SF 3737

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 04/22/2022 10:28am

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; creating an agriculture best management practices grant
program; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 17.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [17.1162] AGRICULTURE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES GRANT
PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of agriculture must establish and
administer a grant program to support healthy soil management practices in accordance
with this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin State healthy soil management plan. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must develop a
healthy soil management plan in consultation with the University of Minnesota, the United
States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Board of
Water and Soil Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and nongovernmental
environmental and agricultural organizations. By December 31, 2023, and every two years
thereafter, the commissioner must report the plan to the governor and to the chairs and
ranking minority members of the house of representatives and senate committees and
divisions with jurisdiction over agriculture and the environment and natural resources. The
plan must include all of the following:
new text end

new text begin (1) an assessment of the current state of healthy soil management practices statewide;
new text end

new text begin (2) a statewide five- and ten-year goal for healthy soil management practice
implementation, denominated in acres;
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new text begin (3) an explanation of how the commissioner will make grant award decisions based on
the eligibility categories described in subdivision 3 and the priorities set forth in subdivision
4;
new text end

new text begin (4) an explanation of how the commissioner will ensure a geographically fair distribution
of funding across a broad group of crop types, soil management practices, and farm sizes;
new text end

new text begin (5) a strategy for leveraging other public and private sources of money to expand healthy
soil management practices in the state;
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new text begin (6) a summary of the operations of the program during the previous two-year period,
including a summary of state, federal, and private money spent, the total number of projects
and acres, and an estimate of carbon sequestered or carbon emissions reduced during that
period; and
new text end

new text begin (7) any other matter that the commissioner deems relevant.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Eligible projects. new text end

new text begin The commissioner may award a grant under this section for
any project on agricultural land that will:
new text end

new text begin (1) increase the quantity of organic carbon in soil through practices, including but not
limited to reduced tillage, cover cropping, manure management, precision agriculture, crop
rotations, and changes in grazing management;
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new text begin (2) integrate perennial vegetation into management of agricultural lands;
new text end

new text begin (3) reduce nitrous oxide and methane emissions through changes to livestock, soil
management, or nutrient optimization;
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new text begin (4) increase the usage of precision agricultural practices;
new text end

new text begin (5) enable the development of site-specific management plans; or
new text end

new text begin (6) enable the purchase of equipment, technology, subscriptions, technical assistance,
seeds, seedlings, or amendments that will further any of the purposes in clauses (1) to (5).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Grant eligibility. new text end

new text begin Any land owner or lessee may apply for a grant under this
section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Funding limitations. new text end

new text begin Every appropriation for the agriculture best management
practices grant program is subject to the following limitations:
new text end

new text begin (1) the commissioner may award no more than ten percent of the appropriation to a
single recipient; and
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new text begin (2) the commissioner may use no more than five percent of the appropriation to cover
the costs of administering the program.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of agriculture for the agriculture best management practices grant program under Minnesota
Statutes, section 17.1162. The base appropriation for fiscal year 2024 and later is $5,000,000.
new text end