HF 1370

as introduced - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026) Posted on 02/24/2025 03:25pm

A bill for an act
relating to state government; appropriating money from clean water and parks and
trails funds.

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

ARTICLE 1

CLEAN WATER FUND

Section 1. new text begin CLEAN WATER FUND APPROPRIATIONS. new text end

new text begin The sums shown in the columns marked "Appropriations" are appropriated to the agencies
and for the purposes specified in this article. The appropriations are from the clean water
fund and are available for the fiscal years indicated for allowable activities under the
Minnesota Constitution, article XI, section 15. The figures "2026" and "2027" used in this
article mean that the appropriations listed under the figure are available for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 2026, or June 30, 2027, respectively. "The first year" is fiscal year 2026.
"The second year" is fiscal year 2027. "The biennium" is fiscal years 2026 and 2027. These
are onetime appropriations.
new text end

			new text begin APPROPRIATIONS new text end
			new text begin Available for the Year new text end
			new text begin Ending June 30 new text end
				new text begin 2026 new text end		new text begin 2027 new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin CLEAN WATER FUND new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Total Appropriation new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 155,354,500 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 155,397,500 new text end

new text begin This appropriation is from the clean water
fund. The amounts that may be spent for each
purpose are specified in the following sections.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Availability of Appropriation new text end

new text begin Money appropriated in this article may not be
spent on activities unless they are directly
related to and necessary for a specific
appropriation. Money appropriated in this
article must be spent in accordance with
Minnesota Management and Budget MMB
Guidance to Agencies on Legacy Fund
Expenditure. Notwithstanding Minnesota
Statutes, section 16A.28, and unless otherwise
specified in this article, fiscal year 2026
appropriations are available until June 30,
2027, and fiscal year 2027 appropriations are
available until June 30, 2028. If a project
receives federal funds, the period of the
appropriation is extended to equal the
availability of federal funding.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin Disability Access new text end

new text begin Where appropriate, grant recipients of clean
water funds, in consultation with the Council
on Disability and other appropriate
governor-appointed disability councils, boards,
committees, and commissions, should make
progress toward providing people with
disabilities greater access to programs, print
publications, and digital media related to the
programs the recipient funds using
appropriations made in this article.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end new text begin Increasing Diversity in Environmental Careers new text end

new text begin Agencies should work to provide opportunities
that encourage a diversity of students to pursue
careers in environment and natural resources
when implementing appropriations in this
article.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 17,275,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 17,275,000 new text end

new text begin (a) $370,000 the first year and $370,000 the
second year are to increase monitoring for
pesticides and pesticide degradates in surface
water and groundwater and to use data
collected to assess pesticide use practices.
new text end

new text begin (b) $3,100,000 the first year and $3,100,000
the second year are for monitoring and
evaluating trends in the concentration of
nitrate in groundwater; promoting, developing,
and evaluating regional and crop-specific
nutrient best management practices, cover
crops, and other vegetative cover; assessing
adoption of best management practices and
other recommended practices; education and
technical support from University of
Minnesota Extension; grants to support
agricultural demonstration and implementation
activities, including research activities at the
Rosholt Research Farm; and other actions to
protect groundwater from degradation from
nitrate.
new text end

new text begin (c) $2,000,000 the first year and $2,000,000
the second year are for the agriculture best
management practices loan program. Any
unencumbered balance at the end of the second
year must be added to the corpus of the loan
fund.
new text end

new text begin (d) $1,600,000 the first year and $1,600,000
the second year are for technical assistance;
research, demonstration, and promotion
projects on properly implementing best
management practices and vegetative cover;
and more-precise information on nonpoint
contributions to impaired waters and for grants
to support on-farm demonstration of
agricultural practices.
new text end

new text begin (e) $50,000 the first year and $50,000 the
second year are for maintenance of the
Minnesota Water Research Digital Library.
Costs for information technology development
or support for the digital library may be paid
to Minnesota IT Services.
new text end

new text begin (f) $3,500,000 the first year and $3,500,000
the second year are to implement the
Minnesota agricultural water quality
certification program statewide.
new text end

new text begin (g) $155,000 the first year and $155,000 the
second year are for a regional irrigation water
quality specialist through University of
Minnesota Extension.
new text end

new text begin (h) $3,000,000 the first year and $3,000,000
the second year are for grants to the Board of
Regents of the University of Minnesota to
fund the Forever Green initiative and to protect
the state's natural resources while increasing
the efficiency, profitability, and productivity
of Minnesota farmers by incorporating
perennial and winter-annual crops into existing
agricultural practices.
new text end

