HF 3043

as introduced - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the environment; requiring a study on the 
  1.3             impact of off-highway vehicle use on wetlands; 
  1.4             appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLES STUDY AND REPORT.] 
  1.7      The commissioner of natural resources shall conduct a study 
  1.8   examining the following issues: 
  1.9      (1) the general location, types, and ownership of wetlands 
  1.10  in this state and the proximity of the wetlands to all classes 
  1.11  of roads; 
  1.12     (2) the effects of driving off-highway vehicles in the 
  1.13  different types of wetlands on wildlife habitat, wetlands 
  1.14  ecology, and hydrology and how seasonal weather variations 
  1.15  change those effects.  This analysis must be done in the context 
  1.16  of the Wetlands Conservation Act, the Wetlands Conservation 
  1.17  Plan, and associated state policies; and 
  1.18     (3) a summary of damage sustained by state forest lands due 
  1.19  to violations of Minnesota Rules, part 6100.1950, subpart 7, 
  1.20  item A, and recommendations for preventing future damage. 
  1.21     The commissioner shall report the findings of this study by 
  1.22  January 15, 2005, to the legislative committees with 
  1.23  jurisdiction over environment and natural resources. 
  1.24     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.25     $....... is appropriated from the natural resources fund to 
  2.1   the commissioner of natural resources for the fiscal biennium 
  2.2   ending June 30, 2005, for purposes of the study and report in 
  2.3   section 1.  Of this amount, $....... must be appropriated from 
  2.4   the off-highway motorcycle account, $....... from the off-road 
  2.5   vehicle account, and $....... from the all-terrain vehicle 
  2.6   account.