Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission provisions modification

A bill for an act

relating to legacy; modifying provisions of Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and

Trails Commission; extending the availability of previous grants; amending

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 85.536, subdivisions 5, 7, 8, 10; repealing

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 85.536, subdivisions 3, 4.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 85.536, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

Districts; plans and hearings.

(a) The commissioner of natural resources, in

consultation with the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Coalition, shall establish

six regional parks and trails districts in the state encompassing the area outside the

seven-county metropolitan area. The commissioner shall establish districts by combining

counties and may not assign a county to more than one district.

(b) The commission shall develop a strategic plan and criteria for determining parks and

trails of regional significance that are eligible for funding from the parks and trails fund and

meet the criteria under subdivision 6.

(c) Counties within each district may jointly prepare, after consultation with all affected

municipalities, and submit to the commission, and from time to time revise and resubmit

to the commission, a master plan for the acquisition and development of parks and trails of

regional significance located within the district.
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Districtwide plans and master plans for

individual parks and trails must meet the protocols and criteria as set forth in the greater

Minnesota regional parks and trails strategic plan. The counties, after consultation with the

commission, shall jointly hold a public hearing on the proposed plan and budget at a time

and place determined by the counties. Not less than 15 days before the hearing, the counties

shall provide notice of the hearing stating the date, time, and place of the hearing and the

place where the proposed plan and budget may be examined by any interested person. At

any hearing, interested persons shall be permitted to present their views on the plan and

budget.
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(d) The commission shall review each master plan to determine whether it meets the

conditions of subdivision 6. If it does not, the commission shall return the plan with its

comments to the district for revision and resubmittal.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 85.536, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Recommendations.

(a) In recommending grants under this section, the

commission shall make recommendations consistent with master plans.

(b) The commission shall determine recommended grant amounts through an adopted

merit-based evaluation process that includes the level of local financial support. The

evaluation process is not subject to the rulemaking provisions of chapter 14, and section

14.386
does not apply.

(c) When recommending grants, the commission shall consider balance of the grant

benefits across greater Minnesota.

(d) Grants may be recommended only for
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parks and trails
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projects
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included in a plan

approved by the commission under subdivision 5.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 85.536, subdivision 8, is amended to read:

Subd. 8.

Chair.

The commission shall
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annually
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biennially
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elect from among its members

a chair and other officers necessary for the performance of its duties.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 85.536, subdivision 10, is amended to read:

Subd. 10.

Report.

The commission shall submit a report by January 15 each year listing

its recommendations
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by regional parks and trails district
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under subdivision 7
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, in priority

order,
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to the chairs and ranking minority members of the committees of the senate and house

of representatives with primary jurisdiction over legacy appropriations.

Sec. 5.
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PARKS AND TRAILS FUND APPROPRIATION EXTENSIONS.
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(a) The availability of the grant to the St. Louis and Lake Counties Regional Railroad

Authority for the Mesabi Trail project from the parks and trails fund fiscal year 2024

appropriation under Laws 2023, chapter 40, article 3, section 3, paragraph (c), is extended

to June 30, 2027.

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(b) The availability of the grant to Olmsted County for the Oxbow Park and Zollman

Zoo project from the parks and trails fund fiscal year 2024 appropriation under Laws 2023,

chapter 40, article 3, section 3, paragraph (c), is extended to June 30, 2027.

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(c) The availability of the grant to Stearns County for the Kraemer Lake and Wildwood

County Park project from the parks and trails fund fiscal year 2024 appropriation under

Laws 2023, chapter 40, article 3, section 3, paragraph (c), is extended to June 30, 2027.

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(d) The availability of the grant to Redwood County for the Plum Creek Park project

from the parks and trails fund fiscal year 2024 appropriation under Laws 2023, chapter 40,

article 3, section 3, paragraph (c), is extended to June 30, 2027.

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(e) The availability of the grant to the city of Sandstone for the Robinson Quarry Park

project from the parks and trails fund fiscal year 2025 appropriation under Laws 2023,

chapter 40, article 3, section 3, paragraph (c), is extended to June 30, 2028.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective the day following final enactment.

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Sec. 6.
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REPEALER.
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Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 85.536, subdivisions 3 and 4,

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are repealed.

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APPENDIX

Repealed Minnesota Statutes: 26-06550

85.536 GREATER MINNESOTA REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS COMMISSION.

Subd. 3.

First appointments.

The governor shall make the first appointment by June 15, 2013. The governor shall designate six of the first appointees to terms ending on the first Monday in January 2015, and the remainder of the first appointees shall serve terms ending the first Monday in January 2016.

Subd. 4.

First meeting.

The governor or the governor's designee shall convene the first meeting of the commission by July 15, 2013, and shall act as chair until the commission elects a chair. The commission shall elect a chair at its first meeting.