Plans approved for conservation projects
The Minnesota Senate Environment Committee Thursday approved plans for $99.92 million of Legacy Amendment money for conservation projects.
Projects include a 2,000-acre land purchase along the Mississippi River in Crow Wing County, and electric fish barriers to deter Asian carp, at a cost of $5.5 million.
Many of the projects had been on the drawing board for years, said Senate Environment Committee Chair Bill Ingebrigtsen.
"We're able to do these projects a lot sooner now, thanks to the Minnesota voters in 2008," he said.
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The purchase will bring the state no extra tax burden through "PILT," or payment-in-lieu-of-taxes.
"And actually that's a county and state project. The money used will come from the outdoor heritage committee. The land is going to be purchased," Ingebrigtsen said. "The land will be turned over to the county, donated back to the county of Crow Wing, and there will be no PILT obligation, they will do the full management of it."
The bill requires that land purchased with outdoor heritage funds must be open to hunting and fishing.
EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the amount of the money allocated in the bill. The current version is correct.