SF 3262

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 02/18/2020 09:46am

A bill for an act
relating to environment; repurposing money appropriated for the Lawns to Legumes
program to grants for local parks, trails, and natural areas; amending Laws 2019,
First Special Session chapter 4, article 2, section 2, subdivisions 8, 9.

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

Section 1.

Laws 2019, First Special Session chapter 4, article 2, section 2, subdivision 8,
is amended to read:

Subd. 8. Methods to Protect or Restore Land, Water, and Habitat

806,000

deleted text begin 5,960,000 deleted text end new text begin 5,866,000 new text end

-0-

(a) Saving Endangered Pollinators through Data-Driven Prairie Restoration

$800,000 the first year is from the trust fund.
Of this amount, $630,000 is to the Minnesota
Zoological Garden and $170,000 is to the
commissioner of natural resources to
reestablish populations of Minnesota's
imperiled butterflies through reintroductions
and prairie restorations and by developing
foundational habitat recommendations for
preventing future extinctions. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2023,
by which time the project must be completed
and final products delivered.

(b) Promoting and Restoring Oak Savanna Using Silvopasture

$750,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the Board of Regents of the University of
Minnesota to demonstrate, evaluate, and
increase adoption of the combined use of
intensive tree, forage, and livestock
management as a method to restore threatened
oak savanna habitats.

(c) Sauk River Dam Removal and Rock Rapids Replacement

$2,768,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with the city of Melrose to
remove an existing fixed-elevation dam,
construct a rock arch rapids, and conduct
in-stream and shoreline habitat restoration to
improve water quality and native fish passage
in the Sauk River. This project requires a
match of at least $1,400,000 that must be
secured before trust fund money is spent. At
least $700,000 of this match must come from
the city of Melrose. City of Melrose expenses
for the Sauk River dam removal and rock
rapids replacement incurred before July 1,
2019, may be counted toward the match.

(d) Conserving and Monitoring Minnesota's Rare Arctic Plants

$135,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the Board of Regents of the University of
Minnesota to provide monitoring and invasive
species removal to conserve rare and
endangered arctic plants on Minnesota's North
Shore. This appropriation is available until
June 30, 2023, by which time the project must
be completed and final products delivered.

(e) Nongame Wildlife Program Acceleration

$513,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources to
accelerate the nongame wildlife program,
including rare wildlife data collection, habitat
management, collaborative land protection,
conservation education, and a new emphasis
on promoting nature tourism to benefit
wildlife, visitors, and rural communities.

(f) Lawns to Legumes

$806,000 in fiscal year 2019 deleted text begin and $94,000 the
first year are deleted text end new text begin is new text end from the trust fund to the
Board of Water and Soil Resources for
demonstration projects that provide grants or
payments to plant residential lawns with native
vegetation and pollinator-friendly forbs and
legumes to protect a diversity of pollinators.
The board must establish criteria for grants or
payments awarded under this section. Grants
or payments awarded under this section may
be made for up to 75 percent of the costs of
the project, except that in areas identified by
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as
areas where there is a high potential for rusty
patched bumble bees to be present, grants may
be awarded for up to 90 percent of the costs
of the project.

(g) Agricultural Weed Control Using Autonomous Mowers

$900,000 is from the trust fund to the Board
of Regents of the University of Minnesota for
the West Central Research and Outreach
Center at Morris to design, integrate, and
field-test new technology mowers to control
weeds, reduce herbicide use, reduce energy
costs, and improve native vegetation and
forage quality on agricultural lands. This
appropriation is subject to Minnesota Statutes,
section 116P.10.

Sec. 2.

Laws 2019, First Special Session chapter 4, article 2, section 2, subdivision 9, is
amended to read:

Subd. 9. Land Acquisition, Habitat, and Recreation

-0-

deleted text begin 26,351,000 deleted text end new text begin 26,445,000 new text end

-0-

(a) Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas

$3,500,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
the scientific and natural areas (SNA) program
to restore and enhance wildlife habitat on
SNAs, increase public involvement and
outreach, and strategically acquire high-quality
lands that meet criteria for SNAs under
Minnesota Statutes, section 86A.05, from
willing sellers. A list of proposed acquisitions
and restorations is required in the work plan.

