STATE OF MINNESOTA TWELFTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-SIXTH SESSION
SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATERSHEDS, WETLANDS, AND BUFFER PROTECTION
MINUTES
Chair Hansen called the meeting to order at 8:10 A.M. on February 15th, 2008 in 500 South of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
HANSEN, Rick (Chair)
ANZELC, Tom
DOTY, Al
GUNTHER, Bob (Vice Chair)
WAGENIUS, Jean (ex-officio)
Members excused:
HOPPE, Joe
PETERSON, Aaron
TINGELSTAD, Kathy
A quorum was present.
Representative Doty moved that the minutes of March 21, 2007; November 6, 2007 and December 19, 2007 be approved.
THE MOTION PREVAILED AND THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
John Jaschke, Executive Director, Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR), presented an overview of the Board's 2008 bonding requests.
HF2611 Juhnke, Kandiyohi County; Grass Lake restoration funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
John Jaschke explained HF2611.
Kevin Lines, BWSR Easements Section Manager, testified on the RIM Reserve program.
Representative Magnus presented HFXXXX (Revisor 08-5362), appropriating money for floodplain management in the Minnesota River Basin; authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds.
HF471 Morrow, Lake Titlow watershed improvements funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
Representative Gunther moved HF471 for possible inclusion in the committee's omnibus bill.
Representative Morrow presented HF471.
Representative Morrow proposed an oral amendment to his bill as follows: line 1.7, delete "$150,000" and insert "$175,000"; line 1.15, delete "$325,000" and insert "$499,000"; delete lines 2.1 through 2.8.
Representative Anzelc moved the oral amendment.
THE MOTION PREVAILED AND THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED.
Representative Gunther renewed his motion to include the bill in the committee's bonding recommendations.
Chair Hansen laid the bill over for possible inclusion.
HF2738 Beard, Lower Minnesota Watershed District dredge material site projects funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
Representative Gunther moved HF2738 for possible inclusion.
Representative Beard presented HF2738.
Len Kremer, Lower Minnesota Watershed District manager, testified in favor.
Representative Gunther renewed his motion.
The bill was laid over for possible inclusion.
Representative Scalze presented Sec. 5, Renewable Energy, of Revisor 08-5355.
Testifying in favor:
Don Arnosti of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Clean Energy Minnesota, and Minnesota Environmental Partnership.
Paul Kramer, President of Koda Energy.
Ron Bowen of Prairie Restorations
Joe Schaffer of Minnesota Native Landscapes, Inc and RIM-CE.
John Garry of Minnesota Environmental Partners and RIM-CE.
Representative Gunther assumed the gavel at 9:59 A.M.
HF1786 Hansen, Carbon sequestration demonstration project funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
Representative Hansen moved HF1786 for possible inclusion.
Representative Hansen presented HF1786.
Representative Hansen renewed his motion.
HF1786 was laid over for possible inclusion.
HF2731 Hansen, Water and Soil Resources board statewide projects funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
Representative Hansen moved HF2731.
Representative Hansen presented HF2731 and announced the bill would become the omnibus vehicle for the committee's bonding recommendations.
Testifying in favor:
Tim Koehler, Assistant State Conservationist with USDA-NRCS
Judy Erickson, Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Ron Harnack, Red River Watershed Management Board
The bill was laid over.
The meeting adjourned at 10:29 A.M.
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REP. RICK HANSEN, CHAIR
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Melissa Hysing, Committee Legislative Assistant