Minnesota SF 1464: Minnesota Sustainable Foraging Task Force establishment

Bill Text

1.1 A bill for an act​
1.2 relating to natural resources; establishing the Minnesota Sustainable Foraging Task​
1.3 Force; providing appointments; requiring a report.​
1.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:​
1.5 Section 1. MINNESOTA SUSTAINABLE FORAGING TASK FORCE.​
1.6 Subdivision 1.Membership.(a) The task force shall consist of the following members:​
1.7 (1) two members of the senate committee with jurisdiction over natural resources policy,​
1.8 one appointed by the majority leader of the senate and one appointed by the minority leader​
1.9 of the senate;​
1.10 (2) two members of the house of representatives committee with jurisdiction over natural​
1.11 resources policy, one appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one​
1.12 appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives;​
1.13 (3) two members appointed by the Minnesota Mycological Society, of which one member​
1.14 must be an owner of a small business;​
1.15 (4) two members appointed by the Minnesota Foraging Alliance, of which one member​
1.16 must be from an underrepresented cultural group;​
1.17 (5) two scientists with expertise in botany, ecology, and environmental science appointed​
1.18 by the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota;​
1.19 (6) three representatives of the Department of Natural Resources involved with managing​
1.20 state parks, forestry, fish and wildlife, and public lands appointed by the commissioner of​
1.21 natural resources;​
1​Section 1.​
S1464-2 2nd Engrossment​SF1464 REVISOR CKM​
SENATE​
STATE OF MINNESOTA​
S.F. No. 1464​NINETY-FOURTH SESSION​
(SENATE AUTHORS: PHA, Hawj and Kunesh)​
OFFICIAL STATUS​D-PG​DATE​
Introduction and first reading​406​02/17/2025​
Referred to Environment, Climate, and Legacy​
Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to State and Local Government​900a​03/20/2025​
Author stricken Wesenberg​941​
Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to Rules and Administration​1154a​04/01/2025​
Author stricken Bahr​1262​
Comm report: To pass and re-referred to Environment, Climate, and Legacy​1704​04/07/2025​
See First Special Session, SF3​

2.1 (7) one member of the Minnesota Ojibwe Tribe appointed by the Minnesota Indian​
2.2 Affairs Council;​
2.3 (8) one member of the Minnesota Dakota Tribe appointed by the Minnesota Indian​
2.4 Affairs Council; and​
2.5 (9) two representatives with expertise on local ecosystems, species recovery, and​
2.6 sustainable harvesting appointed by the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota​
2.7 Extension.​
2.8 (b) A member appointed under paragraph (a) may not be a registered lobbyist.​
2.9 (c) The appointing authorities must make the appointments by August 1, 2025.​
2.10 Subd. 2.Duties.The task force must:​
2.11 (1) gather and review data and information, including traditional ecological knowledge,​
2.12 on the impact of foraging on species resilience, ecosystem health, and other aspects of​
2.13 Minnesota's diverse biomes;​
2.14 (2) review existing regulations governing foraging activities on state lands;​
2.15 (3) develop recommendations for science-based, including traditional ecological​
2.16 knowledge, foraging guidelines for state lands that balance public access with conservation​
2.17 needs, setting limits on foraging activities only where supported by data. The​
2.18 recommendations must be in the form of draft statutory or rule language and must be​
2.19 consistent with Indigenous and other cultural practices and traditions;​
2.20 (4) develop recommendations for increasing public understanding of sustainable foraging​
2.21 practices that include safety and ecological considerations;​
2.22 (5) solicit public input, when appropriate; and​
2.23 (6) develop recommendations for reduced-priced foraging permits.​
2.24 Subd. 3.Administrative support; meetings.(a) The Legislative Coordinating​
2.25 Commission must provide administrative support and convene the first meeting by September​
2.26 1, 2025.​
2.27 (b) The commissioner of natural resources must provide subject matter resources and​
2.28 expertise, including information on the management of, and flora and fauna on, state lands,​
2.29 as requested by the task force.​
2​Section 1.​
S1464-2 2nd Engrossment​SF1464 REVISOR CKM​

3.1 (c) The task force must meet at regular intervals as often as necessary to accomplish the​
3.2 goals enumerated under subdivision 3. Meetings of the task force are subject to the Minnesota​
3.3 Open Meeting Law under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13D.​
3.4 Subd. 4.Chair.The task force must elect a chair at its first meeting from among the​
3.5 legislative members.​
3.6 Subd. 5.Legislative recommendations; expiration.By February 28, 2026, the task​
3.7 force must submit a written report containing its findings and recommendations to the​
3.8 commissioner of natural resources and to the chairs and ranking minority members of the​
3.9 legislative committees with primary jurisdiction over natural resources policy. The​