1997 Minnesota Statutes

     17.23 Conservation of certain wildflowers.  

    Subdivision 1.    Prohibition.  No person within the 
 state shall buy, sell, offer or expose for sale, the state 
 flower (Cypripedium reginae), or any species of lady slipper 
 (Cypripedieae), or any member of the orchid family, trillium of 
 any species, lotus (Nelumbolutea), gentian (Gentiana), arbutus 
 (Epigaea repens), or any species of lilies (Lilium), or any 
 thereof, dug, cut, plucked, pulled, or gathered in any manner 
 from any public land or from the land of any private owner 
 without the written consent of such owner or other occupant of 
 such land, and then only upon written permission of the 
 commissioner, and for scientific and herbarium purposes; except, 
 that any persons may upon their own lands cultivate for sale and 
 sell these flowers by registering the purpose to do the same 
 with the commissioner. 

    Subd. 2.    Prosecution.  The commissioner shall 
 administer this section, and when, by investigation, complaint 
 or otherwise, it shall be made to appear that any person has 
 violated any of the provisions of subdivision 1, shall assemble 
 the facts and transmit the same to the attorney general, or may 
 act through the county attorney of the county in which the 
 violation was committed, whose duty it shall be to forthwith 
 institute proceedings and prosecute the same against any person 
 or persons charged with such violation.  It is hereby made the 
 duty of the county attorney to prosecute any and all cases 
 submitted by the commissioner or the attorney general.  

    Subd. 3.    Punishment.  Any person who violates any of 
 the provisions of subdivision 1 shall be guilty of a 
 misdemeanor; and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than 
 $10 and the costs of such prosecution nor more than $50 and the 
 costs of such prosecution, or in default of payment thereof 
 shall be imprisoned in the county jail for not less than ten nor 
 more than 30 days for each and every such conviction.  All fines 
 and money thus collected shall be deposited in the state 
 treasury.  

    HIST: (10522-1,10522-2,10522-3) 1925 c 409 s 1-3; 1935 c 100 s 
 1; 1986 c 444