1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to local government; requiring cities to allow native landscapes on private 
1.3 	land; prohibiting certain vegetation overgrowth within cities;proposing coding 
1.4 	for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 412.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [412.925] NATIVE LANDSCAPES.
1.7 	(a) A statutory city or home rule charter city shall allow an owner, authorized agent, or 
1.8 	authorized occupant of any privately owned lands or premises, to install and maintain a 
1.9 	managed natural landscape. For purposes of this section, the terms are defined as follows:
1.10 	(1) "managed natural landscape" means a planned, intentional, and maintained planting 
1.11 	of native or nonnative grasses, wildflowers, forbs, ferns, shrubs, or trees, including but not 
1.12 	limited to rain gardens, meadow vegetation, and ornamental plants. Managed natural 
1.13 	landscapes does not include turf-grass lawns left unattended for the purpose of returning to 
1.14 	a natural state;
1.15 	(2) "meadow vegetation" means grasses and flowering broad-leaf plants that are native 
1.16 	to, or adapted to, the state of Minnesota, and that are commonly found in meadow and 
1.17 	prairie plant communities, not including noxious weeds. Noxious weed shall have the 
1.18 	meaning assigned by section 18.77, subdivision 8;
1.19 	(3) "ornamental plants" means grasses, perennials, annuals, and groundcovers 
1.20 	purposefully planted for aesthetic reasons;
2.1 	(4) "rain garden" means a native plant garden that is designed not only to aesthetically 
2.2 	improve properties, but also to reduce the amount of stormwater and accompanying pollutants 
2.3 	from entering streams, lakes, and rivers; and
2.4 	(5) "turf-grass lawn" means a lawn comprised mostly of grasses commonly used in 
2.5 	regularly cut lawns or play areas, including but not limited to bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass 
2.6 	blends, intended to be maintained at a height of no more than eight inches.
2.7 	(b) Managed natural landscapes may include plants and grasses in excess of eight inches 
2.8 	in height and that have gone to seed, but may not include any noxious weeds and must be 
2.9 	maintained.
2.10 	(c) Except as part of a managed natural landscape as defined in this section, any weeds 
2.11 	or grasses growing upon any lot or parcel of land in a city to a greater height than eight 
2.12 	inches or that have gone or are about to go to seed are prohibited.