On behalf of the Minnesota Chamber Foundation (a committee under the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce), Barr undertook an in-depth study in 2023 to document and compare the environmental review and permitting processes in Minnesota with those of 10 other states with similar economies and natural resources.
The impetus for the project was the state business community’s long-time concern that Minnesota’s environmental-approval processes for industrial facilities inhibit economic growth and development. Permitting timelines are unpredictable but often span several years, partly because the state’s process is unusually vulnerable to legal challenges.
Partnering with the Washington, DC–based Policy Navigation Group and the law firm of Squire Patton Boggs, Barr conducted extensive research, using publicly available data on current environmental-review and permitting rules and practices in Minnesota and the 10 benchmark states. We also interviewed regulators to gather first-hand perspectives on the processes in many of those states. That body of information allowed us to make comparisons, document economic impacts, and identify barriers to and opportunities for improvement.
In early 2024, we presented our analysis to the Chamber Foundation in two documents: the full report, which includes eight appendixes of supporting data and is more than 4,300 pages long, and a 30-page executive summary featuring plain language, charts, and illustrations to clearly communicate key findings to the business community, state legislature, regulatory agencies, and members of the public. The report and its 18 actionable strategies for improving Minnesota’s environmental-review and permitting processes were well received by all of those audiences.
In 2025, Barr teamed with the Chamber Foundation to prepare an update and scorecard documenting improvements achieved in the preceding 12 months, along with remaining challenges. All documents—the full-length report, the executive summary, and the 2025 update—can be viewed and downloaded at www.mnchamber.com/minnesota-chamber-foundation/streamlining-minnesotas-environmental-permitting-process-essential.
