Minnesota Statutes Environmental Protection Funds (Ch. 116P-116Q) § 116P.03. Trust fund not to supplant existing funding; appropriations

(a) The trust fund may not be used as a substitute for traditional sources of funding environmental and natural resources activities, but the trust fund shall supplement the traditional sources, including those sources used to support the criteria insection 116P.08, subdivision 1. The trust fund must be used primarily to support activities whose benefits become available only over an extended period of time.

(b) The commission must determine the amount of the state budget spent from traditional sources to fund environmental and natural resources activities before and after the trust fund is established and include a comparison of the amount in the report undersection 116P.09, subdivision 7.

(c) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and each year thereafter, the amount of the environment and natural resources trust fund that is available for appropriation under this chapter and under the terms of theMinnesota Constitution, article XI, section 14, shall be appropriated by law.

(d) The amount appropriated from the environment and natural resources trust fund may be spent only for the public purpose of protection, conservation, preservation, and enhancement of the state's air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources. Recommendations made by the commission under this chapter must be consistent with theMinnesota Constitution, article XI, section 14; this chapter; and the strategic plan adopted undersection 116P.08, subdivision 3, and must demonstrate a direct benefit to the state's environment and natural resources.

(e) The amount available for appropriation from the environment and natural resources trust fund under this chapter each year of a biennium, commencing on July 1 in each odd-numbered year and ending on and including June 30 in the next odd-numbered year, is 5.5 percent of the market value of the fund on June 30 one year before the start of the biennium.