Signed by Governor Mark Dayton

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that appropriates funds for the Departments of Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources for fiscal years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017.

Highlights:

• Appropriates $41.49 million to the Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 2015-2016 and $45.54 million for fiscal year 2016-2017 (Art. 1).

• Requires an individual who owns property adjacent to a public body of water identified on a buffer protection map to maintain the more restrictive of the following buffers to protect the state’s water resources, effective November 1, 2017 (Art. 4):
• A buffer that is 50-foot average width, 30-foot minimum width, and consists of continuous perennially rooted vegetation; or
• A buffer that meets the state shoreland standards and criteria adopted by the Commissioner of Natural Resources.

• Requires an individual who owns property adjacent to a public drainage system identified on a buffer protection map to maintain a 16.5-foot minimum width continuous buffer of perennially rooted vegetation on ditches within the benefited area of the system, effective November 1, 2018 (Art. 4).

• Specifies that $1.2 million each year is for perennially vegetated riparian buffers, erosion control, water retention and treatment, and other conservation practices (Art. 3).

Full Bill Text