Minnesota Stories:
Legacy Amendment Creates Jobs
Over $300 million in funds for clean water, habitat protection and parks and trails will go to work beginning July 1st.
Going down to the final hours of the session, lawmakers finally reached agreement on the funding bill under the watchful eye of citizen advocates in the Capitol. The new money was made available by voter approval November 4, 2008 through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment to the state constitution.
“Score a big win for Minnesotans and our Great Outdoors,” said Paul Austin, Conservation Minnesota’s Executive Director.
“It took longer than it needed to, but in the end all Minnesotans who care about our future have something to celebrate. The new funding will help clean up our water, protect habitat, expand recreation opportunities and create jobs.”
The funds include:
- $151 million for clean water projects, including testing of all Minnesota waters in the next 10 years and implementation of clean-up programs. A portion of the funds will be used to identify failing septic systems and help homeowners replace them.
- $87.5 million to protect land and wildlife habitat, including the state’s largest conservation easement of 187,000 acres for the Upper Mississippi Forest. There is $63.5 million set aside for further land and wildlife habitat projects to be identified and authorized in 2011.
- $65 million to maintain and operate Minnesota’s state, regional and metro parks.
The process leading to final approval of the funds was suspenseful. The State House and Senate passed different versions of the Legacy funding bill and remained at odds until the evening of May 18, when a conference committee finally approved a compromise.
Citizen advocates for the Legacy Amendment crowded Capitol halls and the committee meeting room in the final days, making it clear that legislative action was needed when some lawmakers speculated that they might not get the job done until next year.
“We appreciate the hard work of the many citizens and legislators who worked tirelessly on this first Legacy funding bill,” said Austin. “Most of all, we appreciate the 1.6 million voters who supported the Legacy Amendment and wouldn’t have tolerated any further delay in the work of protecting our natural resources and the health of Minnesota families.”
Conservation Minnesota will continue to post commentary, analyses and links on the Amendment legislation and specific funded projects in days to come at
www.TheAmendment.org.
Projects Funded by the Legacy Amendment in 2010-2011
$2.41 million to protect community drinking water sources.
$36 million to assure permanent conservation of 190,000 acres of forest habitat in northern Minnesota.
$5.75 million to expand state aquatic management areas for hunting and fishing.
Over $27 million for the Metro Park System.
Over $27 million for state parks, recreation areas and trails, including
- restoration of 500 acres of land,
- invasive species removal on 5,000 acres,
- and restoring and managing native prairies and woodlands along at least six percent of the developed miles of state trails.
Be the first to comment on this page. Post a Comment
