1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; modifying the 
  1.3             provisions of the youth corps advisory committee; 
  1.4             authorizing the commissioner to make certain contracts 
  1.5             and grants; making conservation corps crew services 
  1.6             available for natural resources projects; changing the 
  1.7             method of allocation of conservation corps crew 
  1.8             services; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, sections 
  1.9             84.0887, subdivision 4, and by adding a subdivision; 
  1.10            and 84.99. 
  1.11  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.12     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 84.0887, 
  1.13  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.14     Subd. 4.  [ADVISORY COMMITTEE.] The commissioner shall 
  1.15  establish a youth corps advisory committee with broad state 
  1.16  representation including youth.  The committee is exempt from 
  1.17  the provisions of section 15.059, subdivision 5, and does not 
  1.18  expire. 
  1.19     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 84.0887, is 
  1.20  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.21     Subd. 9.  [CONTRACTS; GRANTS.] The commissioner of natural 
  1.22  resources may contract with and make grants to nonprofit 
  1.23  agencies to assist in carrying out the purposes, plans, and 
  1.24  programs of the office of youth programs, Minnesota conservation 
  1.25  corps. 
  1.26     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 84.99, is amended 
  1.27  to read: 
  1.28     84.99 [WORK CREWS; ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.] 
  2.1      The commissioner of natural resources is authorized to 
  2.2   provide work crews Minnesota conservation corps crew services to 
  2.3   the 14 forested counties that operate land departments under 
  2.4   chapter 282.  Any money appropriated for these crews must be 
  2.5   used for forestry-related programs using participants of the 
  2.6   Minnesota conservation corps.  Crews shall work on natural 
  2.7   resources projects including, but not limited to, forestry 
  2.8   projects. 
  2.9      The money must be apportioned to the counties in the 
  2.10  proportion that each county's managed commercial forest land is 
  2.11  to the managed commercial forest land in all 14 counties.  If a 
  2.12  county does not use all of its share, the commissioner shall 
  2.13  reallocate the balance to those of the 14 counties whose 
  2.14  Minnesota conservation corps program was not fully supported by 
  2.15  the first allocation for either year.  The reallocation must be 
  2.16  based on the proportion that commercial forest lands in each 
  2.17  county to receive the reallocated money is to the managed 
  2.18  commercial forest land in all of the counties receiving a 
  2.19  reallocation. 
  2.20     All participating counties will be eligible to receive a 
  2.21  minimum of four weeks of three-person crew service.  In 
  2.22  determining the allocation of additional crew services, the 
  2.23  commissioner will apportion the remaining crew time to 
  2.24  participating counties in the proportion of the managed 
  2.25  commercial forest land in each participating county to the total 
  2.26  managed commercial forest land in all participating counties.  
  2.27  Participating counties shall submit a two-year work plan to the 
  2.28  commissioner in the first year of the biennium.  The plan must 
  2.29  describe proposed natural resources projects having demonstrable 
  2.30  results and long-term benefits.  Eligible counties shall notify 
  2.31  the commissioner of their intention to participate by April 1 of 
  2.32  each odd-numbered year.  Crew time not fully utilized by a 
  2.33  participating county in the first year of the biennium will be 
  2.34  available to that participating county in the second year of the 
  2.35  biennium. 
  2.36     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.1      This act is effective July 1, 1997.