ST. PAUL – State Rep. Steve Green, R-Fosston, said he has major concerns with unelected watershed districts exerting eminent domain for public land acquisitions and he has authored H.F. 368 to end this practice.
“It’s bad enough that our unelected watershed districts have taxing authority, but it is completely out of line for them to be imposing eminent domain to seize property from landowners,” Green said. “People on our watershed boards are appointed and are not formally accountable to the citizens of their respective counties. Elected officials on county boards should be making these decisions so the people have a voice.”
Green said this subject has come to a head in Clay County, where the Wild Rice Watershed District is preparing to levy eminent domain powers against a local property owner to acquire land for its Goose Prairie WMA project.
“The Wild Rice watershed has its eyes on land they want for a project but has been unable to come to terms with the property owner, so they’re just going to go take it from him,” Green said. “The watersheds have a heavy bargaining chip with eminent domain, where they can offer what they want – fair or not – and if the landowner doesn’t play ball, they can just take a property.
“My bill would provide sorely needed transparency and accountability on this issue. People can just get steamrolled and it’s not right. There’s one glaring example of this happening now in our region, but it’s a bigger issue than that. We need to fix this problem, and my bill would help.”
Green said he is awaiting a hearing on his bill. Sen. Paul Utke, R-Park Rapids, has authored companion legislation.
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