar on January 18 at 1-3pm and January 20 at 9-11am. Attendees should attend both sessions to complete the course.
This training will cover the basic concept of determining hydrology for common conservation practices. We will review concepts such as runoff, curve numbers, peak discharges, and hydrographs. Students will learn about reading contour maps and delineating watersheds through example problems. By the end of the two sessions students should be able to delineate a watershed as well as be able to obtain the values needed to determine a peak discharge from the delineated watershed using EFH2.
More information and a link to the registration can be found here.
Nutrient Management Training
After nearly two years of delays, classroom training on Nutrient Management is planned for several locations throughout Minnesota January 24-28. Prerequisites include completing the Minnesota Nutrient Management Modules and taking the Job Class I and II exams. This full day training on writing/reviewing nutrient management plans will include both fertilizer and manure.
Additional information for this training, the full listing of prerequisites, and a link to the registration can be found here.
CAD Training
A virtual beginner CAD training will be offered February 1, 2022. The intended audience is conservation staff with little CAD experience. A recent survey found staff with IDP CAD requests have many different goals for this type of training. Our plan is to follow up with in person, small group sessions at various locations for staff wanting practice or task specific assistance. These in person trainings will hopefully be held soon after this virtual training.
More information and a link to the registration can be found here.
Technical Training & Certification Program Trainings
Related Partner Training Opportunities
Not all training takes place in a classroom. Check out the links below to learn at a time and place of your choosing.
We’ve also put together a searchable library of recorded modules, webinars, videos and other resources to help our staff and partners find professional development information on a variety of topics. You can visit BWSR's Online Learning page to find web-based technical training resources sorted by category.
Program Contacts
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