1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; providing for 
  1.3             additional payments to counties based on the number of 
  1.4             visitors to state parks; appropriating money; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 477A.12. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 477A.12, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      477A.12 [ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS; LANDS ELIGIBLE; 
  1.10  CERTIFICATION OF ACREAGE.] 
  1.11     (a) There is annually appropriated to the commissioner of 
  1.12  natural resources from the general fund for payment to counties 
  1.13  within the state an amount equal to: 
  1.14     (1) for acquired natural resources land, $3 multiplied by 
  1.15  the total number of acres of acquired natural resources land or, 
  1.16  beginning July 1, 1996, at the county's option three-fourths of 
  1.17  one percent of the appraised value of all acquired natural 
  1.18  resources land in the county, whichever is greater; 
  1.19     (2) 75 cents multiplied by the number of acres of 
  1.20  county-administered other natural resources land; and 
  1.21     (3) 37.5 cents multiplied by the number of acres of 
  1.22  commissioner-administered other natural resources land located 
  1.23  in each county as of July 1 of each year; and 
  1.24     (4) $1 multiplied by the amount by which the total number 
  1.25  of people that visited state parks located in each county in the 
  2.1   calendar year preceding payment under section 477A.13 exceeds 
  2.2   the total number of people that visited those parks in calendar 
  2.3   year 1995. 
  2.4      (b) Lands for which payments in lieu are made pursuant to 
  2.5   section 97A.061, subdivision 3, and Laws 1973, chapter 567, 
  2.6   shall not be eligible for payments under this section.  Each 
  2.7   county auditor shall certify to the department of natural 
  2.8   resources during July of each year the number of acres of 
  2.9   county-administered other natural resources land within the 
  2.10  county.  The department of natural resources may, in addition to 
  2.11  the certification of acreage, require descriptive lists of land 
  2.12  so certified.  The commissioner of natural resources shall 
  2.13  determine and certify: 
  2.14     (1) the number of acres of acquired natural resources land 
  2.15  and commissioner-administered natural resources land within each 
  2.16  county; and 
  2.17     (2) the number of people visiting state parks in each 
  2.18  county by calendar year. 
  2.19     (c) For the purposes of this section, the appraised value 
  2.20  of acquired natural resources land is the purchase price for the 
  2.21  first five years after acquisition.  The appraised value of 
  2.22  acquired natural resources land received as a donation is the 
  2.23  value determined for the commissioner of natural resources by a 
  2.24  licensed appraiser, or the county assessor's estimated market 
  2.25  value if no appraisal is done.  The appraised value must be 
  2.26  determined by the county assessor every five years after the 
  2.27  land is acquired. 
  2.28     (d) For the certification required under paragraph (b), 
  2.29  clause (2), when a state park is located in more than one 
  2.30  county, the number of people visiting the park shall be 
  2.31  apportioned to a county based on the percentage of the park's 
  2.32  acreage within the county.