E Simplifying and consolidating wetlands regulations; removing the exception of certain wetlands classified as natural environment lakes from the definition of public waters under the water law; authorizing the commissioner of natural resources (DNR) to revise the list of public waters for certain public waters wetlands reclassification purposes, restrictions, requiring a reclassification priority for wetlands affected by public works projects, requiring the commissioner to provide notice of reclassifications to local government units, county boards and watershed and soil and water conservation districts for objections purposes, objection to negate the reclassification; specifying certain conditions for the draining or filling of wetlands by employees or agents of contractors, violations to be a separate offense, requiring the board of water and soil resources (BOWSR) to develop a form to be distributed to contractors associations, local government units and soil and water conservation districts for compliance purposes, specifying certain form content requirements; applying wetlands regulations to excavations in permanently and semipermanently flooded areas of certain types of wetlands; eliminating the requirements for replacement within the same watershed or county as the impacted wetlands and for the board to maintain a public list of restoration opportunities in the metropolitan area and the authority of the board committee for dispute resolution to hear disputes relating to restoration opportunities for wetland replacement; including public waters wetlands under certain restoration and replacement requirements; modifying certain provisions regulating the filling or draining of wetlands for certain public road or transportation projects and certain restoration projects priority requirements; establishing a priority order for siting wetland replacement; modifying the replacement plan exemption for agricultural activities in wetlands located on agricultural land, expanding the exemptions to certain activities authorized under the federal clean water or rivers and harbors acts and modifying the de minimis exemption, eliminating the requirement to contact the board for information on minimizing wetland impacts; requiring the board to adopt rules governing approval of public waters work permits affecting public waters wetlands; modifying membership requirements and expanding certain duties of technical evaluation panels; exempting persons conducting wetlands or public waters boundary delineations or type determinations from state licensing requirements and requiring the board in consultation with the Minnesota association of professional soil scientists, the university of Minnesota and the wetland delineators association to by a certain date submit a plan to the legislature for a professional wetland delineator certification program; authorizing and providing for landowners to apply for wetland boundary or type determinations from local government units; authorizing local government units and soil and water conservation districts to charge fees for technical and administrative assistance to landowners in processing wetland projects applications; providing for appeal of wetland banking and wetland boundary or type determination decisions and expanding the authority of the board to deny petitions; sunsetting the wetland heritage advisory committee; requiring the commissioner to be responsible for public waters preservation and protection, authorizing the commissioner to waive the requirements for public waters work permits and local government units to waive the requirements for replacement plans under certain conditions; defining wetlands for interpretation of statutes purposes; requiring the board and the commissioner to provide a joint report to the legislature by a certain date on further technical changes to the wetland conservation act and rules to provide for an improved regulatory consolidation process and to adopt or amend certain rules (mk, ja)