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's Continued from page 1 state agencies or watershed districts was in the House version of the Omnibus Transportation Finance bill. This language, however, was given up by the House and is not part of the final Omnibus Transportation Finance bill. Most observers agree that the permit- ting language was tied to the counties receiving their road replacement funding ($2.7 million) from other than transportation funds. Provisions for those funds were included in the bonding bill. Other provisions in the bonding bill included funding for flood damage reduction for watershed districts. (see ~eakdown below) H.E 68, Special Session. Capital Investments Bill DNR Projects Flood Hazard Mitigation Grants: $1.4 million for the Warren and Hay Creek projects. $2.0 million for Red River Valley Mediation Projects. Stream Protection and Restoration: $500,000 for the design and imple- mentation of stream restoration projects that employ natural channel design principles. Scientific & Natural Areas: Semi- nary Fen in the Assumption Creek watershed in Carver county: $1.5 million for acquisition and develop- ment, protection or improvements. B`VSR Projects RIM Conservation: $1,000,000 to acquire conservation easements. '~tland Replacement: $2.7 million _.,r public road projects. Lazarus Creek: $1.4 million for a grant to Area II for construction of the LQP-25 Lazarus Creek Floodwater retention project. Brown' Creek: $1.3 million for a grant to the city of Stillwater to provided environmental protection capital improvements to Brown's Creek. Roseau Flood Appropriations: Trade and Economic Development: $1.625 million Natural Resources 3.0 million Transportation 1.4 million Total $6.025 million Flood Hazard Mitigation grant lan- guage was also included in the bill to allow for funding on partially com- pleted projects of the flood grant program. S.F. 905, Omnibus Environment Finance Bill In response to the bills introduced to chip away at permitting authorities, one of the bills that passed in the waning hours of the regular session was the Omnibus Environment & Natural Resources bill (SF 905). The Omnibus Environment Finance bill included compromise language between the counties, MNDot, MAWD, and BWSR dealing with the process of permitting road projects (sections 106-110). The compromise language includes provisions to allow for the counties and other road authorities to be noticed for review and comment on any rule changes by watershed dis- tricts and provide written notice of adopted or amended rules to public transportation authorities within the watershed district. The legislation also provides the authority for watershed districts to issue general permits for public transportation projects for work on existing roads. Appeals of rules and permit decisions made by watershed districts are also included, and can be made in an expedited fashion if requested by the road authority. In response to complaints from counties and MNDot additional compromise language is also included dealing with wetland replacement in the metro area (sections 113). The new language allows that wetlands affected in the seven-county metro area must be replaced at a ratio of Z to 1 in the affected. county or, in another of the seven metro counties, or in one of the major watersheds that are wholly or partially within the seven county metro area, but at Least one to one must be replaced within the seven- county metro area. The rationale behind this Ianguage, which gives road authority consider- able more leeway in road replacement, is to provide more flexibility in wetland replacement in the metro seven county area which will suppos- edly reduce the costs ofroad work for road authorities. Additional Information on SF 905; a. $210,000 was appropriated for FY04 & FY05 for grants associated with the implementation of the Red River mediation agreement. b. $125,000 per year was also appro- priated for the construction of ring dikes. Continued on page 5 4