1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to natural resources; providing for land and water protection on off-road 
1.3 	vehicle touring routes; requiring a report;proposing coding for new law in 
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 84.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [84.8046] PROTECTION MEASURES FOR LAND AND WATER ON 
1.7 	RECREATIONAL MOTORIZED TOURING ROUTES.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. For purposes of this section:
1.9 	(1) "commissioner" means the commissioner of natural resources; and
1.10 	(2) "touring route" means a recreational route designated and marked by the commissioner 
1.11 	for use mainly by highway-licensed vehicles when the route consists of state or national 
1.12 	forest roads or township, county, or state roads that feature dirt, gravel, or other rugged 
1.13 	surfaces.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Unpaved roads crossing waters. (a) A touring route must not include:
1.15 	(1) an unpaved road that crosses waters designated as exceptional use waters, outstanding 
1.16 	resource value waters, or trout streams;
1.17 	(2) a United States Forest Service operational maintenance level 2 road that crosses 
1.18 	waters or an equivalent state, county, or township road that crosses waters; or
1.19 	(3) an unpaved road that crosses waters designated as impaired.
1.20 	(b) If waters that are crossed by an unpaved road of a touring route are designated as 
1.21 	impaired after the touring route is designated, the commissioner must remove the unpaved 
2.1 	road from the touring route within 60 days after the waters are designated as impaired. Signs 
2.2 	for the touring route must be removed along the portions of the route removed under this 
2.3 	paragraph, and any website showing the route must be updated to reflect the removal.
2.4 		Subd. 3.Noxious weeds. A touring route must not be designated on land identified by 
2.5 	the commissioner of agriculture or a county as containing prohibited noxious weeds, restricted 
2.6 	noxious weeds, or county noxious weeds under sections 18.76 to 18.91.
2.7 		Subd. 4.Buffers. A touring route must maintain a buffer of at least 300 feet from a 
2.8 	road's edge to a water basin or wetland.
2.9 		Subd. 5.Local approval. Before a road is included in a touring route, the commissioner 
2.10 	must obtain approval from the counties and townships in which the road is located and from 
2.11 	the road authority that has jurisdiction over the road.