1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to natural resources; requiring state lands to be made available for 
1.3 	grazing; requiring outdoor heritage fund projects to protect grazing lands;
1.4 	amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 97A.056, by adding a subdivision; 
1.5 	proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 84.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [84.972] GRAZING.
1.8 	The commissioner of natural resources shall enter into agreements with area 
1.9 	livestock owners to graze at least 5,000 additional acres of land administered by the 
1.10 	commissioner each year. By January 15, 2013, and each year thereafter, the commissioner 
1.11 	shall submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of 
1.12 	representatives and senate committees and divisions with jurisdiction over natural 
1.13 	resources and agriculture that provides:
1.14 	(1) the total number of grazing agreements that have been entered into;
1.15 	(2) the locations of the lands under grazing agreements;
1.16 	(3) the total number of acres under grazing agreements; and
1.17 	(4) the total number of new acres under grazing agreements added in the prior 
1.18 	fiscal year.

1.19 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 97A.056, is amended by adding a subdivision 
1.20 	to read:
1.21 		Subd. 12.Pasture land protection; report. (a) For the purposes of this subdivision, 
1.22 	"pasture" means any land that had fencing designed to contain livestock at the time of 
1.23 	acquisition or that had been actively grazed anytime during the ten-year period prior 
1.24 	to acquisition.
2.1 	(b) A recipient of money appropriated from the outdoor heritage fund that is used to 
2.2 	acquire, in fee, more than 20 acres of pasture, as defined in paragraph (a), shall maintain 
2.3 	any existing fencing on the land and install new perimeter fencing using funds from 
2.4 	the outdoor heritage fund appropriation, unless perimeter fencing capable of containing 
2.5 	livestock for grazing is already present. The recipient shall enter into an agreement or 
2.6 	agreements with an area livestock owner or owners to provide sufficient grazing of the 
2.7 	pasture to enhance wildlife habitat and control invasive species. If pasture subject to 
2.8 	this paragraph is determined to be unsuitable for grazing, the recipient must identify 
2.9 	alternative pasture land and enter into an agreement with an area livestock owner or 
2.10 	owners that provides alternative pasture for grazing at a ratio of three acres of alternative 
2.11 	pasture for every one acre of pasture purchased with outdoor heritage funds. If necessary, 
2.12 	the recipient shall install perimeter fencing on the alternative lands.
2.13 	(c) By January 15, 2013, and each year thereafter, the commissioner of natural 
2.14 	resources, in consultation with the Board of Water and Soil Resources and the 
2.15 	Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, shall submit a report to the chairs and ranking 
2.16 	minority members of the house of representatives and senate committees and divisions 
2.17 	with jurisdiction over the outdoor heritage fund and agriculture detailing the total number 
2.18 	of acres of pasture land that was acquired in fee or through easement with funds from 
2.19 	the outdoor heritage fund.