new text begin (i) $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the
second year are for testing drinking-water
wells for pesticides.
new text end

new text begin (j) $1,750,000 the first year and $1,750,000
the second year are for conservation
equipment assistance grants to purchase
equipment or items to retrofit existing
equipment that has climate and water quality
benefits.
new text end

new text begin (k) $1,250,000 the first year and $1,250,000
the second year are for expanding the existing
state weather station and soil temperature
network to provide accurate and timely
weather data to optimize the timing of
irrigation, fertilizer, pesticide, and manure
applications and support land management
decisions.
new text end

new text begin (l) Unless otherwise specified, the
appropriations in this section are available
until June 30, 2030.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 24,701,500 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 24,701,500 new text end

new text begin (a) $9,450,000 the first year and $9,450,000
the second year are for completing needed
statewide assessments of surface water quality
and trends according to Minnesota Statutes,
chapter 114D.
new text end

new text begin (b) $7,250,000 the first year and $7,250,000
the second year are to support public
participation in the watershed approach and
to update watershed restoration and protection
strategies, which include total maximum daily
load (TMDL) and other supporting studies
according to Minnesota Statutes, chapter
114D, for waters on the impaired waters list
approved by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency.
new text end

new text begin (c) $1,000,000 the first year and $1,000,000
the second year are for groundwater
assessment, including enhancing the ambient
monitoring network, modeling, and evaluating
trends.
new text end

new text begin (d) $1,600,000 the first year and $1,600,000
the second year are for national pollutant
discharge elimination system wastewater and
stormwater TMDL implementation efforts.
new text end

new text begin (e) $3,540,500 the first year and $3,540,500
the second year are for enhancing the
county-level delivery systems for subsurface
sewage treatment system (SSTS) activities
necessary to implement Minnesota Statutes,
sections 115.55 and 115.56, for protecting
groundwater. This appropriation includes base
grants for all counties with SSTS programs.
Counties that receive base grants must report
the number of properties with noncompliant
systems upgraded through an SSTS
replacement, connection to a centralized sewer
system, or other means, including property
abandonment or buyout. Counties also must
report the number of existing SSTS
compliance inspections conducted in areas
under county jurisdiction. The required reports
must be part of the established annual
reporting for SSTS programs. Of this amount,
at least $900,000 each year is available to
counties for grants to low-income landowners
to address systems that pose an imminent
threat to public health or safety or fail to
protect groundwater. A county receiving a
grant under this paragraph must submit a
report to the agency listing the projects funded,
including an account of the expenditures.
new text end

new text begin (f) $650,000 the first year and $650,000 the
second year are for activities and grants that
reduce chloride pollution.
new text end

new text begin (g) $461,000 the first year and $461,000 the
second year are to support activities of the
Clean Water Council according to Minnesota
Statutes, section 114D.30, subdivision 1.
new text end

new text begin (h) $750,000 the first year and $750,000 the
second year are for a grant program for
sanitary sewer projects that are included in the
draft or any updated Voyageurs National Park
Clean Water Project Comprehensive Plan to
restore the water quality of waters in
Voyageurs National Park. Grants must be
awarded to local government units for projects
approved by the Voyageurs National Park
Clean Water Joint Powers Board and must be
matched by at least 25 percent from sources
other than the clean water fund.
new text end

new text begin (i) Any unencumbered grant balances in the
first year do not cancel but are available for
grants in the second year. Notwithstanding
Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.28, the
appropriations in this section are available
until June 30, 2030.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 14,650,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 14,650,000 new text end

new text begin (a) $2,825,000 the first year and $2,825,000
the second year are for stream flow
monitoring.
new text end

new text begin (b) $1,525,000 the first year and $1,525,000
the second year are for lake Index of
Biological Integrity (IBI) assessments.
new text end

new text begin (c) $550,000 the first year and $550,000 the
second year are for assessing mercury and
other fish contaminants, including PFAS
compounds, and monitoring to track the status
of impaired waters over time.
new text end

new text begin (d) $2,500,000 the first year and $2,500,000
the second year are for developing targeted,
science-based watershed restoration and
protection strategies and for technical
assistance for local governments.
new text end

new text begin (e) $2,350,000 the first year and $2,350,000
the second year are for water-supply planning,
aquifer protection, and monitoring activities
and analysis.
new text end

