1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to state lands; modifying sale provisions of 
  1.3             tax-forfeited land and land bordering public waters; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, sections 92.45; and 
  1.5             282.018, subdivision 1. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 92.45, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      92.45 [STATE LAND ON MEANDERED LAKES WITHDRAWN FROM SALE.] 
  1.10     All state lands bordering on or adjacent to meandered lakes 
  1.11  and other public waters and watercourses, with the live timber 
  1.12  growing on them, are withdrawn from sale except as provided in 
  1.13  this section.  The commissioner of natural resources may sell 
  1.14  the timber as otherwise provided by law for cutting and removal 
  1.15  under conditions the commissioner prescribes, in conformance 
  1.16  with shoreland management rules.  The conditions must be in 
  1.17  accordance with approved, sustained-yield forestry practices.  
  1.18  The commissioner must reserve the timber and impose other 
  1.19  conditions the commissioner deems necessary to protect 
  1.20  watersheds, wildlife habitat, shorelines, and scenic features.  
  1.21  Within the area in Cook, Lake, and St. Louis counties described 
  1.22  in the act of Congress approved July 10, 1930, (Statutes at 
  1.23  Large, volume 46, page 1020), the timber on state lands is 
  1.24  subject to restrictions like those now imposed by the act on 
  1.25  federal lands. 
  2.1      The following land is reserved for public travel:  of all 
  2.2   land bordering on or adjacent to meandered lakes and other 
  2.3   public waters and watercourses and withdrawn from sale, a strip 
  2.4   two rods wide, the ordinary high-water mark being its waterside 
  2.5   boundary, and its landside boundary a line drawn parallel to the 
  2.6   ordinary high-water mark and two rods distant landward from it.  
  2.7   Wherever the conformation of the shore line or conditions 
  2.8   require, the commissioner must reserve a wider strip. 
  2.9      The commissioner may sell state lands bordering on or 
  2.10  adjacent to the Mississippi river or any lakes, waters, and 
  2.11  watercourses in its bottom lands, except for those lands with 
  2.12  important ecological characteristics, desired or needed by the 
  2.13  United States government for, or in connection with, any project 
  2.14  heretofore authorized by Congress, to improve navigation in the 
  2.15  Mississippi River at public sale according to law, as in other 
  2.16  cases, upon application by an authorized United States 
  2.17  official.  The application must describe the land and include a 
  2.18  map showing its location with reference to adjoining properties. 
  2.19     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 282.018, 
  2.20  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.21     Subdivision 1.  [LAND ON OR ADJACENT TO PUBLIC WATERS.] (a) 
  2.22  All land which is the property of the state as a result of 
  2.23  forfeiture to the state for nonpayment of taxes, regardless of 
  2.24  whether the land is held in trust for taxing districts, and 
  2.25  which borders on or is adjacent to meandered lakes and other 
  2.26  public waters and watercourses, and the live timber growing or 
  2.27  being thereon, is hereby withdrawn from sale except as 
  2.28  hereinafter provided.  The authority having jurisdiction over 
  2.29  the timber on any such lands may sell the timber as otherwise 
  2.30  provided by law for cutting and removal under such conditions as 
  2.31  the authority may prescribe in accordance with approved, 
  2.32  sustained yield forestry practices.  The authority having 
  2.33  jurisdiction over the timber shall reserve such timber and 
  2.34  impose such conditions as the authority deems necessary for the 
  2.35  protection of watersheds, wildlife habitat, shorelines, and 
  2.36  scenic features.  Within the area in Cook, Lake, and St. Louis 
  3.1   counties described in the Act of Congress approved July 10, 1930 
  3.2   (46 Stat. 1020), the timber on tax-forfeited lands shall be 
  3.3   subject to like restrictions as are now imposed by that act on 
  3.4   federal lands.  
  3.5      (b) Of all tax-forfeited land bordering on or adjacent to 
  3.6   meandered lakes and other public waters and watercourses and so 
  3.7   withdrawn from sale, a strip two rods in width, the ordinary 
  3.8   high-water mark being the waterside boundary thereof, and the 
  3.9   land side boundary thereof being a line drawn parallel to the 
  3.10  ordinary high-water mark and two rods distant landward 
  3.11  therefrom, hereby is reserved for public travel thereon, and 
  3.12  whatever the conformation of the shore line or conditions 
  3.13  require, the authority having jurisdiction over such lands shall 
  3.14  reserve a wider strip for such purposes.  
  3.15     (c) Any tract or parcel of land which has 50 feet or less 
  3.16  of waterfront may be sold by the authority having jurisdiction 
  3.17  over the land, in the manner otherwise provided by law for the 
  3.18  sale of such lands, if the authority determines that it is in 
  3.19  the public interest to do so.  If the authority having 
  3.20  jurisdiction over the land is not the commissioner of natural 
  3.21  resources, the land may not be offered for sale without the 
  3.22  prior approval of the commissioner of natural resources. 
  3.23     (d) An undeveloped tract or parcel of land with more than 
  3.24  50 but less than 100 feet of waterfront may be sold by the 
  3.25  authority having jurisdiction over the land only to a local unit 
  3.26  of government for public use or to an adjacent landowner. 
  3.27     (e) Where the authority having jurisdiction over lands 
  3.28  withdrawn from sale under this section is not the commissioner 
  3.29  of natural resources, the authority may submit proposals for 
  3.30  disposition of the lands to the commissioner by August 1 
  3.31  annually.  Before submitting land disposition proposals to the 
  3.32  commissioner, the authority must hold a public meeting that 
  3.33  offers the public an opportunity to comment and make 
  3.34  recommendations on any proposed land disposition.  The 
  3.35  commissioner of natural resources shall evaluate the lands and 
  3.36  their public benefits and make recommendations on the proposed 
  4.1   dispositions to the committees of the legislature with 
  4.2   jurisdiction over natural resources.  The commissioner shall 
  4.3   include any recommendations of the commissioner for disposition 
  4.4   of lands withdrawn from sale under this section over which the 
  4.5   commissioner has jurisdiction.  The commissioner's 
  4.6   recommendations may include a public sale, sale to a private 
  4.7   party, acquisition by the department of natural resources for 
  4.8   public purposes, or a cooperative management agreement with, or 
  4.9   transfer to, another unit of government. 
  4.10     (f) If a proposal for disposition of land under this 
  4.11  subdivision includes the sale of an undeveloped tract or parcel 
  4.12  with 100 or more feet of waterfront, the proposed disposition 
  4.13  shall reserve a 200 foot setback, measured from the high-water 
  4.14  mark, for public use.  This paragraph does not apply to a 
  4.15  proposed conveyance of land to a local unit of government for 
  4.16  public use. 
  4.17     (g) Any proposal to sell tax-forfeited land bordering 
  4.18  public water in a bill introduced in a legislative session may 
  4.19  not be acted upon until the next calendar year. 
  4.20     (h) For purposes of this section, "undeveloped" means 
  4.21  without water or sewer service, roads, buildings, or other 
  4.22  improvements.