HF 699

as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to water; supporting the Blue Earth river 
  1.3             basin initiative; appropriating money; proposing 
  1.4             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 103F.
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [103F.191] [BLUE EARTH RIVER BASIN INITIATIVE 
  1.7   BOUNDARIES.] 
  1.8      For the purposes of sections 103F.191 to 103F.197, the term 
  1.9   "Blue Earth river basin initiative" means the area within the 
  1.10  watersheds of rivers and streams that are tributaries of the 
  1.11  Minnesota river from the south through the city of Mankato.  
  1.12  Major rivers included within the watershed are the LeSueur, Blue 
  1.13  Earth, and Watonwan and their tributaries.  All of Watonwan 
  1.14  county and parts of Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, 
  1.15  Freeborn, Jackson, LeSueur, Martin, Steele, and Waseca counties 
  1.16  are included in the boundary area. 
  1.17     Sec. 2.  [103F.192] [PROGRAM.] 
  1.18     There shall be a state grant-in-aid program of providing 
  1.19  financial assistance to the Blue Earth river basin initiative 
  1.20  for administrative costs associated with the implementation of 
  1.21  conservation practices. 
  1.22     Sec. 3.  [103F.193] [AID FORMULA.] 
  1.23     Grants may be made by the board of water and soil resources 
  1.24  to a local governmental unit for the purposes of sections 
  1.25  103F.191 to 103F.197. 
  2.1      Sec. 4.  [103F.194] [OPERATION WITHIN AN AGENCY.] 
  2.2      Subdivision 1.  [BOARD OF WATER AND SOIL RESOURCES.] The 
  2.3   board of water and soil resources shall supervise the 
  2.4   grant-in-aid program pursuant to sections 103F.191 to 103F.197. 
  2.5      Subd. 2.  [PROCEDURES AND FORMS.] The board shall devise 
  2.6   procedures and forms for application for grants by the local 
  2.7   units of government, and review of and decisions on the 
  2.8   applications by the state board. 
  2.9      Sec. 5.  [103F.195] [CONDITIONS FOR GRANTS.] 
  2.10     Subdivision 1.  [LOCAL EXPRESSION OF WILLINGNESS.] The 
  2.11  local unit of government shall apply for a grant by a resolution 
  2.12  requesting state funding assistance for administrative costs 
  2.13  associated with the implementation of conservation practices 
  2.14  within its jurisdiction. 
  2.15     Subd. 2.  [GENERAL PLAN.] The Blue Earth river basin 
  2.16  initiative shall demonstrate that it has a general plan for 
  2.17  water management.  The general plan shall be in conformity with 
  2.18  the policy and objectives of this chapter and shall, where 
  2.19  reasonable and practicable, include nonstructural means of water 
  2.20  management. 
  2.21     Sec. 6.  [103F.196] [INTERSTATE COOPERATION.] 
  2.22     The board of water and soil resources and the Blue Earth 
  2.23  river basin initiative may enter into a working agreement with 
  2.24  Iowa in regard to implementing conservation practices pursuant 
  2.25  to sections 103F.191 to 103F.197 that involve the territory of 
  2.26  the state of Iowa as well as this state. 
  2.27     Sec. 7.  [103F.197] [REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE.] 
  2.28     When the project has been in operation for a period of two 
  2.29  years, the board of water and soil resources and the Blue Earth 
  2.30  river basin initiative shall prepare and deliver a report to the 
  2.31  legislature on the program and its consequences with an 
  2.32  evaluation of the feasibility and benefit of continuing the 
  2.33  project. 
  2.34     Sec. 8.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.35     $50,000 in fiscal year 2000 and $50,000 in fiscal year 2001 
  2.36  are appropriated from the general fund to the board of water and 
  3.1   soil resources for the purposes of sections 1 to 7.