Rich Biske
Director of Water and Land Protection, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota
Minneapolis, MN
Areas of Expertise
Watershed Protection, Water Quality, Regenerative Agriculture, Edge of Field, Public Policy
Biography
Rich Biske is the Director of Water and Land Protection for The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Formerly as Resilient Waters Director, Rich led the freshwater policy development, conservation strategy, watershed protection and builds capacity of partner organizations. Biske collaborates with public and private sector leaders to advance land and water protection for people and nature. He leads a team of talented scientists, regional program managers and project managers that implement conservation action throughout the three-state chapter.
In 2021 Governor Walz appointed Rich to the Clean Water Council directing the use Clean Water Funds and development of Minnesota water policy.
Rich has contributed to TNC's multi-state Mississippi River Basin and North America Agriculture programs for over a decade. Prior to his current position he was the Southeast Minnesota Conservation Coordinator for The Nature Conservancy from 2005 to 2014. Rich led regional partnerships and initiated several innovative soil and water conservation practices along with habitat protection and restoration programs that continue today. Prior to The Nature Conservancy, Biske was a Natural Resources Planner with the Anoka Conservation District, conducting site based habitat protection, restoration and open space planning and protection.
Rich is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, College of Natural Resources in St. Paul with a BS in Environmental Science, Planning and Policy. He lives in Lino Lakes, MN and enjoys spending time with his wife, 2 children and dog Ruby on Minnesota’s waters and exploring the many great natural places of Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota.
Opinion
Minnesota must act now to protect its vital waterways
"Now that all of Minnesota’s major watersheds have been evaluated, we need to direct our attention to protecting the most significant waters that remain relatively clean."