1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to highways; allowing appeal of decision by 
  1.3             county board to deny request to designate a natural 
  1.4             preservation route; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, 
  1.5             section 162.021, subdivision 5. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 162.021, 
  1.8   subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 5.  [COUNTY DETERMINATION; APPEAL; DESIGNATION.] (a) 
  1.10  The commissioner may designate a county state-aid highway as a 
  1.11  natural preservation route ~~only~~ on petition (1) of the county 
  1.12  board of the county having jurisdiction over the road or (2) of 
  1.13  a person requesting the designation, appealing the decision of 
  1.14  the county board to deny the requested designation.  
  1.15     (b) Within 60 days after a county board receives a written 
  1.16  request to designate a county state-aid highway as a natural 
  1.17  preservation route, the county board shall act on the request. 
  1.18     ~~(b)~~ (c) The commissioner shall appoint an advisory 
  1.19  committee for each construction district consisting of seven 
  1.20  members:  one member of the department of natural resources, one 
  1.21  county commissioner, one county highway engineer, one 
  1.22  representative of a recognized environmental organization, and 
  1.23  three members of the public.  The commissioner shall refer each 
  1.24  petition received under this subdivision to the appropriate 
  1.25  advisory committee.  The advisory committee shall consider the 
  2.1   petition for designation and make a recommendation to the 
  2.2   commissioner.  Following receipt of the committee's 
  2.3   recommendation, the commissioner may designate the highway as a 
  2.4   natural preservation route.