Rulemaking by the DNR

About Rulemaking

The legislature can delegate authority to state agencies to make rules necessary to carry out the purpose of statutorily assigned duties. Rulemaking in Minnesota follows procedures outlined in the Minnesota Administrative Procedure Act (APA), Minnesota Statutes, chapter 14. Rules can be adopted through formal, exempt, or expedited processes, depending on the statutory authority granted by the legislature. The agency must maintain a current, public rulemaking docket containing a list of each possible proposed rule currently under active consideration and each pending rulemaking proceeding.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a general rules coordinator and each rulemaking project also has a agency contact person (lead staff).

A note about Commissioner’s Orders

Commissioner’s orders are authorized case-by-case in statute, including an exemption from rulemaking. They are published in the State Register. At this time the DNR does not have commissioner’s orders available on its Web site. Contact the responsible agency division for further information about a specific commissioner’s order.