new text begin (f) $2,250,000 the first year and $2,250,000
the second year are for technical assistance to
support local implementation of nonpoint
source restoration and protection activities and
targeted forest stewardship for water quality.
new text end

new text begin (g) $700,000 the first year and $700,000 the
second year are for tool development and
evaluation, including maintaining and updating
spatial data for watershed boundaries, streams,
and water bodies and integrating
high-resolution digital elevation data and for
assessing the effectiveness of forestry best
management practices for water quality.
new text end

new text begin (h) $100,000 the first year and $100,000 the
second year are for accelerating completion
of or updates to county geologic atlases and
supplementing water chemistry or chemical
movement studies.
new text end

new text begin (i) $350,000 the first year and $350,000 the
second year are for increasing native
freshwater mussel production capacity and
restoring and monitoring freshwater mussel
restoration efforts.
new text end

new text begin (j) $1,500,000 the first year and $1,500,000
the second year are for providing technical
and financial assistance for county and local
governments to replace failing or ineffective
culverts using modern designs that restore
floodplain connectivity, biological
connectivity, and channel stability. This
appropriation is available for up to two
additional years.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin BOARD OF WATER AND SOIL RESOURCES new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 71,801,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 71,801,000 new text end

new text begin (a) $45,000,000 the first year and $45,000,000
the second year are for agreements to
implement state-approved watershed-based
plans. The agreements may be used to
implement projects or programs that protect,
enhance, and restore surface water quality in
lakes, rivers, and streams; protect groundwater
from degradation; and protect drinking water
sources. Activities must be identified in a
comprehensive watershed plan developed
under the One Watershed, One Plan program
and seven-county metropolitan groundwater
or surface water management frameworks as
provided for in Minnesota Statutes, chapters
103B, 103C, 103D, and 114D. Other legacy
funds may be used to supplement projects
funded under this paragraph. This
appropriation may be used for:
new text end

new text begin (1) implementing state-approved plans,
including within the following watershed
planning areas: Big Fork River, Blue Earth
River, Bois de Sioux - Mustinka, Buffalo-Red
River, Cannon River, Cedar - Wapsipinicon,
Chippewa River, Clearwater River,
Cottonwood-Middle Minnesota, Crow Wing
River, Des Moines River, Greater Zumbro
River, Hawk Creek - Middle Minnesota, Kettle
and Upper St. Croix, Lac qui Parle-Yellow
Bank, Lake of the Woods, Lake Superior
North, Le Sueur River, Leech Lake River,
Little Fork River, Long Prairie River, Lower
Minnesota River East, Lower Minnesota River
West, Lower St. Croix River,
Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers, Minnesota
River-Mankato, Mississippi River Brainerd,
Mississippi River Headwaters, Mississippi
River St. Cloud, Mississippi River-Sartell,
Mississippi River Winona/La Crescent,
Missouri River Basin, Nemadji River, North
Fork Crow River, Otter Tail, Pine River,
Pomme de Terre River, Rainy-Rapid River,
Rainy Headwaters - Vermilion, Rainy
River-Rainy Lake, Red Lake River, Redeye
River, Redwood River, Root River, Roseau
River, Rum River, Sand Hill River, Sauk
River, Shell Rock and Winnebago River,
Snake River, South Fork of the Crow River,
St. Louis River, Thief River, Two Rivers Plus,
Upper and Lower Red Lake, Upper Minnesota
River, Upper Mississippi - Grand Rapids,
Watonwan River, Wild Rice - Marsh, and
Yellow Medicine River;
new text end

new text begin (2) implementing seven-county metropolitan
groundwater or surface water management
frameworks; and
new text end

new text begin (3) implementing other comprehensive
watershed management plan planning areas
that have a board-approved and
local-government-adopted plan as authorized
in Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.801.
new text end

new text begin The board must establish eligibility criteria
and determine whether a planning area is ready
to proceed.
new text end

new text begin (b) $3,000,000 the first year and $3,000,000
the second year are for agreements with local
government units to protect and restore surface
water and drinking water; to keep water on
the land; to protect, enhance, and restore water
quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; and to
protect groundwater and drinking water,
including feedlot water quality and subsurface
sewage treatment system projects and stream
bank, stream channel, shoreline restoration,
and ravine stabilization projects. The projects
must use practices demonstrated to be
effective, be of long-lasting public benefit,
include a match, and be consistent with total
maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation
plans, watershed restoration and protection
strategies (WRAPS), groundwater restoration
and protection strategies (GRAPS), or local
water management plans or their equivalents.
Up to 50 percent of this appropriation is
available for land-treatment projects and
practices that benefit drinking water.
new text end

