SF2449 - Omnibus Lands Bill Summary

• Merges Soudan Underground Mine State Park into Lake Vermilion State Park, creating Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park in St. Louis County.

• Modifies procedures for disposing of tillable land in Memorial Hardwood Forest by removing requirement for commissioner of administration to conduct sales and redirecting revenue to the natural resources fund instead of the general fund.

• Authorizes private and public sales of tax-forfeited lands bordering public waters in multiple counties (Becker, Beltrami, Carver, Chisago, Lake, Crow Wing, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Itasca, Lake of the Woods, Martin, St. Louis, and Wadena) under exemptions to standard sale requirements.

• Allows Brainerd to purchase the Brainerd Dam on the Mississippi River in Crow Wing County and authorizes commissioner of natural resources to exchange riparian land in Kanabec County and add land to Snake River State Forest.

• Removes requirement for approval of city/town forest plans by director of lands and forestry, and establishes annual county payments of 1.5 percent of appraised land value for the merged Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park.