1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; authorizing grants to 
  1.3             units of government and school districts for parks, 
  1.4             recreation areas, and natural and scenic areas; 
  1.5             authorizing rules for administration; proposing coding 
  1.6             for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 85; 
  1.7             repealing Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 85.019. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [85.0192] [LOCAL RECREATION GRANTS.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [PARKS AND OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS.] The 
  1.11  commissioner shall administer a program to provide grants to 
  1.12  units of government for acquisition and betterment of public 
  1.13  land and improvements needed for parks and other outdoor 
  1.14  recreation areas and facilities.  
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [NATURAL AND SCENIC AREAS.] The commissioner 
  1.16  shall administer a program to provide grants to units of 
  1.17  government or school districts for the acquisition and 
  1.18  betterment of natural and scenic areas such as blufflands, 
  1.19  prairies, shorelands, wetlands, and wooded areas.  
  1.20     Subd. 3.  [LIMITATION; DEFINITION.] (a) Unless otherwise 
  1.21  specified by law, no grant under subdivision 1 or 2 may exceed 
  1.22  $50,000, or 50 percent of the costs of acquisition and 
  1.23  betterment of land and improvements needed for parks and other 
  1.24  outdoor recreation areas and facilities, whichever is less.  The 
  1.25  commissioner shall establish eligibility guidelines and 
  1.26  procedures for implementing the program. 
  2.1      (b) For the purposes of this section "unit of government" 
  2.2   means a county, city or home rule charter city, or town. 
  2.3      Subd. 4.  [POWERS, RULES.] The commissioner has all powers 
  2.4   necessary and convenient to establish grants-in-aid programs for 
  2.5   acquisition and betterment of recreation areas and natural and 
  2.6   scenic areas under this section, including the authority to 
  2.7   adopt rules under chapter 14. 
  2.8      Sec. 2.  [REPEALER.] 
  2.9      Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 85.019, is repealed.