new text begin (c) $4,350,000 the first year and $4,350,000
the second year are for accelerated
implementation, local resource protection,
statewide analytical targeting or technology
tools that fill an identified gap, program
enhancements for technical assistance, citizen
and community outreach, compliance, and
training and certification.
new text end

new text begin (d) $1,250,000 the first year and $1,250,000
the second year are:
new text end

new text begin (1) to provide state oversight and
accountability, evaluate and communicate
results, provide implementation tools, and
measure the value of conservation program
implementation by local governments; and
new text end

new text begin (2) to submit to the legislature by December
15 each even-numbered year a biennial report
detailing the recipients and projects funded
and the results accomplished under this
section.
new text end

new text begin (e) $2,000,000 the first year and $2,000,000
the second year are to provide assistance,
oversight, and support for local governments
in implementing and complying with riparian
protection and excessive soil loss
requirements.
new text end

new text begin (f) $1,000,000 the first year and $1,000,000
the second year are for a working lands
floodplain program and to purchase, restore,
or preserve riparian land and floodplains
adjacent to lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams,
and tributaries, by conservation easements or
other agreements to keep water on the land,
to decrease sediment, pollutant, and nutrient
transport; reduce hydrologic impacts to surface
waters; and increase protection and recharge
for groundwater. Up to $60,000 is for deposit
in a conservation easement stewardship
account established according to Minnesota
Statutes, section 103B.103.
new text end

new text begin (g) $2,500,000 the first year and $2,500,000
the second year are for conservation easements
under Minnesota Statutes, section 103F.501
to 103F.535, or for agreements with local units
of government or Tribal governments for
long-term protection of groundwater supply
sources. Priority must be placed on drinking
water supply management areas where the
vulnerability of the drinking water supply is
designated as high or very high by the
commissioner of health, that are mitigation
level 1 or 2 under the groundwater protection
rule, where drinking water protection plans
developed by Tribal governments have
identified high vulnerability, or where drinking
water protection plans have identified specific
activities that will achieve long-term
protection. Up to $200,000 is for deposit in a
conservation easement stewardship account
established according to Minnesota Statutes,
section 103B.103.
new text end

new text begin (h) $100,000 the first year and $100,000 the
second year are for a technical evaluation
panel to conduct restoration evaluations under
Minnesota Statutes, section 114D.50,
subdivision 6.
new text end

new text begin (i) $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the
second year are for assistance to, oversight of,
and agreements with local governments to
enhance and update comprehensive watershed
management plans developed under Minnesota
Statutes, section 103B.801.
new text end

new text begin (j) $1,000,000 the first year and $1,000,000
the second year are for technical and financial
assistance for the conservation drainage
program, in consultation with the Drainage
Work Group, coordinated under Minnesota
Statutes, section 103B.101, subdivision 13,
and including projects to improve
multipurpose water management under
Minnesota Statutes, section 103E.015.
new text end

new text begin (k) $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the
second year are to purchase permanent
conservation easements to protect lands
adjacent to public waters that have good water
quality but that are threatened with
degradation. Up to $60,000 is for deposit in a
conservation easement stewardship account
established according to Minnesota Statutes,
section 103B.103.
new text end

new text begin (l) $425,000 the first year and $425,000 the
second year are to systematically collect data
and produce county, watershed, and statewide
estimates of soil erosion caused by water and
wind, and track adoption of conservation
measures, including cover crops, to address
erosion. This appropriation may be used for
agreements with the University of Minnesota
to complete this work.
new text end

new text begin (m) $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the
second year are for implementing a water
legacy program to expand partnerships for
clean water.
new text end

new text begin (n) $2,500,000 the first year and $2,500,000
the second year are for permanent
conservation easements to protect and restore
wetlands and associated uplands. Up to
$100,000 is for deposit in a conservation
easement stewardship account established
according to Minnesota Statutes, section
103B.103.
new text end

