Committee approves more flexible assessments for certain trails

Expediting recreational trail construction is the goal of a bill approved Thursday by the House Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee.

Sponsored by Rep. Dale Lueck (R-Aitkin), HF3557 would require the Environmental Quality Board to exempt certain trails from mandatory environmental assessment worksheet requirements. The exemption would apply to the construction, extension or modification of recreational trails that are built on certain roads and mining areas, provided they do not exceed 100 miles.

“[The bill] gives us more flexibility so we’re not grinding up resource dollars on administrative items when we could be actually putting down trails,” Lueck said.

Both the Environmental Quality Board and the Department of Natural Resources helped craft the bill.

WATCH Committee discussion of the bill

“For the record, the DNR does support environmental review,” said Bob Meier, DNR assistant commissioner. “It needs to be done at the right place at the right time. This helps us clarify where that is and how that can be streamlined and work more effectively.”

The bill was referred to the House Government Operations and Elections Policy Committee. It has no Senate companion.