HF 3531

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 02/19/2020 12:55pm

A bill for an act
relating to natural resources; modifying previous appropriations for all-terrain
vehicle trails; appropriating money for all-terrain vehicle trails; amending Laws
2016, chapter 189, article 3, section 3, subdivision 5; Laws 2019, First Special
Session chapter 4, article 1, section 3, subdivision 5.

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

Section 1.

Laws 2016, chapter 189, article 3, section 3, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5. Parks and Trails Management

-0-

6,459,000

Appropriations by Fund
	2016	2017
General	-0-	2,929,000
Natural Resources	-0-	3,530,000

$2,800,000 the second year is a onetime
appropriation.

$2,300,000 the second year is from the state
parks account in the natural resources fund.
Of this amount, $1,300,000 is onetime, of
which $1,150,000 is for strategic park
acquisition.

$20,000 the second year is from the natural
resources fund to design and erect signs
marking the David Dill trail designated in this
act. Of this amount, $10,000 is from the
snowmobile trails and enforcement account
and $10,000 is from the all-terrain vehicle
account. This is a onetime appropriation.

$100,000 the second year is for the
improvement of the infrastructure for sanitary
sewer service at the Woodenfrog Campground
in Kabetogama State Forest. This is a onetime
appropriation.

$29,000 the second year is for computer
programming related to the transfer-on-death
title changes for watercraft. This is a onetime
appropriation.

$210,000 the first year is from the water
recreation account in the natural resources
fund for implementation of Minnesota
Statutes, section 86B.532, established in this
act. This is a onetime appropriation. The
commissioner of natural resources shall seek
federal and other nonstate funds to reimburse
the department for the initial costs of
producing and distributing carbon monoxide
boat warning labels. All amounts collected
under this paragraph shall be deposited into
the water recreation account.

$1,000,000 the second year is from the natural
resources fund for a grant to Lake County for
construction, including bridges, of the
Prospectors ATV Trail System linking the
communities of Ely, Babbitt, Embarrass, and
Tower; Bear Head Lake and Lake
Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State
Parks; the Taconite State Trail; and the Lake
County Regional ATV Trail System. Of this
amount, $900,000 is from the all-terrain
vehicle account, $50,000 is from the
off-highway motorcycle account, and $50,000
is from the off-road vehicle account. This is
a onetime appropriation new text begin and is available until
June 30, 2023 new text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective retroactively from June 30, 2018.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Laws 2019, First Special Session chapter 4, article 1, section 3, subdivision 5, is
amended to read:

Subd. 5. Parks and Trails Management

90,858,000

88,194,000

Appropriations by Fund
	2020	2021
General	26,968,000	27,230,000
Natural Resources	61,598,000	58,664,000
Game and Fish	2,292,000	2,300,000

(a) $1,075,000 the first year and $1,075,000
the second year are from the water recreation
account in the natural resources fund for
maintaining and enhancing public
water-access facilities.

(b) $6,344,000 the first year and $6,435,000
the second year are from the natural resources
fund for state trail, park, and recreation area
operations. This appropriation is from revenue
deposited in the natural resources fund under
Minnesota Statutes, section 297A.94,
paragraph (h), clause (2).

(c) $18,552,000 the first year and $18,828,000
the second year are from the state parks
account in the natural resources fund to
operate and maintain state parks and state
recreation areas.

(d) $890,000 the first year and $890,000 the
second year are from the natural resources
fund for park and trail grants to local units of
government on land to be maintained for at
least 20 years for parks or trails. This
appropriation is from revenue deposited in the
natural resources fund under Minnesota
Statutes, section 297A.94, paragraph (h),
clause (4). Any unencumbered balance does
not cancel at the end of the first year and is
available for the second year.

(e) $9,624,000 the first year and $9,624,000
the second year are from the snowmobile trails
and enforcement account in the natural
resources fund for the snowmobile
grants-in-aid program. Any unencumbered
balance does not cancel at the end of the first
year and is available for the second year.

(f) $1,835,000 the first year and $2,135,000
the second year are from the natural resources
fund for the off-highway vehicle grants-in-aid
program. Of this amount, $1,360,000 the first
year and $1,660,000 the second year are from
the all-terrain vehicle account; $150,000 each
year is from the off-highway motorcycle
account; and $325,000 each year is from the
off-road vehicle account. Any unencumbered
balance does not cancel at the end of the first
year and is available for the second year.

(g) $116,000 the first year and $117,000 the
second year are from the cross-country-ski
account in the natural resources fund for
grooming and maintaining cross-country-ski
trails in state parks, trails, and recreation areas.

(h) $266,000 the first year and $269,000 the
second year are from the state land and water
conservation account in the natural resources
fund for priorities established by the
commissioner for eligible state projects and
administrative and planning activities
consistent with Minnesota Statutes, section
84.0264, and the federal Land and Water
Conservation Fund Act. Any unencumbered
balance does not cancel at the end of the first
year and is available for the second year.

(i) $250,000 the first year and $250,000 the
second year are for matching grants for local
parks and outdoor recreation areas under
Minnesota Statutes, section 85.019,
subdivision 2.

(j) $250,000 the first year and $250,000 the
second year are for matching grants for local
trail connections under Minnesota Statutes,
section 85.019, subdivision 4c.

(k) $600,000 the first year is from the off-road
vehicle account for off-road vehicle touring
routes and trails. Of this amount:

(1) $200,000 is for a contract with a project
administrator to assist the commissioner in
planning, designing, and providing a system
of state touring routes and trails for off-road
vehicles by identifying sustainable, legal
routes suitable for licensed four-wheel drive
vehicles and a system of recreational trails for
registered off-road vehicles. Any portion of
this appropriation not used for the project
administrator is available for signage or
promotion and implementation of the system.
This is a onetime appropriation.

