Legislative Session number- 81

Bill Name: SF2878

E Authorizing and providing for the commissioner of natural resources to
establish heritage forest areas to be called the big woods heritage forest in
Blue Earth, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Le Sueur, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Rice,
Sibley, Scott, Waseca and Wright counties under certain conditions for
threatened forest areas preservation and protection purposes; specifying certain
general powers of the commissioner, authorizing and providing for the
commissioner or local government units to acquire heritage forest land through
conservation easements with landowners, specifying certain landowner agreement
requirements, authorizing new landowners after sale of the property to continue
the easements under the same terms or conditions; authorizing and providing for
private landowners to establish lands as heritage forest land through heritage
forest stewardship plans preparation and stewardship registration agreements
completion; granting the commissioner and local government units certain
termination authority; requiring the commissioner to by a certain date provide a
complete description of the public involvement process for timber harvest plans
to the legislature, requiring public notice and input in affected areas and the
posting of plans on the DNR web site; modifying certain procedures for auction
sales of timber on state lands and for the granting of permits to remove timber
sold at public auction and certain surety bond requirements; requiring the
commissioner to amend certain rules relating to the public use of recreational
areas to regulate the use of motor vehicles on certain forest lands and roads
and the construction of trails on forest lands (mk, ja)