1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to natural resources; authorizing a land exchange in the sustainable 
1.3 	forest incentive program.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. SUSTAINABLE FOREST INCENTIVE ACT; LAND EXCHANGE.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Authorization; requirements. (a) The commissioner of revenue 
1.7 	shall allow a claimant under the Sustainable Forest Incentive Act to remove parcels from 
1.8 	the sustainable forest incentive program without penalty and enroll replacement parcels 
1.9 	according to the following conditions and procedures:
1.10 	(1) the claimant has at least 50,000 acres currently enrolled in the program;
1.11 	(2) the claimant agrees to have at least 5,000 acres but not more than 8,000 acres 
1.12 	removed from the program for use in connection with a proposed steel mill in Itasca 
1.13 	County referenced in Laws 1999, chapter 240, article 1, section 8, subdivision 3; and
1.14 	(3) the claimant makes application on or before December 31, 2010, under this 
1.15 	section and the Sustainable Forest Incentive Act to remove from the program and to 
1.16 	simultaneously add to the program parcels of like value.
1.17 	(b) The application must be accompanied by a cover letter that makes reference to 
1.18 	this section and identifies the parcels to be removed. For purposes of incentive payments 
1.19 	and subsequent removals from the program, the parcels added to the program under the 
1.20 	exchange will be treated as if they were included on the claimant's original application for 
1.21 	the parcels removed from the program under the exchange. Within 90 days of approving 
1.22 	the application under this section, the commissioner shall execute and mail to the claimant 
1.23 	a document in recordable form that releases the removed parcels from the covenant 
1.24 	required for parcels enrolled under the Sustainable Forest Incentive Act.
2.1 		Subd. 2.Exchange of tax-forfeited land; Itasca County. (a) Title examination 
2.2 	and approval of the land described in paragraph (b) shall be undertaken as a condition 
2.3 	of exchange of the land for class B land and shall be governed by this subdivision and 
2.4 	Minnesota Statutes, section 94.344, subdivisions 9 and 10. Notwithstanding the evidence 
2.5 	of title requirements in Minnesota Statutes, section 94.344, subdivisions 9 and 10, the 
2.6 	county attorney shall examine one or more title reports or title insurance commitments 
2.7 	prepared or underwritten by a title insurer licensed to conduct title insurance business in 
2.8 	this state, regardless of whether abstracts were created or updated in the preparation of 
2.9 	the title reports or commitments. The opinion of the county attorney and approval by the 
2.10 	attorney general shall be based on those title reports or commitments.
2.11 	(b) The land subject to this subdivision is located in Itasca County and is described 
2.12 	as:
2.13 	(1) Sections 3, 4, 7, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 28, and 29, Township 
2.14 	56 North, Range 22 West;
2.15 	(2) Sections 3, 4, 9, 10, 13, and 14, Township 56 North, Range 23 West;
2.16 	(3) Section 30, Township 57 North, Range 22 West; and
2.17 	(4) Sections 25, 26, 34, 35, and 36, Township 57 North, Range 23 West.

2.18 	Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 2.19 	Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.