new text begin (o) $5,926,000 the first year and $5,926,000
the second year are for financial and technical
assistance to enhance adoption of cover crops
and other soil health practices to achieve water
quality or drinking water benefits. The board
may use agreements with local governments,
the United States Department of Agriculture,
AgCentric at Minnesota State Center for
Excellence, and other practitioners and
partners to accomplish this work. Up to
$450,000 is for an agreement with the
University of Minnesota Office for Soil Health
for applied research and education on
Minnesota's agroecosystems and soil health
management systems. This appropriation may
be extended to leverage available federal
funds.
new text end

new text begin (p) $750,000 the first year and $750,000 the
second year are to contract for delivery of
services with Conservation Corps Minnesota
and Iowa for restoration, maintenance,
training, and other activities consistent with
this section.
new text end

new text begin (q) $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the
second year are to provide support to soil and
water conservation districts and other local
governments and partner organizations in the
Lake Superior basin to leverage Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative or other federal funding
to implement prioritized activities.
new text end

new text begin (r) The board may shift funds in this section
and may adjust the technical and
administrative assistance portion of the funds
to leverage federal or other nonstate funds, to
facilitate oversight responsibilities, or to
address high-priority activities identified by
the board consistent with local water
management plans.
new text end

new text begin (s) The board must require grantees to specify
the outcomes that will be achieved by the
grants.
new text end

new text begin (t) The appropriations in this section are
available until June 30, 2030, except grant or
easement funds are available for five years
after the date a grant or other agreement is
executed. Returned funds must be repurposed
consistent with the purposes of this section.
new text end

Sec. 7. new text begin DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 15,095,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 15,145,000 new text end

new text begin (a) $5,925,000 the first year and $5,925,000
the second year are to develop health risk
limits and other health-based guidance and
conduct outreach activities for contaminants
found or anticipated to be found in Minnesota
drinking water; to accredit private laboratories
to conduct analyses for these contaminants;
and to increase the capacity of the
department's laboratory to analyze for these
contaminants.
new text end

new text begin (b) $3,000,000 the first year and $3,000,000
the second year are for ensuring safe drinking
water for private well users in southeast
Minnesota and statewide by designing and
implementing voluntary interventions to
reduce health risks to private well users,
including identifying private well locations,
studying the occurrence and magnitude of
contaminants in private wells, developing
guidance and conducting outreach and
education about well testing and mitigation,
awarding grants to local governments, and
offering well testing.
new text end

new text begin (c) $3,870,000 the first year and $3,920,000
the second year are for protecting sources of
drinking water, including planning,
implementation, and monitoring activities and
grants to local governments and public water
systems.
new text end

new text begin (d) $1,750,000 the first year and $1,750,000
the second year are to develop and deliver
groundwater restoration and protection
strategies on a watershed scale for use in local
comprehensive water planning efforts, to
provide resources to local governments for
activities that sustain groundwater and protect
sources of drinking water, and to enhance
approaches that improve the capacity of local
governmental units to protect and restore
groundwater resources.
new text end

new text begin (e) $250,000 the first year and $250,000 the
second year are to develop public health
policies and approaches to address threats to
safe drinking water, including implementation
of a statewide action plan for protecting
drinking water.
new text end

new text begin (f) $300,000 the first year and $300,000 the
second year are for optimizing the statewide
recreational water portal that includes an
inventory of public beaches and information
about local monitoring results and closures
and that provides information about preventing
illness and recreational water stewardship.
new text end

new text begin (g) Unless otherwise specified, the
appropriations in this section are available
until June 30, 2029.
new text end

Sec. 8. new text begin METROPOLITAN COUNCIL new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 2,125,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 2,125,000 new text end

new text begin (a) $1,375,000 the first year and $1,375,000
the second year are to support communities
implementing projects that address emerging
drinking water supply threats and overall water
sustainability, provide cost-effective regional
solutions, leverage interjurisdictional
coordination, support local implementation of
wellhead protection plans, and prevent
degradation of groundwater and surface water
resources. These activities will provide
communities with:
new text end

new text begin (1) potential solutions to better connect land
use impacts on water supply and overall water
sustainability;
new text end

new text begin (2) ways to balance regional water use by
using surface water, stormwater, wastewater,
and groundwater;
new text end

new text begin (3) an analysis of infrastructure requirements
needed to maintain and strengthen the
reliability of water systems;
new text end

new text begin (4) development of planning-level cost
estimates, including capital costs and operating
costs;
new text end

new text begin (5) funding mechanisms and an equitable
cost-sharing structure for regionally beneficial
water supply development projects;
new text end

new text begin (6) information and tools to use to address
climate change impacts on overall water
supply systems and overall water
sustainability; and
new text end

new text begin (7) ways to reduce impacts on the groundwater
system through stormwater reuse grants to
assist communities in reducing water use.
new text end

new text begin (b) $750,000 the first year and $750,000 the
second year are for grants that implement
water demand reduction measures. The grants
are to assist municipalities in the metropolitan
area with implementing water demand
reduction measures to ensure the reliability
and protection of drinking water supplies.
new text end