(b) Grants for Local Parks, Trails, and Natural Areas

deleted text begin $3,000,000 deleted text end new text begin $3,094,000 new text end the first year is from
the trust fund to the commissioner of natural
resources to solicit, rank, and fund competitive
matching grants for local parks, trail
connections, and natural and scenic areas
under Minnesota Statutes, section 85.019. The
appropriation is for local nature-based
recreation, connections to regional and state
natural areas, and recreation facilities and not
for athletic facilities such as sport fields,
courts, and playgrounds.

(c) Minnesota State Parks and State Trails In-Holdings

$2,000,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources to
acquire high-priority in-holdings from willing
sellers within the legislatively authorized
boundaries of state parks and trails to protect
Minnesota's natural heritage, enhance outdoor
recreational opportunities, and improve the
efficiency of public land management.
Priorities include but are not limited to
Minneopa, St. Croix, Frontenac, and Crow
Wing State Parks. A list of proposed
acquisitions is required in the work plan.

(d) Minnesota State Trails Development

$5,000,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources to
expand high-priority recreational opportunities
on Minnesota's state trails by developing new
trail segments and rehabilitating, improving,
and enhancing existing state trails.
High-priority trail bridges to rehabilitate or
replace include, but are not limited to, those
on the Arrowhead, Central Lakes,
Harmony-Preston Valley, Matthew Lourey,
and North Shore State Trails. High-priority
trail segments to develop and enhance include,
but are not limited to, the Paul Bunyan,
Gateway, Heartland, Gitchi Gami, and
Minnesota Valley State Trails. A proposed list
of trail projects on legislatively authorized
state trails is required in the work plan. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2021,
by which time the project must be completed
and final products delivered.

(e) National Loon Center

$4,000,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with the National Loon Center
Foundation, in partnership with a fiscal agent
to be approved by the Legislative-Citizen
Commission on Minnesota Resources, to
construct an approximately 15,000-square-foot
National Loon Center in Cross Lake dedicated
to loon survival, loon habitat protection and
research, and recreation. Of this amount, up
to $1,449,000 is for planning, design, and
construction of approximately six outdoor
demonstration learning kiosks, interpretive
trails, boardwalks and boat docks, a fishing
dock, and native landscaping along
approximately 3,100 feet of shoreline. Any
remaining funds are for planning, engineering,
and constructing the building and indoor
exhibits. A land lease commitment of at least
25 years and fiscal sponsorship must be
secured before any trust fund money is spent.
This project requires a match of at least
$6,000,000. At least $2,000,000 of this match
must come from nonstate sources. If naming
rights will be conveyed, the National Loon
Center Foundation must include a plan for this
in the work plan. All matching funds must be
legally committed before any trust fund money
may be spent on planning activities for or
construction of the building and indoor
exhibits. Net income generated from
admissions, naming rights, and memberships
to the National Loon Center as a result of trust
fund contributions may be reinvested in the
center's long-term loon conservation efforts
as described in the work plan approved by the
Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota
Resources according to Minnesota Statutes,
section 116P.10.

(f) Accessible Fishing Piers

$320,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources to
provide accessible fishing piers in locations
that have a high potential to serve new angling
communities, underserved populations, and
anglers with physical disabilities. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2021,
by which time the project must be completed
and final products delivered.

(g) Mesabi Trail Extensions

$3,000,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with the St. Louis and Lake
Counties Regional Railroad Authority for
environmental assessment, permitting,
right-of-way easements or other acquisition
as needed, and engineering for and
construction of four trail segments beginning
and ending at the following approximate
locations: Darwin Meyers Wildlife
Management Area to County Road 21,
Embarrass to Kugler, County Road 128 to the
Eagles Nest Town Hall, and Wolf Creek to
the Highway 169 underpass.

