HF 11

as introduced - 91st Legislature, 2020 6th Special Session (2020 - 2020) Posted on 11/12/2020 11:45am

A bill for an act
relating to environment; modifying previous appropriation from environment and
natural resources trust fund; amending Laws 2018, chapter 214, article 4, section
2, subdivision 9.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Laws 2018, chapter 214, article 4, section 2, subdivision 9, is amended to read:

Subd. 9. Land Acquisition, Habitat, and Recreation

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17,439,000

(a) Grants for Local Parks, Trails, and Natural Areas

$2,000,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
to solicit, rank, and fund competitive matching
grants for local parks, trail connections, and
natural and scenic areas under Minnesota
Statutes, section 85.019. The appropriation is
for local nature-based recreation and
connections to regional and state natural areas
and recreation facilities and does not include
athletic facilities such as sport fields, courts,
and playgrounds. This appropriation is
available until June 30, 2021, by which time
the project must be completed and final
products delivered.

(b) Develop Mesabi Trail Segment From County Road 88 to Ely

$600,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
for an agreement with the St. Louis and Lake
Counties Regional Railroad Authority for
environmental assessment, permitting,
right-of-way easements or other acquisition
as needed, engineering, and construction of
an approximately three-mile-long bituminous
surface section of the Mesabi Trail between
Ely and the intersection of Highway 169 and
County Road 88. This appropriation is
available until June 30, 2022, by which time
the project must be completed and final
products delivered.

(c) Harmony State Trail Extension Land Acquisition

$235,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
for an agreement with the city of Harmony to
acquire fee title of about 16 parcels to allow
for the approximate six-mile extension of the
legislatively authorized state trail from
Harmony south to the Iowa state border with
a spur to Niagara Cave. The land must be
transferred to the state after it has been
purchased.

(d) Mississippi Blufflands State Trail - Red Wing Barn Bluff to Colvill Park Segment

$550,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
for an agreement with the city of Red Wing
to be used with other funds to construct an
approximate three-quarter-mile-long
hard-surfaced segment of the Mississippi
Blufflands State Trail along Red Wing's
Mississippi River riverfront from Barn Bluff
Regional Park to Colvill Park. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2021,
by which time the project must be completed
and final products delivered.

(e) Swedish Immigrant Regional Trail Segment within Interstate State Park

$2,254,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
for an agreement with Chisago County
Environmental Services to construct an
approximate one-half-mile regional county
trail segment within Interstate State Park from
the end point of the existing trail at the park
boundary to city hall including a trail bridge
over the ravine and parking and trailhead
improvements and to conduct a natural and
cultural review to determine the feasibility and
route of a future section of the trail through
the park. This appropriation is available until
June 30, 2021, by which time the project must
be completed and final products delivered.

(f) Enhancement Plan for Superior Hiking Trail

$100,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
for an agreement with the Superior Hiking
Trail Association to evaluate improvements
to the 310-mile-long Superior Hiking Trail
including routing, safety, water management,
maintenance, and other environmental,
recreational, and design issues and to develop
an interactive trail-management system to
capture efficiencies and best management
practices.

(g) Protecting Mississippi River Headwaters Lands through Local, State, and Federal Partnership

$700,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
for an agreement with the city of Baxter, in
cooperation with Brainerd Public Schools and
the Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape Program,
to acquire about 200 acres of forested land on
the upper Mississippi River adjacent to
Mississippi River Overlook Park for multiple
public benefits, including being an outdoor
classroom for local schools. To be eligible for
reimbursement, costs for real estate
transactions must be specific to this acquisition
and documented as required in subdivision 15,
paragraph (k).

(h) Protecting North-Central Minnesota Lakes

$750,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
for an agreement with the Crow Wing County
Soil and Water Conservation District to
increase watershed protection to maintain and
improve water quality in lakes and rivers in
Aitkin and Crow Wing Counties with about
ten permanent RIM conservation easements
and 12 forest stewardship plans and by
implementing six best management practices.
Of this amount, up to $59,000 may be
contributed to an easement stewardship
account established under Minnesota Statutes,
section 103B.103, as approved in the work
plan. new text begin This appropriation is available until June
30, 2022, by which time the project must be
completed and final products delivered.
new text end

(i) Easement Program for Native Prairie Bank

$2,000,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
to provide technical stewardship assistance to
private landowners, restore and enhance about
270 acres of native prairie protected by
easements in the native prairie bank, and
acquire easements for the native prairie bank
in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section
84.96, on about 275 acres, including preparing
initial baseline property assessments. Up to
$120,000 of this appropriation may be
deposited in the natural resources conservation
easement stewardship account, created in
Minnesota Statutes, section 84.69, proportional
to the number of easement acres acquired. A
list of proposed easement acquisitions and
restoration sites for the native prairie bank are
required in the work plan. This appropriation
is available until June 30, 2021, by which time
the project must be completed and final
products delivered.

(j) Minnesota State Trail Development

$2,500,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
to expand high-priority recreational
opportunities on Minnesota's state trails by
developing new trail segments and
rehabilitating, improving, and enhancing
existing state trails. High-priority trail
segments to develop and enhance include but
are not limited to the Gateway, Gitchi Gami,
Paul Bunyan, and Heartland State Trails. A
proposed list of trail projects on legislatively
authorized state trails is required in the work
plan. This appropriation is available until June
30, 2021, by which time the project must be
completed and final products delivered.

(k) Minnesota State Parks and State Trails

$2,500,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
to acquire about 163 acres of high-priority in
holdings from willing sellers within the
legislatively authorized boundaries of state
parks and trails in order to protect Minnesota's
natural heritage, enhance outdoor recreational
opportunities, and improve the efficiency of
public land management. Priorities include
but are not limited to Tettegouche, Sibley, and
Minneopa State Parks and the Goodhue
Pioneer State Trail. A list of proposed
acquisitions is required in the work plan. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2021,
by which time the project must be completed
and final products delivered.

(l) Scientific and Natural Areas Program

$3,250,000 the second year is from the trust
fund to the commissioner of natural resources
for the scientific and natural areas program.
Of this amount, $1,500,000 is for habitat
restoration activities, $500,000 is for scientific
and natural areas public engagement and
outreach, and $1,250,000 is to acquire strategic
high-quality lands that meet criteria for
scientific and natural areas under Minnesota
Statutes, section 86A.05, from willing sellers.
A list of proposed acquisitions and restorations
is required in the work plan. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2021,
by which time the project must be completed
and final products delivered.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective retroactively from July 1, 2019.
new text end