(2) $200,000 is for a contract and related work
to prepare a comprehensive, statewide,
strategic master plan for off-road vehicle
touring routes and trails. This is a onetime
appropriation and is available until June 30,
2022. Any portion of this appropriation not
used for the master plan is returned to the
off-road vehicle account. At a minimum, the
plan must: identify opportunities to develop
or enhance new, high-quality, comprehensive
touring routes and trails for off-road vehicles
in a system that serves regional and tourist
destinations; enhance connectivity with
touring routes and trails for off-road vehicles;
provide opportunities for promoting economic
development in greater Minnesota; help people
connect with the outdoors in a safe and
environmentally sustainable manner; create
new and support existing opportunities for
social, economic, and cultural benefits and
meaningful and mutually beneficial
relationships for users of off-road vehicles and
the communities that host trails for off-road
vehicles; and promote cooperation with local,
state, tribal, and federal governments;
organizations; and other interested partners.

(3) $200,000 is to share the cost by
reimbursing federal, tribal, state, county, and
township entities for additional needs on roads
under their jurisdiction when the needs are a
result of increased use by off-road vehicles
and are attributable to a border-to-border
touring route established by the commissioner.
This paragraph applies to roads that are
operated by a public road authority as defined
in Minnesota Statutes, section 160.02,
subdivision 25. This is a onetime appropriation
and is available until June 30, 2023. To be
eligible for reimbursement under this
paragraph, the claimant must demonstrate that:
the needs result from additional traffic
generated by the border-to-border touring
route; and increased use attributable to a
border-to-border touring route has caused at
least a 50 percent increase in maintenance
costs for roads under the claimant's
jurisdiction, based on a ten-year maintenance
average. The commissioner may accept an
alternative to the ten-year maintenance average
if a jurisdiction does not have sufficient
maintenance records. The commissioner has
discretion to accept an alternative based on a
good-faith effort by the jurisdiction. Any
alternative should include baseline
maintenance costs for at least two years before
the year the route begins operating. The
ten-year maintenance average or any
alternative must be calculated from the years
immediately preceding the year the route
begins operating. Before reimbursing a claim
under this paragraph, the commissioner must
consider whether the claim is consistent with
claims made by other entities that administer
roads on the touring route, in terms of the
amount requested for reimbursement and the
frequency of claims made.

(l) $600,000 the first year is from the
all-terrain vehicle account in the natural
resources fund for grants to St. Louis County.
Of this amount, $100,000 is for a grant to St.
Louis County for an environmental assessment
worksheet for the overall construction of the
Voyageur Country ATV Trail system and
connections, and $500,000 is for a grant to St.
Louis County to design, plan, permit, acquire
right-of-way for, and construct Voyageur
Country ATV Trail from Buyck to Holmes
Logging Road and to Shuster Road toward
Cook. This is a onetime appropriation.

(m) $2,400,000 the first year is from the
all-terrain vehicle account in the natural
resources fund. Of this amount, $1,300,000 is
for a grant to Lake County to match other
funding sources to develop the Prospector
Loop Trail system and $1,100,000 is for
acquisition, design, environmental review,
permitting, and construction for all-terrain
vehicle use on the Taconite State Trail
between Ely and Purvis Forest Management
Road. new text begin This is a onetime appropriation and is
available until June 30, 2023.
new text end

(n) $950,000 the first year and $950,000 the
second year are from the all-terrain vehicle
account in the natural resources fund for grants
to St. Louis County for the Quad Cities ATV
Club trail construction program for planning,
design, environmental permitting, right-of-way
acquisition, and construction of up to 24 miles
of trail connecting the cities of Mountain Iron,
Virginia, Eveleth, Gilbert, Hibbing, and
Chisholm to the Laurentian Divide, County
Road 303, the Taconite State Trail, and
Biwabik and from Pfeiffer Lake Forest Road
to County Road 361. This is a onetime
appropriation.

(o) $75,000 the first year is from the general
fund for signage and interpretative resources
necessary for naming state park assets and a
segment of the St. Croix River State Water
Trail after Walter F. Mondale as provided in
this act.

(p) $150,000 the first year is from the
all-terrain vehicle account in the natural
resources fund for a grant to Crow Wing
County to plan and design a multipurpose
bridge on the Mississippi River Northwoods
Trail across Sand Creek located five miles
northeast of Brainerd along the Mississippi
River.

(q) $75,000 the first year is from the
off-highway motorcycle account in the natural
resources fund to complete a master plan for
off-highway motorcycle trail planning and
development.

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $2,005,000 in fiscal year 2021 is appropriated from the all-terrain vehicle account in the
natural resources fund to the commissioner of natural resources. Of this amount, $1,000,000
is for a grant to St. Louis County for planning, design, engineering, permitting, and partial
construction of the Voyageur Country ATV trail system linking St. Louis and Koochiching
Counties; $255,000 is for a grant to St. Louis County for planning, design, engineering,
permitting, and partial construction of the Prospector Loop trail system in St. Louis and
Lake Counties; $200,000 is for a statewide all-terrain vehicle trails master plan by regional
offices of the Department of Natural Resources; and $50,000 is for an all-terrain vehicle
trails and routes inventory from all cooperating agencies within each region of the Department
of Natural Resources. The master plan and inventory must be completed by February 1,
2022.
new text end