Sec. 9. new text begin UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 1,400,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 1,400,000 new text end

new text begin (a) $400,000 the first year and $400,000 the
second year are for developing Part A of
county geologic atlases. This appropriation is
available until June 30, 2030.
new text end

new text begin (b) $1,000,000 the first year and $1,000,000
the second year are for a program to evaluate
performance and technology transfer for
stormwater best management practices, to
evaluate best management performance and
effectiveness to support meeting total
maximum daily loads, to develop standards
and incorporate state-of-the-art guidance using
minimal impact design standards as the model,
and to implement a system to transfer
knowledge and technology across the local
government, industry, and regulatory sectors.
This appropriation is available until June 30,
2032.
new text end

Sec. 10. new text begin LEGISLATURE new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 7,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin -0- new text end

new text begin $7,000 the first year is for the Legislative
Coordinating Commission for the website
required under Minnesota Statutes, section
3.303, subdivision 10.
new text end

Sec. 11. new text begin PUBLIC FACILITIES AUTHORITY new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 8,300,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 8,300,000 new text end

new text begin (a) $8,250,000 the first year and $8,250,000
the second year are for the point source
implementation grants program under
Minnesota Statutes, section 446A.073. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2032.
new text end

new text begin (b) $50,000 the first year and $50,000 the
second year are for small community
wastewater treatment grants and loans under
Minnesota Statutes, section 446A.075. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2032.
new text end

new text begin (c) If there is any uncommitted money at the
end of each fiscal year under paragraph (a) or
(b), the Public Facilities Authority may
transfer the remaining funds to eligible
projects under any of the programs listed in
this section according to a project's priority
rank on the Pollution Control Agency's project
priority list.
new text end

ARTICLE 2

PARKS AND TRAILS FUND

Section 1. new text begin PARKS AND TRAILS FUND APPROPRIATIONS. new text end

new text begin The sums shown in the columns marked "Appropriations" are appropriated to the agencies
and for the purposes specified in this article. The appropriations are from the parks and
trails fund and are available for the fiscal years indicated for each purpose. The figures
"2026" and "2027" used in this article mean that the appropriations listed under the figure
are available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, or June 30, 2027, respectively. "The
first year" is fiscal year 2026. "The second year" is fiscal year 2027. "The biennium" is
fiscal years 2026 and 2027. These are onetime appropriations.
new text end

			new text begin APPROPRIATIONS new text end
			new text begin Available for the Year new text end
			new text begin Ending June 30 new text end
				new text begin 2026 new text end		new text begin 2027 new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin PARKS AND TRAILS FUND new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Total Appropriation new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 65,290,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 67,845,000 new text end

new text begin The amounts that may be spent for each
purpose are specified in the following sections.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Availability of Appropriation new text end

new text begin Money appropriated in this article may not be
spent on activities unless they are directly
related to and necessary for a specific
appropriation. Money appropriated in this
article must be spent in accordance with
Minnesota Management and Budget MMB
Guidance to Agencies on Legacy Fund
Expenditure. Notwithstanding Minnesota
Statutes, section 16A.28, and unless otherwise
specified in this article, fiscal year 2026
appropriations are available until June 30,
2028, and fiscal year 2027 appropriations are
available until June 30, 2029. If a project
receives federal funds, the period of the
appropriation is extended to equal the
availability of federal funding.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin Disability Access new text end

new text begin Where appropriate, grant recipients of parks
and trails funds, in consultation with the
Council on Disability and other appropriate
governor-appointed disability councils, boards,
committees, and commissions, should make
progress toward providing people with
disabilities greater access to programs, print
publications, and digital media related to the
programs the recipient funds using
appropriations made in this article.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end new text begin Energy and Water Conservation new text end

new text begin Grant recipients of parks and trails funds
should prioritize water and energy
conservation technology and the use of
renewable energy for construction and
building projects funded with an appropriation
made in this article.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 39,435,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 40,978,000 new text end

