HF 3856

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; creating wilderness 
  1.3             areas. 
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [CREATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS.] 
  1.6      Subdivision 1.  [FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.] The legislature 
  1.7   finds that it is in the public interest to provide for the 
  1.8   protection, enhancement, and preservation of the natural values 
  1.9   of the lakes, waterways, and forested areas of Rice, Winona, and 
  1.10  Houston counties.  It is the purpose of this section to create 
  1.11  wilderness areas that will: 
  1.12     (1) provide for the protection and management of the fish 
  1.13  and wildlife of the wilderness areas; 
  1.14     (2) protect and enhance the natural values and 
  1.15  environmental quality of the lakes, waterways, and associated 
  1.16  forests of the wilderness areas; and 
  1.17     (3) maintain high water quality in the wilderness areas. 
  1.18     Subd. 2.  [WILDERNESS AREAS ESTABLISHED.] The department of 
  1.19  natural resources shall acquire the following areas by eminent 
  1.20  domain and shall designate them as wilderness areas: 
  1.21     (1) a contiguous area comprised of at least 62 percent of 
  1.22  the total land mass of Rice county, to include Cedar lake, 
  1.23  French lake, Shields lake, and Mazaska lake, to be named the 
  1.24  Faribault wilderness area; and 
  2.1      (2) an area bounded by the Mississippi river on the east 
  2.2   and a line drawn three miles inland from the Mississippi river 
  2.3   on the west, extending from the southern boundary of the city of 
  2.4   Winona southward to the state border with Iowa, in Winona and 
  2.5   Houston counties, to be named the Mississippi river wilderness 
  2.6   corridor. 
  2.7      Subd. 3.  [WILDERNESS RESTRICTIONS.] All motorized 
  2.8   equipment is prohibited in wilderness areas designated under 
  2.9   this section.