2007 Minnesota Statutes

89A.06 LANDSCAPE-LEVEL FOREST RESOURCE PLANNING AND
COORDINATION.
    Subdivision 1. Framework. The council must establish a framework that will enable
long-range strategic planning and landscape coordination to occur, to the extent possible, across
all forested regions of the state and across all ownerships. The framework must include:
(1) identification of the landscapes within which long-range strategic planning of forest
resources can occur, provided that the landscapes must be delineated based on broadly defined
ecological units and existing classification systems, yet recognize existing political and
administrative boundaries and planning processes;
(2) a statement of principles and goals for landscape-based forest resource planning; and
(3) identification of a general process by which landscape-based forest resource planning
occurs, provided that the process must give considerable latitude to design planning processes
that fit the unique needs and resources of each landscape; reflect a balanced consideration of the
economic, social, and environmental conditions and needs of each landscape; and interface and
establish formats that are compatible with other landscape-based forest resource plans.
    Subd. 2. Regional forest resource committees. To foster landscape-based forest resource
planning, the council must establish regional forest resource committees. Each regional committee
shall:
(1) include representative interests in a particular region that are committed to and involved
in landscape planning and coordination activities;
(2) serve as a forum for landowners, managers, and representative interests to discuss
landscape forest resource issues;
(3) identify and implement an open and public process whereby landscape-based strategic
planning of forest resources can occur;
(4) integrate its report with existing public and private landscape planning efforts in the
region;
(5) facilitate landscape coordination between existing regional landscape planning efforts of
land managers, both public and private;
(6) identify and facilitate opportunities for public participation in existing landscape planning
efforts in this region;
(7) identify sustainable forest resource goals for the landscape and strategies to achieve
those goals; and
(8) provide a regional perspective to the council with respect to council activities.
    Subd. 2a. Regional forest committee reporting. The council must report annually on the
activities and progress made by the regional forest committees established under subdivision
2, including the following:
(1) by December 1, 1999, the regional committee for the council's northeast landscape
will complete the identification of draft desired future outcomes, key issues, and strategies for
the landscape;
(2) by July 1, 2000, the council will complete assessments for the council's north central and
southeast landscape regions;
(3) by July 1, 2001, the regional committees for the north central and southeast landscapes
will complete draft desired future outcomes, key issues, and strategies for their respective
landscapes; and
(4) by June 30, 2002, all remaining landscape regions must complete assessments and by
June 30, 2003, desired future outcomes and strategies for all remaining regions except the
northern, east central, metropolitan, and prairie regions. By June 30, 2004, the northern region
must complete desired future outcomes and strategies, and by June 30, 2005, the east central
region must complete desired future outcomes and strategies.
    Subd. 3. Regional committee officers and staff. The council chair may appoint a chair from
the regional committee participants. The council must include in its budget request sufficient
resources for each regional committee to carry out its mission as defined in this section.
    Subd. 4. Report. Each regional committee must report to the council its work activities
and accomplishments.
History: 1995 c 220 s 83,141,142; 1995 c 263 s 12; 1996 c 351 s 1; 1999 c 231 s 119,191;
1Sp2001 c 2 s 102,151; 2002 c 376 s 5; 2002 c 379 art 1 s 108