1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; providing for state 
  1.3             regional park funding; appropriating money; proposing 
  1.4             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 85.  
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [85.0191] [STATE REGIONAL PARK FUNDING.] 
  1.7      Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] The definitions in this 
  1.8   subdivision apply to this section: 
  1.9      (1) "operation and maintenance expenses" means the cost of 
  1.10  providing for the operation and maintenance of waters, lands, 
  1.11  and facilities that are a part of a state regional park, 
  1.12  including, but not limited to, costs of providing fire and 
  1.13  police services, maintenance, forestry, rehabilitation 
  1.14  pertaining to routine care, and administrative overhead of the 
  1.15  state regional park; and 
  1.16     (2) "greater Minnesota regional park" means a park area 
  1.17  outside of the metropolitan area, as defined in section 473.121, 
  1.18  subdivision 2, that: 
  1.19     (i) provides natural resource-based outdoor recreation 
  1.20  activities and facilities; 
  1.21     (ii) serves a population outside the area in which it is 
  1.22  located, is regional in nature, and may encompass more than one 
  1.23  county; and 
  1.24     (iii) is 100 or more acres in size, unless the park has 
  1.25  regionally significant special natural resource features as 
  2.1   determined by the commissioner. 
  2.2      Subd. 2.  [ALLOCATION FORMULA.] (a) Each greater Minnesota 
  2.3   regional park must receive no less than 40 percent of its actual 
  2.4   operation and maintenance expenses to be incurred in its current 
  2.5   calendar year budget, as submitted to the commissioner.  
  2.6      (b) If the available operation and maintenance money 
  2.7   appropriated is less than the total amount determined necessary 
  2.8   under paragraph (a), the greater Minnesota regional park 
  2.9   implementing agencies must share the available money in a 
  2.10  proportional amount determined by the commissioner. 
  2.11     Subd. 3.  [DISTRIBUTION; REPORTING.] Annually, before 
  2.12  August 1, the commissioner of natural resources shall distribute 
  2.13  available grant money to fund the operation and maintenance 
  2.14  expenses of the greater Minnesota regional parks.  The 
  2.15  commissioner shall annually report to the legislature the amount 
  2.16  distributed to each implementing agency of a greater Minnesota 
  2.17  regional park and the estimate of the percentage of operation 
  2.18  and maintenance expenses paid for with appropriated operation 
  2.19  and maintenance money. 
  2.20     Subd. 4.  [CONDITIONS.] A greater Minnesota regional park 
  2.21  receiving grant money for operation and maintenance expenses 
  2.22  must agree: 
  2.23     (1) to sell or promote licenses, passes, or registrations 
  2.24  required to engage in recreational activities appropriate to the 
  2.25  park or the site of the park when a building on the park site is 
  2.26  staffed and open to the public; and 
  2.27     (2) to provide drinking water supplies adequate for the 
  2.28  visitors and recreational users of the park. 
  2.29     Sec. 2.  [85.0192] [REGIONAL PARK GRANTS.] 
  2.30     Each year, the commissioner of finance must transfer from 
  2.31  the general fund to the natural resources fund, for the purpose 
  2.32  of greater Minnesota regional park and trail grants, an amount 
  2.33  equal to the amount received for metropolitan parks and trails 
  2.34  grants under section 297A.94, paragraph (e), clause (3).  The 
  2.35  amount required under this section is appropriated annually from 
  2.36  the general fund.  
  3.1      Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.2      Sections 1 and 2 are effective July 1, 2005.