Purpose

• Extend and clarify funding related to natural resources, with a focus on expanding Minnesota’s wild elk population and range through a grant to the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The bill also reorganizes and adds various one-time and ongoing appropriations across wildlife, habitat, education, and related programs.

Main Provisions and What the Bill Seeks to Accomplish

• Elk expansion and co-management

  • Provides a onetime grant to the Fond du Lac Band to expand Minnesota’s elk population and range, including consideration of moving elk from northwest Minnesota to the Fond du Lac State Forest and Fond du Lac Reservation area. Requires thorough planning with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on capture, handling, cervid disease management, and post-release state–Tribal elk co-management plans.
  • Includes a dedicated portion (about 300,000) for the department to support these purposes. The project must include disease management protocols and coordination with state and Tribal authorities.

• Chronic wasting disease (CWD) management

  • Funds statewide response and management of CWD from general funds and the game and fish fund, with annual reporting by the Commissioner and the Board of Animal Health to legislative chairs and ranking minority members.
  • Separately funds inspections, investigations, and enforcement tied to the whitetailed deer farm program and CWD management.

• Deer management and related programs

  • Funds for the deer management account to support related activities.
  • Onetime and ongoing funding for other deer-related activities and enforcement.

• Broadband, land and water resources

  • Onetime funding to increase capacity for broadband utility licensing on state lands and public waters.

• Habitat, climate, and wildlife education

  • Onetime funding to enhance prairies, grasslands, and wetlands on state wildlife management areas to sequester carbon and boost climate resiliency.
  • Grants for natural-resource-based education and recreation programs serving youth, with priority to projects benefiting underserved communities; includes grant administration.

• Wildlife management and habitat funding tools

  • Transfers from the Critical Habitat Private Sector Matching Account to the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) fund for wildlife management areas acquisition, restoration, and enhancement.

• Shooting sports and outdoor recreation facilities

  • Onetime funding for shooting sports facility grants (including archery facilities) with a nonstate match requirement; available through 2028.

• Other wildlife and environmental programs

  • Grants for enhanced fish stocking of certain species (white bass and crappies) in metropolitan lakes with underserved communities.
  • Grants to support native fish conservation and classification, native fish reports, and related activities (one-time funding).
  • Funding for neonicotinoid exposure research on game species (e.g., deer, prairie chicken) to understand effects on reproduction and survival.
  • Planning and contingencies for chronic wasting disease at the University of Minnesota through the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (one-time grant for contingency plans).
  • Non-English-speaking communities outreach and education programs to improve access and information, with specified funding to the Pollution Control Agency and Board of Water and Soil Resources; potential expansion of the Fishing in the Neighborhood program for underserved audiences.

• Reporting and oversight

  • Annual reporting requirements to legislative committees regarding CWD activities, elk reintroduction efforts, and related programs.

• Other targeted appropriations

  • Various smaller one-time appropriations for native fish work, feral pigs and mink reporting, public meetings, and related activities.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Extends and supplements current appropriations by making several funds available for new purposes (e.g., elk reintroduction, CWD management, habitat restoration, education, and outreach), often as one-time appropriations with specified sunset dates.
• Adds specific coordination requirements with tribal authorities (Fond du Lac Band) for elk reintroduction and post-release co-management plans.
• Allows use of a portion of heritage enhancement and game and fish funds for new or expanded activities, including hunter/angler recruitment and retention, and shooting sports facility grants with nonstate matching requirements.
• Enables transfers from the Critical Habitat Private Sector Matching Account to the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) fund for wildlife management areas acquisition, restoration, and enhancement.
• Expands reporting obligations to legislative chairs and ranking minority members on CWD activities and deer health programs.

Funding and Timeline Highlights

• Most provisions are one-time appropriations with set end dates (e.g., 2026–2029) and some ongoing base adjustments starting in fiscal year 2026.
• Several items specify matching requirements (nonstate match for shooting sports facility grants) and priority considerations for underserved communities.
• Some appropriations are tied to specific accounts (e.g., Heritage Enhancement Account, Game and Fish Fund, General Fund, Deer Management Account) and include requirements for reporting and oversight.

Terminology and Key Concepts (explicit terms used or implied)

• appropriations (one-time and ongoing)
• Heritage Enhancement Account
• Game and Fish Fund
• General Fund
• Deer Management Account
• chronic wasting disease (CWD)
• cervid disease management
• Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
• elk reintroduction / elk population expansion
• post-release state–Tribal elk co-management plans
• Minnesota Statutes (various sections, including 297A.94 and 97A.075)
• whitetailed deer farm program
• broadband utility licensing (state lands and public waters)
• prairie and grassland restoration; wetlands restoration; climate resiliency
• natural-resource-based education and recreation programs (youth-focused)
• Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) fund
• Critical Habitat Private Sector Matching Account
• shooting sports facility grants; archery facilities
• Fishing in the Neighborhood program
• native fish conservation and classification
• neonicotinoid exposure research
• Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRP)
• Pollution Control Agency (PCA)
• Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR)
• Fishing in the Neighborhood program outreach
• public meetings on feral pigs and mink

Relevant Terms - elk reintroduction - Fond du Lac Band - chronic wasting disease - deer management - wildlife management areas - Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) fund - Critical Habitat Private Sector Matching Account - Heritage Enhancement Account - Game and Fish Fund - broad-band licensing on state lands - prairie/wetland restoration - youth outreach and education - nonnative English-speaking communities outreach - shooting sports facility grants - archery facilities - neonicotinoids - native fish conservation - public meetings - Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy - Pollution Control Agency - Board of Water and Soil Resources - Minnesota Statutes sections referenced (e.g., 297A.94, 97A.075, 84.976)