(h) Birch Lake Recreation Area Campground

$350,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with the city of Babbitt to
expand Birch Lake Recreation Area by adding
a new campground for recreational vehicles
and tent campers. This project requires a
match of at least $2,800,000 that must be
secured before trust fund money is spent. At
least $800,000 of this match must come from
the city of Babbitt. Net income generated from
admissions to the campground created as a
result of trust fund contributions may be
reinvested into the campground's long-term
operations as described in the work plan
approved by the Legislative-Citizen
Commission on Minnesota Resources
according to Minnesota Statutes, section
116P.10.

(i) Britton Peak to Lutsen Mountain Bike Trail

$350,000 the first year are from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with the Superior Cycling
Association to create a sustainably designed
single-track mountain bike trail connecting
trail clusters and trailheads between Britton
Peak in Tofte and Lutsen Mountains as part
of northeast Minnesota's effort to become a
national recreation destination. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2021,
by which time the project must be completed
and final products delivered.

(j) Preserving Avon Hills with Reverse-Bidding Easements

$1,600,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with Saint John's University in
cooperation with Minnesota Land Trust to
restore and enhance protected lands, provide
public outreach, and prepare management
plans for and use a reverse-bid ranking system
to secure permanent conservation easements
on high-quality natural habitat in the Avon
Hills area of Stearns County. Of this amount,
up to $168,000 is for use by Minnesota Land
Trust in a monitoring fund as approved in the
work plan and subject to Minnesota Statutes,
section 116P.20. An annual financial report is
required for any monitoring, management, and
enforcement fund, including expenditures from
the fund. A proposed list of acquisitions and
restorations must be provided in the work plan.
This appropriation is available until June 30,
2024, by which time the project must be
completed and final products delivered.

(k) Bailey Lake Trail and Fishing Pier

$550,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with the city of Virginia to
reconstruct the existing Bailey Lake Trail and
construct a new fishing pier on Bailey Lake
that is accessible from the trail.

(l) Vergas Long Lake Trail

$290,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with the city of Vergas to
construct a bicycle and pedestrian bridge, trail,
and floating boardwalk along Long Lake
including shoreline restoration and
stabilization with native plants. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2021,
by which time the project must be completed
and final products delivered.

(m) Glacial Edge Trail and Downtown Pedestrian Bridge

$600,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with the city of Fergus Falls to
acquire easements for and construct a trail
along the Otter Tail River in downtown Fergus
Falls and a bicycle and pedestrian bridge
crossing the river. This appropriation is
available until June 30, 2021, by which time
the project must be completed and final
products delivered.

(n) Crane Lake to Vermilion Falls Trail

$400,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with St. Louis County in
cooperation with Voyageur Country ATV
Club to designate and improve a wooded trail
from Crane Lake to Vermilion Falls to
accommodate all-terrain vehicle and
snowmobile users. This appropriation is
available until June 30, 2021, by which time
the project must be completed and final
products delivered.

(o) Restoring Five Sections of Superior Hiking Trail

$191,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with the Superior Hiking Trail
Association to restore and repair the most
damaged parts of five sections of the Superior
Hiking Trail and restore an abandoned route
to a natural footpath for hikers.

(p) Rainy Lake Recreational Access and Boat Wash Station

$200,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
an agreement with the city of Ranier to
enhance and increase public access to Rainy
Lake by constructing an Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant recreational
parking lot, an ADA-compliant public
restroom, and an aquatic invasive species boat
wash station.

(q) Historic Bruce Mine Park and Mesabi Trailhead

$1,000,000 the first year is from the trust fund
to the commissioner of natural resources for
a grant to the St. Louis and Lake Counties
Regional Railroad Authority to engineer,
design, renovate, and construct the Historic
Bruce Mine Park and Mesabi Trailhead and
access in the city of Chisholm. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2023,
by which time the project must be completed
and final products delivered.

Sec. 3. new text begin TRANSFER OF UNENCUMBERED FUNDS.
new text end

new text begin On the effective date of this section, any unencumbered money from the fiscal year 2019
appropriation in Laws 2019, First Special Session chapter 4, article 2, section 2, subdivision
8, paragraph (f), must be transferred to the appropriation for grants to local parks, trails,
and natural areas under Laws 2019, First Special Session chapter 4, article 2, section 2,
subdivision 9, paragraph (b).
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end