1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; establishing the Iron 
  1.3             Range off-highway vehicle recreation area; authorizing 
  1.4             bonds; appropriating money; amending Minnesota 
  1.5             Statutes 1994, sections 85.013, by adding a 
  1.6             subdivision; and 85.054, by adding a subdivision. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE RECREATION AREA.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITION.] For purposes of this act, 
  1.10  "off-highway vehicle" means an all-terrain vehicle, an 
  1.11  off-highway motorcycle, or an off-road vehicle as those terms 
  1.12  are defined in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 84. 
  1.13     Subd. 2.  [85.013] [Subd. 12a.] [IRON RANGE OFF-HIGHWAY 
  1.14  VEHICLE RECREATION AREA.] The Iron Range off-highway vehicle 
  1.15  recreation area is established in St. Louis county. 
  1.16     Subd. 3.  [ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT.] The commissioner of 
  1.17  natural resources is authorized to acquire by gift or purchase 
  1.18  the lands for the Iron Range off-highway vehicle recreation 
  1.19  area.  The commissioner shall manage the unit as a state 
  1.20  recreation area as provided by Minnesota Statutes, section 
  1.21  86A.05, subdivision 3.  The commissioner or the commissioner's 
  1.22  designee in the trails and waterways division of the department 
  1.23  of natural resources shall develop and manage the area for 
  1.24  off-highway vehicle recreational use.  
  1.25     Subd. 4.  [ADVISORY COMMITTEE.] (a) A local area advisory 
  1.26  committee is established to provide direction on the 
  2.1   establishment, planning, development, and operation of the Iron 
  2.2   Range off-highway vehicle recreation area. 
  2.3      (b) Membership on the advisory committee shall include: 
  2.4      (1) a representative of the all-terrain vehicle association 
  2.5   of Minnesota; 
  2.6      (2) a representative of the amateur riders of motorcycles 
  2.7   association; 
  2.8      (3) a representative of the Minnesota four-wheel drive 
  2.9   association; 
  2.10     (4) a representative of the St. Louis county board; 
  2.11     (5) a state representative appointed by the speaker of the 
  2.12  house of representatives; 
  2.13     (6) a state senator appointed by the senate committee on 
  2.14  committees; 
  2.15     (7) a designee of the local environmental community 
  2.16  selected by the area environmental organizations; 
  2.17     (8) a designee of the local tourism community selected by 
  2.18  the iron trail convention and visitors bureau; and 
  2.19     (9) a representative of the Tower regional office of the 
  2.20  department of natural resources.  
  2.21     (c) The advisory committee shall elect its own chair and 
  2.22  meetings shall be at the call of the chair. 
  2.23     (d) The advisory committee members shall serve as 
  2.24  volunteers and accept no per diem. 
  2.25     Subd. 5.  [MANAGEMENT PLAN.] The commissioner and the local 
  2.26  area advisory committee shall cooperatively develop a 
  2.27  comprehensive management plan that provides for:  
  2.28     (1) multiple use recreation for off-highway vehicles; 
  2.29     (2) protection of natural resources; 
  2.30     (3) limited timber management; 
  2.31     (4) land acquisition needs; and 
  2.32     (5) road and facility development.  
  2.33     The completed management plan shall serve as the master 
  2.34  plan for purposes of section 86A.09.  
  2.35     Subd. 6.  [BOUNDARIES.] The following described lands are 
  2.36  located within the boundaries of the Iron Range off-highway 
  3.1   vehicle recreation area:  
  3.2      That part of St. Louis county, Minnesota, lying within:  
  3.3   Section 25, Township 58 North, Range 17 West.  
  3.4      EXCEPT the North Half of the Northeast Quarter.  
  3.5      EXCEPT the Northwest Quarter.  
  3.6      EXCEPT the Northwest Quarter of the Southwest Quarter.  
  3.7      EXCEPT the Southwest Quarter of the Southwest Quarter lying 
  3.8   north of the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Railroad.  
