1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to natural resources; appropriating money from the parks and trails fund; 
1.3 	extending availability of certain grants; amending Laws 2023, chapter 40, article 
1.4 	3, sections 2, subdivision 1; 3; 4.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Laws 2023, chapter 40, article 3, section 2, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

1.81.7
	Subdivision 1.Total Appropriation
 	$
	72,155,000
	$
	64,455,000
70,615,000
	
1.9 	The amounts that may be spent for each 
1.10 	purpose are specified in the following sections.

1.11 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

1.12 	Sec. 2. Laws 2023, chapter 40, article 3, section 3, is amended to read:

1.13
1.14	Sec. 3. DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL 
RESOURCES
 	$
	43,580,000
	$
	38,931,000
42,627,000
	
1.15 	(a) $28,572,000 the first year and $25,524,000
1.16 	$27,988,000 the second year are for state 
1.17 	parks, recreation areas, and trails to:
1.18 	(1) connect people to the outdoors;
1.19 	(2) acquire land and create opportunities;
1.20 	(3) maintain existing holdings; and
2.1 	(4) improve cooperation by coordinating with 
2.2 	partners to implement the 25-year long-range 
2.3 	parks and trails legacy plan.
2.4 	(b) The commissioner may spend money 
2.5 	appropriated under paragraph (a) on I Can! 
2.6 	programs, including but not limited to 
2.7 	programs designed to provide underserved 
2.8 	youth and youth who identify as lesbian, gay, 
2.9 	bisexual, transgender, and queer the 
2.10 	opportunity to experience the outdoors with 
2.11 	similar peers.
2.12 	(c) $14,286,000 the first year and $12,762,000
2.13 	$13,994,000 the second year are for grants for 
2.14 	parks and trails of regional significance 
2.15 	outside the seven-county metropolitan area 
2.16 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 85.535. The 
2.17 	grants awarded under this paragraph must be 
2.18 	based on the lists of recommended projects 
2.19 	submitted to the legislative committees under 
2.20 	Minnesota Statutes, section 85.536, 
2.21 	subdivision 10, from the Greater Minnesota 
2.22 	Regional Parks and Trails Commission 
2.23 	established under Minnesota Statutes, section 
2.24 	85.536. Grants funded under this paragraph 
2.25 	must support parks and trails of regional or 
2.26 	statewide significance that meet the applicable 
2.27 	definitions and criteria for regional parks and 
2.28 	trails contained in the Greater Minnesota 
2.29 	Regional Parks and Trails Strategic Plan
2.30 	adopted by the Greater Minnesota Regional 
2.31 	Parks and Trails Commission on April 22, 
2.32 	2015. Grant recipients identified under this 
2.33 	paragraph must submit a grant application to 
2.34 	the commissioner of natural resources. Up to 
2.35 	2.5 percent of the appropriation may be used 
3.1 	by the commissioner for the actual cost of 
3.2 	issuing and monitoring the grants for the 
3.3 	commission. Of the amount appropriated, 
3.4 	$475,000 the first year and $475,000 the 
3.5 	second year are for the Greater Minnesota 
3.6 	Regional Parks and Trails Commission to 
3.7 	carry out its duties under Minnesota Statutes, 
3.8 	section 85.536, including the continued 
3.9 	development of a statewide system plan for 
3.10 	regional parks and trails outside the 
3.11 	seven-county metropolitan area.
3.12 	(d) By January 15, 2024, the Greater 
3.13 	Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails 
3.14 	Commission must submit a list of projects that 
3.15 	contains the commission's recommendations 
3.16 	for funding from the parks and trails fund for 
3.17 	fiscal year 2025 to the chairs and ranking 
3.18 	minority members of the legislative 
3.19 	committees and divisions with jurisdiction 
3.20 	over environment and natural resources and 
3.21 	the parks and trails fund.
3.22 	(e) By January 15, 2024, the Greater 
3.23 	Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails 
3.24 	Commission must submit a report that contains 
3.25 	the commission's criteria for funding from the 
3.26 	parks and trails fund, including the criteria 
3.27 	used to determine if a park or trail is of 
3.28 	regional significance, to the chairs and ranking 
3.29 	minority members of the legislative 
3.30 	committees and divisions with jurisdiction 
3.31 	over environment and natural resources and 
3.32 	the parks and trails fund.
3.33 	(f) $722,000 the first year and $645,000 the 
3.34 	second year are for coordination and projects 
3.35 	between the department, the Metropolitan 
4.1 	Council, and the Greater Minnesota Regional 
4.2 	Parks and Trails Commission; enhanced 
4.3 	web-based information for park and trail users; 
4.4 	and support of activities of the Parks and 
4.5 	Trails Legacy Advisory Committee.
4.6 	(g) The commissioner must contract for 
4.7 	services with Conservation Corps Minnesota 
4.8 	for restoration, maintenance, and other 
4.9 	activities under this section for at least 
4.10 	$850,000 the first year and $850,000 the 
4.11 	second year.
4.12 	(h) Grant recipients of an appropriation under 
4.13 	this section must give consideration to 
4.14 	contracting with Conservation Corps 
4.15 	Minnesota for restoration, maintenance, and 
4.16 	other activities.
4.17 	(i) In addition to the requirements under 
4.18 	paragraph (g), the commissioner should work 
4.19 	to provide other opportunities that encourage 
4.20 	a diversity of students to pursue careers in 
4.21 	environment and natural resources when 
4.22 	implementing appropriations in this section.

