HF 2831

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/16/2023 05:23pm

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; establishing an emerald ash borer response grant program;
appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter
18G.

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

Section 1.

[18G.15] EMERALD ASH BORER RESPONSE.

Subdivision 1.

Purpose.

The legislature finds that an epidemic of an invasive plant pest,
the emerald ash borer, is occurring in Minnesota, threatening the natural environment, and
generating large volumes of wood waste from ash trees. Immediate action is therefore
necessary to provide funding to assist local units of government with destroying wood waste
containing the remains of ash trees infected with emerald ash borer or removed in response
to the emerald ash borer epidemic and preserving existing biomass energy infrastructure
that is critical to support local and regional emerald ash borer response programs.

Subd. 2.

Establishment.

The commissioner must establish a program to:

(1) provide state matching grants to assist communities with disposing of wood waste
containing the remains of ash trees removed in response to the emerald ash borer epidemic;
and

(2) identify and designate existing biomass energy facilities that are critical infrastructure
for local and regional emerald ash borer response programs.

Subd. 3.

Eligible applicants.

The commissioner may award grants under this section
to:

(1) local units of government, including cities, counties, regional authorities, joint powers
boards, towns, and parks and recreation boards in cities of the first class that are responding
or actively preparing to respond to an emerald ash borer infestation; and

(2) Minnesota nonprofit corporations that own a biomass-fueled combined heat and
power plant serving a district heating system.

Subd. 4.

Eligible expenditures.

Local units of government are eligible for matching
grants of up to ... percent of costs incurred to properly transport, process, and dispose of
wood waste containing ash tree material, including storage yards, and costs associated with
processing wood waste into usable biomass fuel and transporting it to designated biomass
energy facilities. A Minnesota nonprofit corporation that owns a biomass-fueled combined
heat and power plant serving a district heating system is eligible for grants of $20 per ton
of processed biomass fuel containing wood waste from ash trees processed in response to
the emerald ash borer epidemic.

Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.

$....... in fiscal year 2024 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of
agriculture for purposes of section 18G.15. This is a onetime appropriation and is available
until June 30, 2030. The commissioner may use up to ... percent of this appropriation to
administer section 1. Of this amount:

(1) $....... is for grants to local units of government responding or actively preparing to
respond to an emerald ash borer infestation; and

(2) $35,000,000 is for grants to Minnesota nonprofit corporations that own a
biomass-fueled combined heat and power plant serving a district heating system.