1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to natural resources; appropriating money for forest and bioeconomy 
1.3 	research.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. APPROPRIATION; FOREST AND BIOECONOMY RESEARCH.
 1.6 	$2,200,000 in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
1.7 	of natural resources for a transfer to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota 
1.8 	for academic and applied research through MnDRIVE at the Natural Resources Research 
1.9 	Institute to develop and demonstrate technologies that enhance the long-term health of 
1.10 	Minnesota's forests, extend the viability of current forest-based industries, and accelerate 
1.11 	emerging industry opportunities. Of this amount, $500,000 is to support development of a 
1.12 	forest optimization tool for Minnesota forest resources, $800,000 is for maintenance and 
1.13 	expansion of the Natural Resource Atlas to statewide coverage, $400,000 is to the Minnesota 
1.14 	Forest Resource Council for continued advancement of biochar development and application 
1.15 	to forest health, and $500,000 is to advance emerging Minnesota technologies to produce 
1.16 	clean syngas to drive high-value markets for forest biomass feedstocks. This is a onetime 
1.17 	appropriation and is available until June 30, 2021.