Bill Summary: SF2098

• Appropriates $109.32 million from the outdoor heritage fund for fiscal year 2015 to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands, prairies, forests, and wildlife habitats across Minnesota.

• Allocates funds across five major categories: Prairies ($37.435 million), Forests ($16.1 million), Wetlands ($24.01 million), Habitats ($30.89 million), and Administration ($885,000).

• Prohibits outdoor heritage fund money from being used to acquire property through eminent domain or property previously acquired by eminent domain.

• Modifies a previous fiscal year 2015 parks and trails fund appropriation to Carver County to allow use of funds for park programming, roads, parking, and paving at Lake Minnewashta Regional Park.

• Requires all land acquisitions and projects to be tracked in accomplishment plans approved by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, with funds available through June 30, 2017 (extended to 2018 for real property acquisitions with binding agreements by 2017).