  3.9   Section 26, Township 58 North, Range 17 West.  
  3.10     EXCEPT the Northeast Quarter.  
  3.11     EXCEPT the Northwest Quarter.  
  3.12     EXCEPT the Southwest Quarter.  
  3.13     EXCEPT the Southeast Quarter, 100 feet along the east side 
  3.14  of the quarter.  
  3.15  Section 35, Township 58 North, Range 17 West.  
  3.16     EXCEPT the Northwest Quarter.  
  3.17     EXCEPT the Southwest Quarter.  
  3.18     EXCEPT the Southeast Quarter.  
  3.19     EXCEPT the West 970 feet of the Northeast Quarter of the 
  3.20  Northeast Quarter.  
  3.21     EXCEPT the Northwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter.  
  3.22  Section 36, Township 58 North, Range 17 West.  
  3.23     EXCEPT the Southeast Quarter of the Southwest Quarter.  
  3.24     Subd. 7.  [ADOPT-A-RECREATION AREA.] The commissioner shall 
  3.25  utilize section 85.045 as much as possible in developing and 
  3.26  operating the Iron Range off-highway vehicle recreation area.  
  3.27     Subd. 8.  [FEASIBILITY STUDY.] The trails and waterways 
  3.28  division of the department of natural resources in consultation 
  3.29  with the local area advisory committee shall conduct a study to 
  3.30  identify additional sites to expand the Iron Range off-highway 
  3.31  vehicle recreation area and to determine the feasibility of 
  3.32  acquiring, developing, and connecting the sites.  
  3.33     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 85.054, is 
  3.34  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  3.35     Subd. 6.  [IRON RANGE OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE RECREATION AREA.] 
  3.36  At the Iron Range off-highway vehicle recreation area, a state 
  4.1   park permit is not required for a user's vehicle and a fee may 
  4.2   not be charged of a user if the user's all-terrain vehicle, 
  4.3   off-highway motorcycle, or off-road vehicle is properly 
  4.4   registered in accordance with chapter 84.  Notwithstanding this 
  4.5   provision, the commissioner may establish special event fees. 
  4.6      Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATIONS.] 
  4.7      Subdivision 1.  [NATURAL RESOURCES FUND.] $850,000 is 
  4.8   appropriated to the commissioner of natural resources from the 
  4.9   all-terrain vehicle account in the natural resources fund to 
  4.10  plan, acquire, develop, and operate the Iron Range off-highway 
  4.11  vehicle recreation area and to conduct the feasibility study, to 
  4.12  be available until June 30, 1998.  
  4.13     Subd. 2.  [TACONITE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 
  4.14  FUND.] $750,000 is appropriated to the commissioner of natural 
  4.15  resources from the taconite environmental protection fund to 
  4.16  acquire and develop the Iron Range off-highway vehicle 
  4.17  recreation area.  
  4.18     Subd. 3.  [BOND PROCEEDS FUND.] $600,000 is appropriated 
  4.19  from the bond proceeds fund to the commissioner of natural 
  4.20  resources to acquire and develop the Iron Range off-highway 
  4.21  vehicle recreation area.  
  4.22     Subd. 4.  [ACCOUNT REPAYMENT.] (a) $425,000 is appropriated 
  4.23  from the off-road vehicle account in the natural resources fund 
  4.24  to the all-terrain vehicle account in the natural resources 
  4.25  fund, to be transferred in one or more installments before July 
  4.26  1, 1998.  
  4.27     (b) $85,000 is appropriated from the off-highway motorcycle 
  4.28  account in the natural resources fund to the all-terrain vehicle 
  4.29  account in the natural resources fund, to be transferred in one 
  4.30  or more installments before July 1, 1998.  
  4.31     Sec. 4.  [BOND SALE AUTHORIZATION.] 
  4.32     To provide the money appropriated in section 3, subdivision 
  4.33  3, from the bond proceeds fund, the commissioner of finance, on 
  4.34  request of the governor, shall sell and issue bonds of the state 
  4.35  in an amount up to $600,000 in the manner, upon the terms, and 
  4.36  with the effect prescribed by Minnesota Statutes, sections 
  5.1   16A.631 to 16A.675, and by the Minnesota Constitution, article 
  5.2   XI, sections 4 to 7.