new text begin (a) $25,855,000 the first year and $26,866,000
the second year are for state parks, recreation
areas, and trails to:
new text end

new text begin (1) connect people to the outdoors;
new text end

new text begin (2) acquire land and create opportunities;
new text end

new text begin (3) maintain existing holdings; and
new text end

new text begin (4) improve cooperation by coordinating with
partners to implement the 25-year long-range
parks and trails legacy plan.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner may spend money
appropriated under paragraph (a) on I Can!
programs, including but not limited to
programs designed to provide underserved
youth and youth who identify as lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and queer the
opportunity to experience the outdoors with
similar peers.
new text end

new text begin (c) $12,927,000 the first year and $13,434,000
the second year are for grants for parks and
trails of regional significance outside the
seven-county metropolitan area under
Minnesota Statutes, section 85.535. The grants
awarded under this paragraph must be based
on the lists of recommended projects
submitted to the legislative committees under
Minnesota Statutes, section 85.536,
subdivision 10, from the Greater Minnesota
Regional Parks and Trails Commission
established under Minnesota Statutes, section
85.536. Grants funded under this paragraph
must support parks and trails of regional or
statewide significance that meet the applicable
definitions and criteria for regional parks and
trails contained in the Greater Minnesota
Regional Parks and Trails Strategic Plan
adopted by the Greater Minnesota Regional
Parks and Trails Commission on April 22,
2015. Grant recipients identified under this
paragraph must submit a grant application to
the commissioner of natural resources. Up to
2.5 percent of the appropriation may be used
by the commissioner for the actual cost of
issuing and monitoring the grants for the
commission. Up to 4.5 percent of the
appropriation may be used by the Greater
Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails
Commission to carry out its duties under
Minnesota Statutes, section 85.536, including
the continued development of a statewide
system plan for regional parks and trails
outside the seven-county metropolitan area.
new text end

new text begin (d) By January 15, 2026, the Greater
Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails
Commission must submit a list of projects that
contains the commission's recommendations
for funding from the parks and trails fund for
fiscal year 2027 to the chairs and ranking
minority members of the legislative
committees and divisions with jurisdiction
over environment and natural resources and
the parks and trails fund.
new text end

new text begin (e) By January 15, 2026, the Greater
Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails
Commission must submit a report that contains
the commission's criteria for funding from the
parks and trails fund, including the criteria
used to determine if a park or trail is of
regional significance, to the chairs and ranking
minority members of the legislative
committees and divisions with jurisdiction
over environment and natural resources and
the parks and trails fund.
new text end

new text begin (f) $653,000 the first year and $678,000 the
second year are for coordination and projects
between the department, the Metropolitan
Council, and the Greater Minnesota Regional
Parks and Trails Commission; enhanced
web-based information for park and trail users;
and support of activities of the Parks and
Trails Legacy Advisory Committee.
new text end

new text begin (g) The commissioner must contract for
services with Conservation Corps Minnesota
and Iowa for restoration, maintenance, and
other activities under this section for at least
$850,000 the first year and $850,000 the
second year.
new text end

new text begin (h) Grant recipients of an appropriation under
this section must give consideration to
contracting with Conservation Corps
Minnesota and Iowa for restoration,
maintenance, and other activities.
new text end

new text begin (i) In addition to the requirements under
paragraph (g), the commissioner should work
to provide other opportunities that encourage
a diversity of students to pursue careers in
environment and natural resources when
implementing appropriations in this section.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin METROPOLITAN COUNCIL new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 25,855,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 26,867,000 new text end

new text begin (a) $25,855,000 the first year and $26,867,000
the second year are for distribution according
to Minnesota Statutes, section 85.53,
subdivision 3.
new text end

new text begin (b) Money appropriated under this section and
distributed to implementing agencies must be
used only to fund the list of projects approved
by the elected representatives of each of the
metropolitan parks implementing agencies.
Projects funded by the money appropriated
under this section must be substantially
consistent with the project descriptions and
dollar amounts approved by each elected body.
Any money remaining after completing the
listed projects may be spent by the
implementing agencies on projects to support
parks and trails.
new text end

new text begin (c) Grant agreements entered into by the
Metropolitan Council and recipients of money
appropriated under this section must ensure
that the money is used to supplement and not
substitute for traditional sources of funding.
new text end

new text begin (d) The implementing agencies receiving
appropriations under this section must give
consideration to contracting with Conservation
Corps Minnesota for restoration, maintenance,
and other activities.
new text end