ST. PAUL, Minn.— On Friday, Governor Mark Dayton signed House File 434 into law, bipartisan legislation authored by Representative Dan Fabian, R-Roseau, that is critical for local transportation projects statewide.
“Thank you to my House and Senate colleagues for the strong bipartisan support of this bill, and thank you to Governor Dayton for signing it into law. This will ensure that critical road projects planned by local officials can begin on-time when construction season begins this spring,” said Rep. Fabian.
The bill allocates $5 million to the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) to create wetland bank service areas that are given as credits to local road authorities to offset “no net loss” requirements for any road projects that impact wetlands. This emergency funding allows BWSR to cover its obligations by purchasing credits from private wetland banks, so locally planned road construction projects can continue on-time when construction season begins later this spring.
Additionally, it also appropriates $1.7 million in grants to the city of Madelia and Watonwan County after a fire devastated the community last year. That funding will go toward disaster recovery, infrastructure, and reimbursement for emergency personnel costs, equipment costs and property tax abatements incurred by public or private entities.