1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to conservation; modifying the definition of 
  1.3             landowner for purposes of participation in the RIM 
  1.4             program; increasing the amount of funding available to 
  1.5             participants; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, 
  1.6             sections 103F.511, subdivision 6; and 103F.515, 
  1.7             subdivision 6. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103F.511, 
  1.10  subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 6.  [LANDOWNER.] "Landowner" means ~~individuals,~~ 
  1.12  ~~family farms, family farm partnerships, authorized farm~~ 
  1.13  ~~partnerships, family farm corporations and authorized farm~~ 
  1.14  ~~corporations as defined under section 500.24, subdivision 2, and~~ 
  1.15  ~~estates and testamentary trusts, which either own eligible land~~ 
  1.16  ~~or are purchasing eligible land under a contract for deed~~ an 
  1.17  individual or entity that is not prohibited from owning 
  1.18  agricultural land under section 500.24 and either owns eligible 
  1.19  land or is purchasing eligible land under a contract for deed.  
  1.20     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 103F.515, 
  1.21  subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
  1.22     Subd. 6.  [PAYMENTS FOR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND 
  1.23  ESTABLISHMENT OF COVER.] (a) The board must make the following 
  1.24  payments to the landowner for the conservation easement and 
  1.25  agreement: 
  1.26     (1) to establish the perennial cover or other improvements 
  2.1   required by the agreement: 
  2.2      (i) except as provided in items (ii) and (iii), up to 75 
  2.3   percent of the total eligible cost not to exceed ~~$75~~ $125 per 
  2.4   acre for limited duration easements and 100 percent of the total 
  2.5   eligible cost not to exceed ~~$100~~ $150 per acre for perpetual 
  2.6   easements; 
  2.7      (ii) for native species restoration, 75 percent of the 
  2.8   total eligible cost not to exceed ~~$150~~ $200 per acre for limited 
  2.9   duration easements and 100 percent of the total eligible cost 
  2.10  not to exceed ~~$200~~ $300 per acre for perpetual easements; and 
  2.11     (iii) 100 percent of the total eligible cost of wetland 
  2.12  restoration not to exceed ~~$300~~ $600 per acre; 
  2.13     (2) for the cost of planting trees required by the 
  2.14  agreement, up to 75 percent of the total eligible cost not to 
  2.15  exceed ~~$200~~ $250 per acre for limited duration easements, and 
  2.16  100 percent of the total eligible cost not to exceed ~~$300~~ $400 
  2.17  per acre for perpetual easements; 
  2.18     (3) for a permanent easement, 70 percent of the township 
  2.19  average equalized estimated market value of agricultural 
  2.20  property as established by the commissioner of revenue at the 
  2.21  time of easement application; 
  2.22     (4) for an easement of limited duration, 90 percent of the 
  2.23  present value of the average of the accepted bids for the 
  2.24  federal conservation reserve program, as contained in Public Law 
  2.25  Number 99-198, in the relevant geographic area and on bids 
  2.26  accepted at the time of easement application; or 
  2.27     (5) an alternative payment system for easements based on 
  2.28  cash rent or a similar system as may be determined by the board. 
  2.29     (b) For hillside pasture conservation easements, the 
  2.30  payments to the landowner in paragraph (a) for the conservation 
  2.31  easement and agreement must be reduced to reflect the value of 
  2.32  similar property.  
  2.33     (c) The board may establish a payment system for flowage 
  2.34  easements acquired under this section. 
  2.35     (d) For wetland restoration projects involving more than 
  2.36  one conservation easement, state payments for restoration costs 
  3.1   may exceed the limits set forth in this section for an 
  3.2   individual easement provided the total payment for the 
  3.3   restoration project does not exceed the amount payable for the 
  3.4   total number of acres involved. 
  3.5      (e) The board may use available nonstate funds to exceed 
  3.6   the payment limits in this section.