1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; creating a beaver 
  1.3             damage control program; eliminating required approval 
  1.4             by the commissioner of natural resources for removal 
  1.5             of a beaver dam by a road authority; amending 
  1.6             Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 97B.667; proposing 
  1.7             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 17. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [17.110] [BEAVER DAMAGE CONTROL GRANTS.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] The commissioner of 
  1.11  agriculture shall establish a beaver damage control grant 
  1.12  program to provide grants for the control of beaver activities 
  1.13  causing damage to public waters, roads, and ditches and adjacent 
  1.14  private property.  The grants may only be made to a joint powers 
  1.15  board established under section 471.59 by two or more 
  1.16  governmental units and may include Indian tribal governments. 
  1.17     Subd. 2.  [GRANT AMOUNT.] The commissioner may provide up 
  1.18  to 50 percent of the costs of implementing a beaver damage 
  1.19  control program by a joint powers board. 
  1.20     Subd. 3.  [AWARDING OF GRANTS.] Applications for grants 
  1.21  must be made to the commissioner on forms prescribed by the 
  1.22  commissioner.  The commissioner shall consult with town 
  1.23  supervisors and county commissioners representing different 
  1.24  areas of the state in developing the application form.  A joint 
  1.25  powers board seeking a grant may be required to supply 
  1.26  information on the beaver control program it has adopted, the 
  2.1   extent of the problem in the geographic area covered by the 
  2.2   joint powers agreement, and the ability of the joint powers 
  2.3   board to match the state grant.  The commissioner may prioritize 
  2.4   the grant applications based upon the information requested as 
  2.5   part of the grant application. 
  2.6      Subd. 4.  [REPORT.] (a) Within one year after receiving a 
  2.7   grant under this section, a joint powers board must report to 
  2.8   the commissioner on the board's efforts to control beaver in the 
  2.9   area. 
  2.10     (b) The commissioner shall report to the senate and house 
  2.11  environment and natural resources committees on the efforts 
  2.12  under this section to control beaver by December 15 of each 
  2.13  even-numbered year. 
  2.14     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 97B.667, is 
  2.15  amended to read: 
  2.16     97B.667 [REMOVAL OF BEAVER DAMS AND LODGES BY ROAD 
  2.17  AUTHORITIES.] 
  2.18     When a drainage watercourse is impaired by a beaver dam and 
  2.19  the water damages or threatens to damage a public road, the road 
  2.20  authority, as defined in section 160.02, subdivision 9, may 
  2.21  remove the impairment and any associated beaver lodge within 300 
  2.22  feet of the road, if the commissioner approves.