HF 3709

as introduced - 80th Legislature (1997 - 1998) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; establishing the 
  1.3             Mississippi whitewater trail; appropriating money; 
  1.4             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.5             chapter 85. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [85.0156] [MISSISSIPPI WHITEWATER TRAIL.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [CREATION.] An urban whitewater trail is 
  1.9   created along the Mississippi river in the lower St. Anthony 
  1.10  falls area below the stone arch bridge in Minneapolis.  The 
  1.11  trail must be primarily developed for whitewater rafters, 
  1.12  canoers, and kayakers. 
  1.13     Subd. 2.  [COMMISSIONER'S DUTIES.] (a) The commissioner of 
  1.14  natural resources must coordinate the creation of the whitewater 
  1.15  trail by placing designation signs near and along the river and 
  1.16  must publicize the designation. 
  1.17     (b) In designating the Mississippi whitewater trail, the 
  1.18  commissioner must work with other federal, state, and local 
  1.19  agencies and private businesses and organizations interested in 
  1.20  the trail. 
  1.21     Subd. 3.  [GIFTS; DONATIONS.] The commissioner of natural 
  1.22  resources is authorized to accept, on behalf of a nonprofit 
  1.23  corporation, donations of land or easements in land for the 
  1.24  whitewater trail and may seek and accept money for the trail 
  1.25  from other public and private sources. 
  2.1      Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.2      Subdivision 1.  [APPROPRIATION.] $100,000 is appropriated 
  2.3   from the general fund to the commissioner of natural resources 
  2.4   to: 
  2.5      (1) conduct engineering and hydraulic studies in 
  2.6   conjunction with the proposed development of an urban whitewater 
  2.7   trail along the Mississippi river in the lower St. Anthony falls 
  2.8   area below the stone arch bridge in Minneapolis; and 
  2.9      (2) examine the economic impact, market use potential, 
  2.10  public safety concerns, environmental considerations, and land 
  2.11  and water use impacts of the proposed Mississippi urban 
  2.12  whitewater trail. 
  2.13     Subd. 2.  [COOPERATION; REPORT.] (a) In fulfilling the 
  2.14  duties under subdivision 1, the commissioner must coordinate and 
  2.15  work with affected local, state, and federal governments and 
  2.16  interested citizen groups, including, but not limited to, the 
  2.17  National Park Service, the United States Army Corps of 
  2.18  Engineers, the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota historical 
  2.19  society, the metropolitan parks and open space commission, the 
  2.20  Minneapolis park board, and the Mississippi whitewater park 
  2.21  development corporation. 
  2.22     (b) The commissioner must report to the senate and house 
  2.23  environmental finance committees by November 1, 1999, on the 
  2.24  findings from the studies required by this section.