1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; providing for 
  1.3             assessment of game fish health and residue levels; 
  1.4             appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.] 
  1.7      The legislature finds that more than two million people 
  1.8   fish in Minnesota waters and enjoy an annual catch of over three 
  1.9   million walleye and over 60 million pan fish.  Of the 15,000 
  1.10  lakes and 6,564 rivers, fewer than 743 lakes and 48 rivers have 
  1.11  been assessed for fish health and residue content.  Recent 
  1.12  occurrences of floods, fish kills, deformed aquatic wildlife, 
  1.13  and invading exotic species suggest probable impairment of game 
  1.14  fish health.  Residue levels presently restrict fish consumption 
  1.15  in over 93 percent of the sites studied, but no recent 
  1.16  comprehensive information exists as to the extent of changed 
  1.17  conditions and impacts on fish since the base line study of 
  1.18  1995-1996. 
  1.19     Sec. 2.  [ASSESSMENT OF GAME FISH HEALTH AND RESIDUES.] 
  1.20     The commissioners of natural resources and the pollution 
  1.21  control agency shall implement and extend the game fish health 
  1.22  and bioaccumulative residues research program at the University 
  1.23  of Minnesota-Duluth to include the assessment of lakes and 
  1.24  rivers in the state and toxic loadings to Lake Superior.  
  1.25  Similar efforts by surrounding states and provinces for 
  2.1   interconnecting basins, including Lake Superior, shall be 
  2.2   coordinated through university work groups and seminars. 
  2.3      Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.4      $175,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.5   commissioner of the pollution control agency for a grant to the 
  2.6   University of Minnesota-Duluth to implement the research program 
  2.7   under section 2.  The appropriation is available until June 30, 
  2.8   2001.