1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to natural resources; modifying grant terms for a previous appropriation 
1.3 	for a grant to the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center;amending 
1.4 	Laws 2023, chapter 60, article 1, section 3, subdivision 3.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Laws 2023, chapter 60, article 1, section 3, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

1.7	Subd. 3.Ecological and Water Resources
 		48,738,000
		45,797,000

1.8	Appropriations by Fund
	
1.9		2024
	2025
	
1.10	General
	27,083,000
	26,142,000
	
1.11	Natural Resources
	13,831,000
	13,831,000
	
1.12	Game and Fish
	7,824,000
	5,824,000
	
1.13 	(a) $4,222,000 the first year and $4,222,000 
1.14 	the second year are from the invasive species 
1.15 	account in the natural resources fund and 
1.16 	$2,831,000 the first year and $2,831,000 the 
1.17 	second year are from the general fund for 
1.18 	management, public awareness, assessment 
1.19 	and monitoring research, and water access 
1.20 	inspection to prevent the spread of invasive 
1.21 	species; management of invasive plants in 
1.22 	public waters; and management of terrestrial 
1.23 	invasive species on state-administered lands.
2.1 	(b) $6,056,000 the first year and $6,056,000 
2.2 	the second year are from the water 
2.3 	management account in the natural resources 
2.4 	fund for only the purposes specified in 
2.5 	Minnesota Statutes, section 103G.27, 
2.6 	subdivision 2.
2.7 	(c) $124,000 the first year and $124,000 the 
2.8 	second year are for a grant to the Mississippi 
2.9 	Headwaters Board for up to 50 percent of the 
2.10 	cost of implementing the comprehensive plan 
2.11 	for the upper Mississippi within areas under 
2.12 	the board's jurisdiction. By December 15, 
2.13 	2025, the board must submit a report to the 
2.14 	chairs and ranking minority members of the 
2.15 	legislative committees and divisions with 
2.16 	jurisdiction over environment and natural 
2.17 	resources on the activities funded under this 
2.18 	paragraph and the progress made in 
2.19 	implementing the comprehensive plan.
2.20 	(d) $10,000 the first year and $10,000 the 
2.21 	second year are for payment to the Leech Lake 
2.22 	Band of Chippewa Indians to implement the 
2.23 	band's portion of the comprehensive plan for 
2.24 	the upper Mississippi River.
2.25 	(e) $300,000 the first year and $300,000 the 
2.26 	second year are for grants for up to 50 percent 
2.27 	of the cost of implementing the Red River 
2.28 	mediation agreement. The base for this 
2.29 	appropriation in fiscal year 2026 and beyond 
2.30 	is $264,000.
2.31 	(f) $2,598,000 the first year and $2,598,000 
2.32 	the second year are from the heritage 
2.33 	enhancement account in the game and fish 
2.34 	fund for only the purposes specified in 
3.1 	Minnesota Statutes, section 297A.94, 
3.2 	paragraph (h), clause (1).
3.3 	(g) $1,150,000 the first year and $1,150,000 
3.4 	the second year are from the nongame wildlife 
3.5 	management account in the natural resources 
3.6 	fund for nongame wildlife management. 
3.7 	Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 
3.8 	290.431, $100,000 the first year and $100,000 
3.9 	the second year may be used for nongame 
3.10 	wildlife information, education, and 
3.11 	promotion.
3.12 	(h) Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, 
3.13 	section 84.943, $48,000 the first year and 
3.14 	$48,000 the second year from the critical 
3.15 	habitat private sector matching account may 
3.16 	be used to publicize the critical habitat license 
3.17 	plate match program.
3.18 	(i) $6,000,000 the first year and $6,000,000 
3.19 	the second year are for the following activities:
3.20 	(1) financial reimbursement and technical 
3.21 	support to soil and water conservation districts 
3.22 	or other local units of government for 
3.23 	groundwater-level monitoring;
3.24 	(2) surface water monitoring and analysis, 
3.25 	including installing monitoring gauges;
3.26 	(3) groundwater analysis to assist with 
3.27 	water-appropriation permitting decisions;
3.28 	(4) permit application review incorporating 
3.29 	surface water and groundwater technical 
3.30 	analysis;
3.31 	(5) precipitation data and analysis to improve 
3.32 	irrigation use;
