Environment committee approves $103.9 million Outdoor Heritage Fund bill

Questions about potential land acquisitions didn’t prevent the House Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee Tuesday from approving nearly $104 million in Outdoor Heritage Fund appropriations targeted to help 33 projects move forward around the state.

Sponsored by Rep. Mark Uglem (R-Champlin), HF710 would appropriate $103.9 million for Fiscal Year 2018 to fund projects recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. It was referred to the House Legacy Funding Finance Committee while the companion – SF262 sponsored by Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria) – awaits action by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee.

Mark Johnson, the council’s executive director, said the bill would help to restore, enhance or protect an estimated 72,769 acres of wildlife habitat, and the appropriations would leverage an additional $68 million in federal, state and private conservation funding.

Created by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in 2008, the Outdoor Heritage Fund may “only be spent to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands, prairies, forest and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife.”

However, Rep. Steve Green (R-Fosston) questioned the amount of land to be acquired under the bill – about 23,000 acres according to Johnson – and whether it was more cost effective to enhance existing property rather than buy more.

“All we’re hearing is we don’t have money to take care of the land we have,” Green said.

Uglem said he agreed fund appropriations have “morphed” away from restoration and enhancements over the years and toward acquisitions.

“I certainly do share the feelings of our outstate legislators and the effect that this has on the tax base,” he said. “Be that as it may, this bill is a very, very good bill for the environment.”

Uglem said HF710 does a lot for anglers and watershed districts, as well as for the Department of Natural Resources and the Board of Soil and Water Resources. Those agencies work with groups such as Pheasants Forever and Nature Conservancy – along with local units of government – to oversee the work being done.

The appropriations in HF710 by subdivision are:

• Prairies - $30.8 million
• Wetlands - $28.8 million
• Habitat - $28.3 million
• Forests - $16.8 million
• Admin - $879,000