SF 1937

1st Engrossment - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to natural resources; providing for enhanced
roadside wildlife habitat; establishing a fee for
permits to field train dogs; appropriating money;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, sections 97B.005,
subdivisions 1, 3, 4, by adding a subdivision; 160.232.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 97B.005,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Field training; permit required for
certain period.

A person may not train hunting dogs afield from
April 16 to July 14 except by special permit. The commissioner
may issue a special permit deleted text begin , without a fee, deleted text end to train hunting dogs
afield on land owned by the trainer or on land that the owner
provides written permission. The written permission must be
carried in personal possession of the trainer while training the
dogs.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 97B.005,
subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Permits for organizations and individuals to use
game birds and firearms.

The commissioner may issue special
permits deleted text begin , without a fee, deleted text end to organizations and individuals to use
firearms and live ammunition on domesticated birds or banded
game birds from game farms for holding field trials and training
hunting dogs.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 97B.005,
subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Use of raccoons.

The commissioner may issue
special permits deleted text begin , without a fee, deleted text end to possess one raccoon to train
dogs for raccoon hunting.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 97B.005, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Permit fee. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall assess a fee
of $30 for permits issued under this section. Permit fees
collected under this section shall be deposited in the game and
fish fund and are appropriated to the commissioner for the
roadsides for wildlife program.
new text end

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 160.232, is
amended to read:

160.232 MOWING DITCHES OUTSIDE CITIES.

(a) new text begin To provide enhanced roadside habitat for nesting birds
and other small wildlife, new text end road authorities may not mow or till
the right-of-way of a highway located outside of a home rule
charter or statutory city except as allowed in this section and
section 160.23.

(b) On any highway, the first eight feet away from the road
surface, or shoulder if one exists, may be mowed at any time.

(c) An entire right-of-way may be mowed after July 31.
From August 31 to the following July 31, the entire right-of-way
may only be mowed if necessary for safety reasons, deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin but new text end may
not be mowed to a height of less than 12 inches.

(d) A right-of-way may be mowed as necessary to maintain
sight distance for safety and may be mowed at other times under
rules of the commissioner, or by ordinance of a local road
authority not conflicting with the rules of the commissioner.

(e) A right-of-way may be mowed, burned, or tilled to
prepare the right-of-way for the establishment of permanent
vegetative cover or for prairie vegetation management.

new text begin (f) When feasible, road authorities are encouraged to
utilize low maintenance, native vegetation that reduces the need
to mow, provides wildlife habitat, and maintains public safety.
new text end

new text begin (g) The commissioner of natural resources shall cooperate
with the commissioner of transportation to provide enhanced
roadside habitat for nesting birds and other small wildlife.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2006 and $....... in fiscal year
2007 are appropriated to the commissioner of natural resources
from the game and fish fund for coordination and implementation
of the roadsides for wildlife program, including roadside
wildlife management training for road managers and adjacent
landowners, development of local partnerships to maximize
roadside habitat benefits, identification and cataloguing of
existing and needed technical resources, and development of a
steering group to monitor the progress of the program and
identify and resolve issues of concern for wildlife management
in roadsides. Of these amounts, $....... each year is from the
waterfowl habitat improvement account under Minnesota Statutes,
section 97A.075, subdivision 2, and $....... each year is from
the pheasant habitat improvement account under Minnesota
Statutes, section 97A.075, subdivision 4.
new text end