HF 838

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 02/07/2019 02:06pm

A bill for an act
relating to natural resources; appropriating money for forest and bioeconomy
research.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin APPROPRIATION; FOREST AND BIOECONOMY RESEARCH.
new text end

new text begin $2,200,000 in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of natural resources for a transfer to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota
for academic and applied research through MnDRIVE at the Natural Resources Research
Institute to develop and demonstrate technologies that enhance the long-term health of
Minnesota's forests, extend the viability of current forest-based industries, and accelerate
emerging industry opportunities. Of this amount, $500,000 is to support development of a
forest optimization tool for Minnesota forest resources, $800,000 is for maintenance and
expansion of the Natural Resource Atlas to statewide coverage, $400,000 is to the Minnesota
Forest Resource Council for continued advancement of biochar development and application
to forest health, and $500,000 is to advance emerging Minnesota technologies to produce
clean syngas to drive high-value markets for forest biomass feedstocks. This is a onetime
appropriation and is available until June 30, 2021.
new text end