Subd. 2.
Protection Services
Appropriations by Fund 2024 2025 General deleted text begin 32,034,000 deleted text end new text begin 32,084,000 new text end deleted text begin 18,743,000 deleted text end new text begin 22,113,000 new text end Remediation 399,000 399,000
(a) $399,000 the first year and $399,000 the second year are from the remediation fund for administrative funding for the voluntary cleanup program.
(b) $625,000 the first year and deleted text begin $625,000deleted text end new text begin $1,120,000new text end the second year are for the soil health financial assistance program under Minnesota Statutes, section 17.134. The commissioner may award no more than $50,000 of the appropriation each year to a single recipient. new text begin Of the second year amount, $495,000 is for projects located in Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, or Winona County. new text end The commissioner may use up to 6.5 percent of this appropriation for costs incurred to administer the program. Any unencumbered balance does not cancel at the end of the first year and is available in the second year. Appropriations encumbered under contract on or before June 30, 2025, for soil health financial assistance grants are available until June 30, 2027. The base for this appropriation is $639,000 in fiscal year 2026 and each year thereafter.
(c) $800,000 the first year deleted text begin isdeleted text end new text begin and $75,000 the second year arenew text end for transfer to the pollinator research account established under Minnesota Statutes, section 18B.051. The base for this transfer is $100,000 in fiscal year 2026 and each year thereafter.
(d) $150,000 the first year and $150,000 the second year are for transfer to the noxious weed and invasive plant species assistance account established under Minnesota Statutes, section 18.89, to award grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 18.90, to counties, municipalities, and other weed management entities, including Minnesota Tribal governments as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 10.65. This is a onetime appropriation.
(e) $175,000 the first year and $175,000 the second year are for compensation for destroyed or crippled livestock under Minnesota Statutes, section 3.737. The first year appropriation may be spent to compensate for livestock that were destroyed or crippled during fiscal year 2023. If the amount in the first year is insufficient, the amount in the second year is available in the first year. The commissioner may use up to $5,000 each year to reimburse expenses incurred by university extension educators to provide fair market values of destroyed or crippled livestock. If the commissioner receives federal dollars to pay claims for destroyed or crippled livestock, an equivalent amount of this appropriation may be used to reimburse nonlethal prevention methods performed by federal wildlife services staff.
(f) $155,000 the first year and $155,000 the second year are for compensation for crop damage under Minnesota Statutes, section 3.7371. If the amount in the first year is insufficient, the amount in the second year is available in the first year. The commissioner may use up to $10,000 of the appropriation each year to reimburse expenses incurred by the commissioner or the commissioner’s approved agent to investigate and resolve claims, as well as for costs associated with training for approved agents. The commissioner may use up to $40,000 of the appropriation each year to make grants to producers for measures to protect stored crops from elk damage. If the commissioner determines that claims made under Minnesota Statutes, section 3.737 or 3.7371, are unusually high, amounts appropriated for either program may be transferred to the appropriation for the other program.
(g) $825,000 the first year and $825,000 the second year are to replace capital equipment in the Department of Agriculture’s analytical laboratory.
(h) $75,000 the first year and $75,000 the second year are to support a meat processing liaison position to assist new or existing meat and poultry processing operations in getting started, expanding, growing, or transitioning into new business models.
(i) $2,200,000 the first year and $1,650,000 the second year are additional funding to maintain the current level of service delivery for programs under this subdivision. The base for this appropriation is $1,925,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each year thereafter.
(j) $250,000 the first year and $250,000 the second year are for grants to organizations in Minnesota to develop enterprises, supply chains, and markets for continuous-living cover crops and cropping systems in the early stages of commercial development. For the purposes of this paragraph, “continuous-living cover crops and cropping systems” refers to agroforestry, perennial biomass, perennial forage, perennial grains, and winter-annual cereal grains and oilseeds that have market value as harvested or grazed commodities. By February 1 each year, the commissioner must submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over agriculture finance and policy detailing uses of the funds in this paragraph, including administrative costs, and the achievements these funds contributed to. The commissioner may use up to 6.5 percent of this appropriation for administrative costs. This is a onetime appropriation.
(k) $45,000 the first year and $45,000 the second year are appropriated for wolf-livestock conflict-prevention grants. The commissioner may use some of this appropriation to support nonlethal prevention work performed by federal wildlife services. This is a onetime appropriation.
(l) $10,000,000 the first year is for transfer to the grain indemnity account established in Minnesota Statutes, section 223.24. This is a onetime transfer.
(m) $125,000 the first year and $125,000 the second year are for the PFAS in pesticides review. This is a onetime appropriation.
(n) $1,941,000 the first year is for transfer to the food handler license account. This is a onetime transfer.
new text begin (o) $2,800,000 the second year is for nitrate home water treatment, including reverse osmosis, for private drinking-water wells with nitrate in excess of the maximum contaminant level of ten milligrams per liter and located in Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, or Winona County. The commissioner must prioritize households at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty guideline and households with infants or pregnant individuals. The commissioner may also use this appropriation for education, outreach, and technical assistance to homeowners. The commissioner of agriculture may transfer money to the commissioner of health to establish and administer a mitigation program for contaminated wells located in Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, or Winona County. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 16B.98, subdivision 14, the commissioner may use up to 6.5 percent of this appropriation for administrative costs. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2027. new text end
new text begin (p) $50,000 the first year is to convene a working group of interested parties, including representatives from the Department of Natural Resources, to investigate and recommend options for addressing crop and fence destruction due to Cervidae. By February 1, 2025, the commissioner must submit a report on the findings and recommendations of the working group to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over agriculture policy and finance. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.28, any unencumbered balance does not cancel at the end of the first year and is available in the second year. This is a onetime appropriation. new text end
