HF 2256

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 02/15/2012 01:47pm

A bill for an act
relating to natural resources; authorizing county intermediate auction sales of
timber; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 90.121.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 90.121, is amended to read:

90.121 INTERMEDIATE AUCTION SALES; MAXIMUM LOTS OF 3,000
CORDS.

(a) The commissioner may sell the timber on any tract of state land in lots not
exceeding 3,000 cords in volume, in the same manner as timber sold at public auction
under section 90.101, and related laws, subject to the following special exceptions and
limitations:

(1) the commissioner shall offer all tracts authorized for sale by this section
separately from the sale of tracts of state timber made pursuant to section 90.101;

(2) no bidder may be awarded more than 25 percent of the total tracts offered at the
first round of bidding unless fewer than four tracts are offered, in which case not more
than one tract shall be awarded to one bidder. Any tract not sold at public auction may be
offered for private sale as authorized by section 90.101, subdivision 1, to persons eligible
under this section at the appraised value; and

(3) no sale may be made to a person having more than 30 employees. For the
purposes of this clause, "employee" means an individual working in the timber or wood
products industry for salary or wages on a full-time or part-time basis.

(b) The auction sale procedure set forth in this section constitutes an additional
alternative timber sale procedure available to the commissioner and is not intended to
replace other authority possessed by the commissioner to sell timber in lots of 3,000
cords or less.

(c) Another bidder or the commissioner may request that the number of employees a
bidder has pursuant to paragraph (a), clause (3), be confirmed if there is evidence that the
bidder may be ineligible due to exceeding the employee threshold. The commissioner
shall request information from the commissioners of labor and industry and employment
and economic development including the premiums paid by the bidder in question
for workers' compensation insurance coverage for all employees of the bidder. The
commissioner shall review the information submitted by the commissioners of labor and
industry and employment and economic development and make a determination based on
that information as to whether the bidder is eligible. A bidder is considered eligible and
may participate in intermediate auctions until determined ineligible under this paragraph.

new text begin (d) A county may conduct an intermediate auction sale for timber on county land
according to this section, except that paragraph (a), clause (3), does not apply. A county
may adopt additional procedures and criteria applicable to the county's intermediate
auction sales as needed.
new text end