Buffers funding included in $500 million omnibus legacy bill

(CORRECTION: The original post said $7.5 million in new money would be to protect aquatic habitat against invasive carp. The provision is an extension of time to spend 2012 funding.)

REFILED MARCH 29, 2017: Although more than $500 million would be appropriated in the omnibus bill approved by the House Legacy Funding Finance Committee Monday, a $22 million funding shift involving the controversial buffer law occupied much of the discussion.

Sponsored by Rep. Bob Gunther (R-Fairmont), the omnibus legacy bill, HF707, would appropriate money from the four funds established by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in 2008 to benefit the state’s natural and cultural resources.

The bill was approved and sent to the House Ways and Means Committee.

As Monday’s meeting began, the committee adopted a delete-all amendment to the bill. As amended, the appropriations in HF707 for the upcoming biennium would be:

Rep. Bob Gunther

• Clean Water Fund – $211.6 million
• Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund – $123.4 million
• Outdoor Heritage Fund – $103.2 million
• Parks and Trails Fund – $89.8 million

The Clean Water Fund appropriations include $22 million for grants to soil and water conservation districts to implement buffer requirements. That money would be used by the state’s 90 SWCDs to help landowners comply with the 2015 law meant to improve water quality.

When that law was enacted, clean water appropriations were used to fund the buffer work done by conservation districts for the first two years, with the expectation that subsequent appropriations would come from the General Fund.

However, the amended bill again relies on the Clean Water Fund rather than a General Fund appropriation to the Board of Water and Soil Resources which would distribute the money as grants. BWSR Assistant Director Angie Becker-Koudelka told the committee that change would “reduce the number of on-the-ground conservation projects, and landowner assistance, significantly.”

Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts Executive Director LeAnn Buck said shifting the money, and designating its use for buffers, would hamper the work they do and send a message the Legislature is not committed to stable, long-term funding for SWCDs.

Gunther said the committee, which he chairs, had not been given any General Fund dollars to spend, and also explained that each fund had been forced to make cuts in order to keep a 5 percent reserve.

“The environment committee could have funded some of the things we couldn’t fund, but you’ve got to go with what you get,” Gunther said.

WATCH Full video from committee discussion on the bill 

The committee also adopted an amendment from Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL-Mpls) that would require entities receiving more than $1 million from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund to create measurable goals and outcomes to increase access and reduce disparities for low-income individuals, those with disabilities or traditionally underserved communities.

The companion to HF707, as amended, SF566, is sponsored by Sen. Carrie Ruud (R-Breezy Point) and awaits action by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee.

What else would HF707 do?

Other appropriations made in the bill for the upcoming biennium include:

• $44.3 million for grants to support Minnesota artists and arts organizations for high-quality arts activities, overcoming barriers to access arts activities and instilling the arts in community and public life;
• $24.5 million to BWSR for grants that protect, restore and enhance drinking water, surface water and groundwater;
• $19 million to develop watershed restoration and protection strategies;
• $17.7 million for grants for parks and trails of regional significance in the seven-county metropolitan area;
• $9.75 million for programs and purposes conducted by the Minnesota Historical Society related to the state’s historical and cultural heritage:
• $8 million for grants to the Minnesota Public Television Association;
• $7.4 million to the Department of Natural Resources for an agreement with Pheasants Forever to acquire land for wildlife management areas;
• $6.8 million to enhance county-level delivery systems for subsurface sewage treatment activities;
• $3.9 million to the DNR for stream flow monitoring; and
• $3.3 million for Minnesota Public Radio.

What’s in the bill?

The following are selected bills that have been incorporated in part or in whole into the omnibus legacy bill:

• HF294 (Urdahl)
• HF647 (Dettmer)
• HF667 (Daniels)
• HF707 (Gunther)
• HF715 (Lesch)
• HF730 (Murphy, M.)
• HF1432 (Gunther)
• HF1464 (Urdahl)
• HF1662 (Wills)
• HF1731 (Torkelson)
• HF1852 (Christensen)
• HF1941 (Anselmo)
• HF2127 (Clark)
• HF2152 (Torkelson)