4.1 	(6) information technology, including 
4.2 	electronic permitting and integrated data 
4.3 	systems; and
4.4 	(7) compliance and monitoring.
4.5 	(j) Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, 
4.6 	section 297A.94, paragraph (k), $2,410,000 
4.7 	the first year and $410,000 the second year 
4.8 	are from the heritage enhancement account in 
4.9 	the game and fish fund and $500,000 the first 
4.10 	year and $500,000 the second year are from 
4.11 	the general fund for grants to the Minnesota 
4.12 	Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center at 
4.13 	the University of Minnesota to prioritize, 
4.14 	support, and develop research-based solutions 
4.15 	that can reduce the effects of aquatic invasive 
4.16 	species in Minnesota by preventing spread, 
4.17 	controlling populations, and managing 
4.18 	ecosystems and to advance knowledge to 
4.19 	inspire action by others. The grant contract 
4.20 	requirements under this appropriation must be 
4.21 	consistent with and must not exceed the 
4.22 	requirements in the master joint powers 
4.23 	agreement between the commissioner of 
4.24 	natural resources and the regents of the 
4.25 	University of Minnesota signed on June 29, 
4.26 	2023.
4.27 	(k) $268,000 the first year and $268,000 the 
4.28 	second year are for increased capacity for 
4.29 	broadband utility licensing for state lands and 
4.30 	public waters. This is a onetime appropriation 
4.31 	and is available until June 30, 2028.
4.32 	(l) $998,000 the first year and $568,000 the 
4.33 	second year are for protecting and restoring 
4.34 	carbon storage in state-administered peatlands 
4.35 	by reviewing and updating the state's peatland 
5.1 	inventory, piloting a restoration project, and 
5.2 	piloting trust fund buyouts. This is a onetime 
5.3 	appropriation and is available until June 30, 
5.4 	2028.
5.5 	(m) $250,000 the first year is for a grant to the 
5.6 	Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates to 
5.7 	work with civic leaders to purchase, install, 
5.8 	and operate waterless cleaning stations for 
5.9 	watercraft; conduct aquatic invasive species 
5.10 	education; and implement education upgrades 
5.11 	at public accesses to prevent invasive starry 
5.12 	stonewort spread beyond the lakes already 
5.13 	infested. This is a onetime appropriation and 
5.14 	is available until June 30, 2025.
5.15 	(n) $1,720,000 the first year is to prevent and 
5.16 	manage invasive carp. This includes activities 
5.17 	related to the Mississippi River Lock and Dam 
5.18 	and stakeholder engagement. Up to $325,000 
5.19 	may be used for a grant to the Board of 
5.20 	Regents of the University of Minnesota to 
5.21 	study the Mississippi River Lock Dam 5 
5.22 	spillway and provide preliminary design to 
5.23 	optimize management to reduce invasive carp 
5.24 	passage.
5.25 	(o) Up to $6,000,000 the first year is available 
5.26 	for transfer from the critical habitat private 
5.27 	sector matching account to the reinvest in 
5.28 	Minnesota fund to expand Grey Cloud Island 
5.29 	Scientific and Natural Area and for other 
5.30 	scientific and natural area acquisition, 
5.31 	restoration, and enhancement according to 
5.32 	Minnesota Statutes, section 84.943, 
5.33 	subdivision 5b.
5.34 	(p) $40,000 the first year is for a grant to the 
5.35 	Stearns Coalition of Lake Associations to 
6.1 	manage aquatic invasive species. The 
6.2 	unencumbered balance of the general fund 
6.3 	appropriation in Laws 2021, First Special 
6.4 	Session chapter 6, article 1, section 3, 
6.5 	subdivision 3, paragraph (a), for the grant to 
6.6 	the Stearns Coalition of Lake Associations, 
6.7 	estimated to be $40,000, is canceled no later 
6.8 	than June 29, 2023.
6.9 	(q) $200,000 the first year is for a grant to the 
6.10 	Board of Regents of the University of 
6.11 	Minnesota for the University of Minnesota 
6.12 	Water Council to develop a scope of work, 
6.13 	timeline, and budget for a plan to promote and 
6.14 	protect clean water in Minnesota for the next 
6.15 	50 years according to this act.
6.16 	(r) The total general fund base budget for the 
6.17 	ecological and water resources division for 
6.18 	fiscal year 2026 and later is $24,870,000.

6.19 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective retroactively from July 1, 2023.