Today, the Minnesota Senate passed a comprehensive bill on environment and natural resources to support Minnesota’s most important environmental priorities. The bill S.F. 4062, supports recycling, assists in the growth of Minnesota’s tourism industry, as well as commonsense regulatory reform.
Minnesotans are blessed to live in a state filled with amazing natural resources. Eichorn said.This legislation promotes the Northern Minnesota economy and uses and protects our natural resources. We hold bureaucrats to account for their regulations, and improve regulatory transparency. This bill is a win-win for the environment, economy, and state.
Some notable policy provisions include the following:
- Prohibition on the DNR to impose or obligate unadopted regulations without first being adopted under Minnesota statutes
- To improve coordination, effectiveness, transparency and accountability in the environmental review and permit process for metallic mining projects, a Mining Dashboard was established.
- Score Grants will be funded more to help counties with plastic and solid waste removal costs in order to keep our rivers and lakes clean.
- Increased funding for Shooting Range Improvement Grants to improve outdoor shooting range capacity for youth shooters as well as the general public
- Tourism funding should be increased to ensure revenue-generating events throughout the state in order to support local economies
- Accessibility for Minnesotans with disabilities is made easier by allowing them the use of motor vehicles in wildlife management areas.
Senator Eichorn also proposed an amendment to bill to allow wolves to hunt in Minnesota, even though they are not on the endangered species register. After a lengthy debate, the amendment was defeated.
I had hoped to get my clause to allow for a hunt by wolves in the bill. Unfortunately, the amendment fell through today. But I am optimistic that we can get it done. Commonsense wolf control in Northern Minnesota is an important issue and I will continue to fight for it.