4.23 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

4.24 	Sec. 3. Laws 2023, chapter 40, article 3, section 4, is amended to read:

4.264.25
	Sec. 4. METROPOLITAN COUNCIL
 	$
	28,572,000
	$
	25,524,000
27,988,000
	
4.27 	(a) $28,572,000 the first year and $25,524,000
4.28 	$27,988,000 the second year are for 
4.29 	distribution according to Minnesota Statutes, 
4.30 	section 85.53, subdivision 3.
4.31 	(b) Money appropriated under this section and 
4.32 	distributed to implementing agencies must be 
4.33 	used only to fund the list of projects approved 
5.1 	by the elected representatives of each of the 
5.2 	metropolitan parks implementing agencies. 
5.3 	Projects funded by the money appropriated 
5.4 	under this section must be substantially 
5.5 	consistent with the project descriptions and 
5.6 	dollar amounts approved by each elected body. 
5.7 	Any money remaining after completing the 
5.8 	listed projects may be spent by the 
5.9 	implementing agencies on projects to support 
5.10 	parks and trails.
5.11 	(c) Grant agreements entered into by the 
5.12 	Metropolitan Council and recipients of money 
5.13 	appropriated under this section must ensure 
5.14 	that the money is used to supplement and not 
5.15 	substitute for traditional sources of funding.
5.16 	(d) The implementing agencies receiving 
5.17 	appropriations under this section must give 
5.18 	consideration to contracting with Conservation 
5.19 	Corps Minnesota for restoration, maintenance, 
5.20 	and other activities.

5.21 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

5.22 	Sec. 4. PARKS AND TRAILS FUND APPROPRIATION EXTENSIONS.
 5.23 		Subdivision 1.Bluffs Traverse Trail; city of Winona. The availability of the grant to 
5.24 	the city of Winona for the Bluffs Traverse Trail project from the parks and trails fund 
5.25 	appropriation under Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 1, article 3, section 3, paragraph 
5.26 	(b), is extended to June 30, 2026.
5.27 		Subd. 2.Jay C. Hormel Nature Center; city of Austin. The availability of the grant 
5.28 	to the city of Austin for the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center project from the parks and trails 
5.29 	fund appropriation under Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 1, article 3, section 3, 
5.30 	paragraph (b), is extended to June 30, 2027.
5.31 		Subd. 3.Hole in the Mountain Park; Lincoln County. The availability of the grant to 
5.32 	Lincoln County for the Hole in the Mountain Park project from the parks and trails fund 
6.1 	appropriation under Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 1, article 3, section 3, paragraph 
6.2 	(b), is extended to June 30, 2027.
6.3 		Subd. 4.Alexander Ramsey Park; city of Redwood Falls. The availability of the grant 
6.4 	to the city of Redwood Falls for the Alexander Ramsey Park project from the parks and 
6.5 	trails fund appropriation under Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 1, article 3, section 
6.6 	3, paragraph (b), is extended to June 30, 2027.