State Environmental Quality Board seeks new members
The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) is a state organization that helps guide decisions around environmental health and stewardship by overseeing the Environmental Review Program.
The board is made up of a mix of state officials and department heads, and members of the public, who represent each of the state’s congressional districts. There are currently five public seats that the board is seeking to fill, those for districts 1, 2, 6, 7, and 8. The 8th congressional district includes the Arrowhead.
The EQB website states, “Public members of the board help bring the voices of Minnesotans from around the state into decision making, prompting our government to think in new ways about environmental challenges and solutions.”
Public members of the EQB serve four year terms, and attend one meeting per month. The meetings can be attended in person or virtually. Board members can be reimbursed for some expenses, and receive compensation for their time working on board business. They also have access to support staff through EQB. Specific experience is not required for membership.
EQB Executive Director Catherine Neuschler told WTIP that over the past 40 years, EQB has contributed to decision making related to “barge fleeting on the Mississippi to animal agriculture, forestry, urban development, copper-nickel mining, genetically modified organisms, land use management, pesticide management, water management, sustainable development, climate mitigation, silica sand development, and pollinator protection.”
While the public members do not need to have a particular background in order to serve, Neuschler said, “EQB needs dedicated public members, especially those with expertise in Minnesota’s Environmental Review Program. Public board members have the opportunity to bring forth their unique perspectives, shaped by their professional work or personal experience, especially around environmental justice, health, business, and local government.”
Neuschler said that the board is looking for Minnesotans who are “passionate about enhancing our state’s environmental quality.”
Those interested in joining the EQB can apply through the EQB website.
Kirsten Wisniewski January 10, 2026
