1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the environment; creating the heritage 
  1.3             lakes initiative; proposing coding for new law as 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 103J. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [103J.01] [HERITAGE LAKES INITIATIVE.] 
  1.7      The purpose of the heritage lakes initiative is to sustain 
  1.8   and improve the quality of Minnesota lakes and their supporting 
  1.9   ecosystems and provide multiple environmental, recreational, and 
  1.10  economic benefits for this and future generations. 
  1.11     Therefore, it is the policy of the state to: 
  1.12     (1) conserve lakes and their ecosystems through pollution 
  1.13  prevention and control, sustainable land-use and community 
  1.14  development policies, and citizen-government partnerships; 
  1.15     (2) improve lakes whose water quality and ecological 
  1.16  diversity have been degraded, and, to the greatest extent 
  1.17  possible, enhance and restore environmental, recreational, and 
  1.18  economic benefits through community-based lake and watershed 
  1.19  management; 
  1.20     (3) educate and inform lake users, land managers, and the 
  1.21  general public about how they can sustain and improve lakes and 
  1.22  their ecosystems; and 
  1.23     (4) measure lake quality and monitor trends to evaluate 
  1.24  progress and to implement policies and programs that conserve 
  1.25  lake resources. 
  2.1      Sec. 2.  [103J.02] [MEMBERSHIP.] 
  2.2      The Minnesota heritage lakes resources advisory council has 
  2.3   13 members appointed by the governor.  The council is governed 
  2.4   by section 15.059, except that it does not expire.  Council 
  2.5   membership shall include a representative from each of the 
  2.6   following organizations: 
  2.7      (1) an organization representing statewide environmental 
  2.8   interests; 
  2.9      (2) a statewide association representing the resort and 
  2.10  tourism industry; 
  2.11     (3) a faculty or researcher of a Minnesota research or 
  2.12  higher educational institution; 
  2.13     (4) a representative from agriculture; 
  2.14     (5) a representative of a watershed management 
  2.15  organization; 
  2.16     (6) a statewide association representing lake associations; 
  2.17     (7) a representative of counties; 
  2.18     (8) a representative of municipalities; 
  2.19     (9) a representative of a statewide wildlife conservation 
  2.20  organization; 
  2.21     (10) a representative of sport fishing; 
  2.22     (11) a tribal representative; and 
  2.23     (12) one representative from each of the following:  
  2.24  pollution control agency, department of natural resources, 
  2.25  department of agriculture, and board of water and soil resources.
  2.26     Sec. 3.  [103J.03] [DUTIES.] 
  2.27     The council shall provide a forum to advise the 
  2.28  commissioners and other organizations on issues related to 
  2.29  sustaining and improving the quality of Minnesota lakes and 
  2.30  their supporting ecosystems.  The council shall: 
  2.31     (1) develop and recommend policies to sustain and improve 
  2.32  the quality of Minnesota's lakes; 
  2.33     (2) identify and recommend information and research needs; 
  2.34     (3) advise on the management of data and information bases; 
  2.35     (4) advise on the development and delivery of effective 
  2.36  education and information for lake users, land managers, and the 
  3.1   general public; and 
  3.2      (5) advise on the delivery of planning and technical 
  3.3   assistance.