| 1997 Fiscal Review Appropriations - Natural Resources |
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $368.6 million to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the 1997-99 biennium which is a 14 percent increase over the last biennium. Major funding sources for the DNR are the General Fund (57.4%) and the game and fish fund (29.9%). The table below provides a list of the funds along with the amounts and percentage of total funding.
| Fund | 1997-99 | % of Total |
| General | $ 211,742,000 | 57.4% |
| Natural Resources | 46,361,000 | 12.6% |
| Game and Fish | 110,340,000 | 29.9% |
| Solid Waste | 200,000 | 0.1% |
| Total | $ 368,643,000 | 100.0% |
| Purpose | 1997-99 | % of Total |
| Mineral Resources Mgmt. | $ 10,182,000 | 2.8% |
| Water Resources Mgmt. | 20,562,000 | 5.6% |
| Forest Management | 68,536,000 | 18.6% |
| Parks and Recreation | 53,903,000 | 14.6% |
| Trails and Waterways | 33,889,000 | 9.2% |
| Fish and Wildlife Mgmt. | 82,257,000 | 22.3% |
| Enforcement | 39,056,000 | 10.6% |
| Operations Support | 60,258,000 | 16.3% |
| Total | $ 368,643,000 | 100.0% |
Snowmobiles
The 1997 Legislature increased funding for snowmobile trails and enforcement of snowmobile laws by $6.2 million over the previous biennium. Included in the previous biennium total is $1.2 million in deficiency funding for grant-in-aid trails. New funding sources used to pay for the increased appropriation are:
(1) General Fund ($1.2 million);
(2) Increase in the three-year snowmobile registration from $30 to $45 ($2.7 million);
(3) Increase in the percentage of gas tax attributable to snowmobiles from 0.75 of 1 percent to 1 percent ($1.7 million); and
(4) a new $15 annual trail permit for snowmobiles that are not registered in Minnesota ($900,000).
The additional funding is appropriated for local grant-in-aid trails ($4.8 million), maintenance of state trails ($600,000), and local enforcement grants ($800,000). The additional $4.8 million for local grant-in-aid trails represents an 84.2 percent increase in funding for grant-in-aid trails over the previous biennium.
Fishing License Increase
The 1997 Legislature approved overall fishing license increases of 15 percent that will begin with the 1998 fishing season. Following is a table showing old and new fishing license fees.
| Category | Old Fee | New Fee |
| Resident Individual | $ 13.00 | 15.00 |
| Resident Husband-Wife Combination | 17.50 | 20.50 |
| Resident Senior Citizen | 4.50 | 5.50 |
| Resident Spearing | 13.00 | 15.00 |
| Resident Fish House-Individual | 9.00 | 10.00 |
| Resident Fish House-Rental | 20.00 | 23.00 |
| Resident Sporting-Individual | 17.50 | 20.00 |
| Resident Sporting-Combination | 24.00 | 27.50 |
| Nonresident Individual | 27.50 | 31.00 |
| Nonresident Family | 37.50 | 41.50 |
| Nonresident 14-Day Married Couple | 27.50 | 32.00 |
| Nonresident 7-Day Individual | 19.00 | 21.50 |
| Nonresident 3-Day Individual | 16.00 | 18.00 |
* Fees listed do not include the $1.00 issuing fee; the sporting license fees listed do not include the $4.00 small game surcharge.
Board of Water and Soil Resources
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $30.9 million from the General Fund to the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BOWSR) for the 1997-99 biennium, a 9.4 percent increase over the last biennium. The increased funding for the Board was due to a number of General Fund initiatives, including: $683,000 in grants from soil and water conservation districts; $475,000 for a grant to the Minnesota River Joint Powers Board for water quality improvement projects; $300,000 for community assistance; and $300,000 for communication and information management.
Zoological Board
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $10.9 million to the Zoological Board for the 1997-99 biennium which is a 5.4 percent increase over the last biennium. The increased funding for the agency was due to two General Fund initiatives: $300,000 for repair and maintenance and $240,000 to upgrade computers.
Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $349,000 from the General Fund to the Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission for the 1997-99 biennium, a 5.1 percent increase over the last biennium.
Citizen's Council on Voyageurs National Park
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $127,000 from the General Fund to the Citizen's Council on Voyageurs National Park for the 1997-99 biennium, a 6.7 percent increase over the last biennium.
Science Museum of Minnesota
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $2.3 million from the General Fund to the Science Museum of Minnesota for the 1997-99 biennium, a 3.8 percent increase over the last biennium.
Minnesota Academy of Science
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $82,000 from the General Fund to the Minnesota Academy of Science for the 1997-99 biennium, a 13.9 percent increase over the last biennium. The increase is due to an appropriation of $10,000 for a new student mentors program.
Minnesota Horticultural Society
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $164,000 from the General Fund to the Minnesota Horticultural Society for the 1997-99 biennium, a 13.9 percent increase over the last biennium.
Minnesota Resources
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $37.2 million from the four funds used for natural resource projects recommended by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources for the 1997-99 biennium, a 1.5 percent decrease over the last biennium. The two major sources of funding for natural resource projects are the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (59.9%) and the Minnesota Future Resources Fund (39.4%). The table below provides a list of the funds along with the amounts and percentages of total funding.
| Fund | 1997-99 | % of Total |
| MN Future Resources Fund | $ 14,668,000 | 39.4% |
| MN Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund | 22,270,000 | 59.9% |
| Special Revenue-Oil Overcharge | 150,000 | 0.3% |
| Great Lakes Protection | 120,000 | 0.4% |
| Total | $ 37,208,000 | 100.0% |
The three areas of spending receiving the largest appropriation amounts from the three funds are recreation (26.9%), critical lands or habitats (20%), and environmental education (6.7%). The table below provides a list of appropriations along with the appropriation amounts and percentage of total funding for each of the funding categories.
| Purpose | 1997-99 | % of Total |
| Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources | $ 776,000 | 2.1% |
| Recreation | 10,000,000 | 26.9% |
| Historic Sites | 1,388,000 | 3.7% |
| Water Resources | 2,170,000 | 5.8% |
| Agricultural Practices | 1,685,000 | 4.5% |
| Pollution Prevention | 265,000 | 0.7% |
| Impacts on Natural Resources | 1,985,000 | 5.3% |
| Decision-Making Tools | 1,410,000 | 3.8% |
| Public Access to Natural Resource Data | 850,000 | 2.3% |
| Sustainable Development Activities | 1,698,000 | 4.6% |
| Environmental Education | 2,478,000 | 6.7% |
| Benchmarks and Indicators | 1,715,000 | 4.6% |
| Native Fisheries | 336,000 | 0.9% |
| Land Acquisition in High Growth Areas | 850,000 | 2.3% |
| Critical Lands or Habitats | 7,432,000 | 20.0% |
| Wildlife or Trail Corridors | 1,000,000 | 2.7% |
| Native Species Planting | 670,000 | 1.8% |
| Exotic Species | 500,000 | 1.3% |
| Total | $ 37,208,000 | 100.0% |