HF 3249 Summary

• Designates wild rice (genus zizania) as the official state grain of Minnesota and authorizes displaying a photograph of wild rice in the Secretary of State's office.

• Establishes the state ownership of natural lake and river wild rice growing in public waters and prohibits persons from acquiring property interests in wild rice without authorization.

• Modifies wild rice harvesting regulations by requiring persons under 18 to have a license to harvest (with exceptions), establishing licensing requirements for wild rice dealers, and allowing enrolled Minnesota Chippewa tribal members to harvest without state licenses on designated tribal trust fund lakes and bordering reservation lands.

• Creates a natural lake and river wild rice management account in the game and fish fund to receive revenues from wild rice license sales and allocates money for management of designated public waters to improve wild rice production.

• Changes watercraft restrictions for wild rice harvesting from a maximum width of 36 inches to 38 inches, and modifies harvest hours from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.