1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; modifying the duties of 
  1.3             the board of water and soil resources; increasing the 
  1.4             level of base grants available for local water 
  1.5             planning; providing funding for local water planning; 
  1.6             appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, 
  1.7             sections 103B.101, subdivision 9; and 103B.3369, 
  1.8             subdivision 5. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103B.101, 
  1.11  subdivision 9, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subd. 9.  [POWERS AND DUTIES.] In addition to the powers 
  1.13  and duties prescribed elsewhere, the board shall: 
  1.14     (1) coordinate the water and soil resources planning 
  1.15  activities of counties, soil and water conservation districts, 
  1.16  watershed districts, watershed management organizations, and any 
  1.17  other local units of government through its various authorities 
  1.18  for approval of local plans, administration of state grants, and 
  1.19  by other means as may be appropriate; 
  1.20     (2) facilitate communication and coordination among state 
  1.21  agencies in cooperation with the environmental quality board, 
  1.22  and between state and local units of government, in order to 
  1.23  make the expertise and resources of state agencies involved in 
  1.24  water and soil resources management available to the local units 
  1.25  of government to the greatest extent possible; 
  1.26     (3) coordinate state and local interests with respect to 
  1.27  the study in southwestern Minnesota under United States Code, 
  2.1   title 16, section 1009; 
  2.2      (4) develop information and education programs designed to 
  2.3   increase awareness of local water and soil resources problems 
  2.4   and awareness of opportunities for local government involvement 
  2.5   in preventing or solving them; 
  2.6      (5) provide a forum for the discussion of local issues and 
  2.7   opportunities relating to water and soil resources management; 
  2.8      (6) adopt an annual budget and work program that integrate 
  2.9   the various functions and responsibilities assigned to it by 
  2.10  law; ~~and~~ 
  2.11     (7) report to the governor and the legislature by October 
  2.12  15 of each even-numbered year with an assessment of board 
  2.13  programs and recommendations for any program changes and board 
  2.14  membership changes necessary to improve state and local efforts 
  2.15  in water and soil resources management; and 
  2.16     (8) provide operating grants to local units of government 
  2.17  to accomplish their responsibilities under chapters 103B, 103C, 
  2.18  and 103G. 
  2.19     The board may accept grants, gifts, donations, or 
  2.20  contributions in money, services, materials, or otherwise from 
  2.21  the United States, a state agency, or other source to achieve an 
  2.22  authorized purpose.  The board may enter into a contract or 
  2.23  agreement necessary or appropriate to accomplish the transfer. 
  2.24     Any money received is hereby appropriated and dedicated for 
  2.25  the purpose for which it is granted. 
  2.26     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103B.3369, 
  2.27  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  2.28     Subd. 5.  [FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.] The board may award 
  2.29  grants to ~~watershed management organizations in the seven-county~~ 
  2.30  ~~metropolitan area or counties~~ local units of government to carry 
  2.31  out water resource protection and management programs identified 
  2.32  as priorities in comprehensive local water plans.  Grants may be 
  2.33  used to employ persons and to obtain and use information 
  2.34  necessary to: 
  2.35     (1) ~~develop comprehensive local water plans under sections~~ 
  2.36  ~~103B.255 and 103B.311 that have not received state funding for~~ 
  3.1   ~~water resources planning as provided for in Laws 1987, chapter~~ 
  3.2   ~~404, section 30, subdivision 5, clause (a);~~ 
  3.3      ~~(2)~~ revise comprehensive local water plans under ~~section~~ 
  3.4   ~~103B.201~~ sections 103B.231, 103B.235, 103B.255, 103B.311, and 
  3.5   103D.405; and 
  3.6      ~~(3)~~ (2) implement comprehensive local water plans.  
  3.7   A base grant shall be awarded to a county that levies a water 
  3.8   implementation tax at a rate, which shall be determined by the 
  3.9   board.  The minimum amount of the water implementation tax shall 
  3.10  be a tax rate times the adjusted net tax capacity of the county 
  3.11  for the preceding year.  The rate shall be the rate, rounded to 
  3.12  the nearest .001 of a percent, that, when applied to the 
  3.13  adjusted net tax capacity for all counties, raises the amount of 
  3.14  ~~$1,500,000~~ $3,000,000.  The base grant will be in an amount 
  3.15  equal to ~~$37,500~~ $75,000 less the amount raised by that levy.  
  3.16  If the amount necessary to implement the local water plan for 
  3.17  the county is less than ~~$37,500~~ $75,000, the amount of the base 
  3.18  grant shall be the amount that, when added to the levy amount, 
  3.19  equals the amount required to implement the plan.  For counties 
  3.20  where the tax rate generates an amount equal to or greater 
  3.21  than ~~$18,750~~ $37,500, the base grant shall be in an amount equal 
  3.22  to ~~$18,750~~ $37,500.  Competitive grants may be awarded to local 
  3.23  units of government to accelerate the achievement of goals and 
  3.24  objectives identified in the local water plans under sections 
  3.25  103B.231, 103B.235, 103B.255, 103B.311, and 103D.405. 
  3.26     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.27     (a) $3,352,000 in fiscal year 2002 and $3,352,000 in fiscal 
  3.28  year 2003 are appropriated from the general fund to the board of 
  3.29  water and soil resources for additional funding for 
  3.30  comprehensive local water planning grants under Minnesota 
  3.31  Statutes, section 103B.3369.  $2,627,000 each year is for base 
  3.32  grants, $650,000 each year is for competitive grants, and 
  3.33  $75,000 each year is for the board's implementation costs.  This 
  3.34  appropriation is available until June 30, 2003. 
  3.35     (b) $....... in fiscal year 2002 and $....... in fiscal 
  3.36  year 2003 are appropriated from the general fund to the board of 
  4.1   water and soil resources for grants to local units of government 
  4.2   for operating grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.101, 
  4.3   subdivision 9, clause (8).  In the next biennium, the budget 
  4.4   base for this item shall be adjusted for inflation.