HF 1674

1st Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 01:53am

A bill for an act
relating to natural resources; providing for disposition of receipts to the parks
and trails fund; establishing a grant program; requiring a report; appropriating
money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 85.53; proposing coding for
new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 85.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 85.53, is amended to read:

85.53 PARKS AND TRAILS FUND.

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Fund established; purpose. new text end

The parks and trails fund is established
in the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, section 15. All money earned by the parks and
trails fund must be credited to the fund.

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Metropolitan area distribution formula. new text end

new text begin Money appropriated from the
parks and trails fund to the Metropolitan Council shall be distributed to implementing
agencies, as defined in section 473.351, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), as grants according
to the following formula:
new text end

new text begin (1) 45 percent of the money must be disbursed according to the allocation formula in
section 473.351, subdivision 3, to each implementing agency;
new text end

new text begin (2) 31.5 percent of the money must be distributed based on each implementing
agency's relative share of the most recent estimate of the population of the metropolitan
area;
new text end

new text begin (3) 13.5 percent of the money must be distributed based on each implementing
agency's relative share of nonlocal visits based on the most recent user visitation survey
conducted by the Metropolitan Council; and
new text end

new text begin (4) ten percent of the money must be distributed as grants to implementing agencies
for land acquisition within Metropolitan Council approved regional parks and trails master
plan boundaries under the council's park acquisition opportunity grant program. The
Metropolitan Council must provide a match of $2 of the council's park bonds for every $3
of state funds for the park acquisition opportunity grant program.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Signage. new text end

new text begin Recipients of money from the parks and trails fund must develop
and use appropriate signage and notices to the public that activities or projects funded
under this section are the results of the clean water, land, and legacy amendment to the
Minnesota Constitution adopted by the voters in November 2008.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Report required. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of natural resources and the chair of
the Metropolitan Council, with data provided by implementing agencies as defined under
section 473.351, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), must submit a report on the expenditure
and use of money distributed under subdivision 2 to the legislature by March 1 of each
year. The report must relate the expenditure of money by the categories established in
subdivision 2 and must detail the outcomes in terms of additional use of park or trail
resources, user satisfaction surveys, and other appropriate measurable outcomes.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [85.535] PARKS AND TRAILS LEGACY GRANT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of natural resources shall administer a program to provide
grants from the parks and trails fund to support parks and trails of regional or statewide
significance.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin STATE AND REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS FRAMEWORK.
new text end

new text begin (a) $....... in fiscal year 2010 is appropriated from the parks and trails fund to
the commissioner of natural resources for a collaborative project to develop a 25-year
framework for the use of the money available in the parks and trails fund under the
Minnesota Constitution, article XI, section 15, and other traditional sources of funding.
The collaborative project shall consist of a joint effort between representatives of the
commissioner of natural resources, the Metropolitan Council and its implementing
agencies, the Central Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Coordinating Board, and
regional parks and trails organizations outside the metropolitan area. The members shall
prepare a ten-year strategic parks and trails coordination plan and develop a 25-year
framework for use of the funding that includes goals and measurable outcomes and
includes a vision for Minnesotans of what the state and regional parks will look like in
25 years.
new text end

new text begin (b) In developing the coordination plan and framework, the members shall utilize a
process, including Web site survey tools and regional listening sessions, to be staffed by
the commissioner, that ensures that citizens are included in development and finalization
of the final plan and framework. The commissioner, council, and board shall provide for
input from user groups and local and regional park and trail organizations.
new text end

new text begin (c) The plan and framework must include:
new text end

new text begin (1) a proposed definition of "parks and trails of regional significance";
new text end

new text begin (2) a plan to increase the number of visitors to state and regional parks;
new text end

new text begin (3) a plan for serving areas with limited access to state parks, including identifying
the potential for county collaboration;
new text end

new text begin (4) budgeting for ongoing maintenance;
new text end

new text begin (5) decommissions;
new text end

new text begin (6) a plan for trails that takes into account connectivity and the potential for use
by commuters;
new text end

new text begin (7) requirements for local contribution; and
new text end

new text begin (8) benchmarks, beginning no later than July 1, 2014.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner shall submit the ten-year plan and 25-year framework in a
report to the legislature no later than October 1, 2010.
new text end