Subd. 1. Project coordination team; membership.

The commissioner shall establish and chair a project coordination team made up of representatives of the Pollution Control Agency, Department of Natural Resources, Board of Water and Soil Resources, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota agricultural experiment stations, United States Army Corps of Engineers, United States Environmental Protection Agency, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service, Metropolitan Council, Association of Minnesota Counties, League of Minnesota Cities, Minnesota Association of Townships, and other agencies as the commissioner may determine.

Subd. 2. Duties.

1. (a) The project coordination team shall advise the agency in preparation of rules, evaluate projects, and recommend to the commissioner those projects that the team believes should receive financial or technical assistance or both from the agency. After approval of assistance for a project by the agency, the team shall review project activities and assist in the coordination of the state program with other state and federal resource management programs.
2. (b) For state agencies or departments receiving funding under section 446A.07, subdivision 6, the project coordination team shall provide guidance for the allocation of water pollution control fund nonpoint source pollution funding with consideration to statewide environmental priorities including priorities for types of projects and geographic or watershed priorities. A subcommittee of the project coordination team will be formed for each of the separate funding areas under section 446A.07, subdivision 6, and shall be chaired by the appropriate lead state agency or department. Each subcommittee shall evaluate and rank projects within its area with consideration given to the guidance provided by the project coordination team.