1.1                          A bill for an act  
  1.2             relating to natural resources; repealing sunken log 
  1.3             recovery law; prohibiting the recovery of sunken logs 
  1.4             in inland waters; requiring a pilot project to study 
  1.5             the effects of contaminants resulting from the removal 
  1.6             of sunken logs from inland waters; appropriating 
  1.7             money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.8             Statutes, chapter 103G; repealing Minnesota Statutes 
  1.9             2000, section 103G.650; Laws 2000, chapter 337, 
  1.10            section 2. 
  1.11  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.12     Section 1.  [103G.651] [PROHIBITION ON SUNKEN LOG 
  1.13  RECOVERY.] 
  1.14     A person may not remove sunken logs from inland waters of 
  1.15  this state.  For purposes of this section, "inland waters" means 
  1.16  navigable bodies of water within the boundaries of this state, 
  1.17  excluding boundary lakes and boundary waters. 
  1.18     Sec. 2.  [PILOT PROJECT.] 
  1.19     Subdivision 1.  [STUDY.] Notwithstanding the prohibition in 
  1.20  Minnesota Statutes, section 103G.651, the commissioner of 
  1.21  natural resources shall conduct a pilot project to remove sunken 
  1.22  logs from inland waters.  The purpose of the pilot project is to 
  1.23  study the effects of contaminants resulting from the removal of 
  1.24  sunken logs from inland waters. 
  1.25     Subd. 2.  [PROJECT CRITERIA.] The pilot project shall be 
  1.26  conducted according to applicable requirements under Minnesota 
  1.27  Statutes 2000, section 103G.650, subdivision 5.  The pilot 
  1.28  project must study at least two inland waters in the first year 
  2.1   and must repeat the study on the same inland waters in the 
  2.2   second year.  
  2.3      Subd. 3.  [REPORT.] The commissioner shall file a report 
  2.4   containing the results of the study with the house and senate 
  2.5   committees having jurisdiction over natural resources no later 
  2.6   than January 1, 2003. 
  2.7      Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION; FUNDING.] 
  2.8      $100,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.9   commissioner of natural resources for the biennium ending June 
  2.10  30, 2003, to fund the pilot project under section 2.  The 
  2.11  commissioner may accept gifts of money or pro bono assistance to 
  2.12  complete the pilot project.  The commissioner may use revenue 
  2.13  generated during the pilot project if needed to complete the 
  2.14  pilot project. 
  2.15     Sec. 4.  [REPEALER.] 
  2.16     (a) Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103G.650, is repealed. 
  2.17     (b) Laws 2000, chapter 337, section 2, is repealed. 
  2.18     Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.19     Section 4, paragraph (a), is effective retroactively to 
  2.20  June 1, 2000.  Within 30 days following the date of final 
  2.21  enactment, the commissioner of natural resources must cancel 
  2.22  existing leases and refund an application fee received under 
  2.23  Minnesota Statutes, section 103G.650.