HF3790 Summary

• Appropriates $58.9 million from the outdoor heritage fund for fiscal years 2010-2011 to support prairie grassland restoration, green corridors, wetlands, forests, habitats, and other land conservation projects across Minnesota.

• Appropriates $1.615 million from the clean water fund for riparian buffer easements, grants to watershed districts, and groundwater monitoring in the 11-county metropolitan area.

• Establishes the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council to oversee project selection, accomplishment plans, and reporting for all appropriations; requires permanent conservation easements or public ownership for funded projects.

• Requires restoration projects to use native Minnesota plant species, follow ecological restoration principles, and comply with state conservation science standards; mandates public access for hunting and fishing on acquired lands during open seasons.

• Creates accountability measures including restoration audits, annual real property reports to the council, signage requirements displaying heritage fund logos, and provisions for land management fee assessments.