OLA issues critical report on DNR land management

By Judy Erickson, Government Relations Director

On March 5, the Office of Legislative Auditor (OLA) issued a report on natural resource land management.  The report focuses on Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) acquisitions, DNR and Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources Board (BWSR) easement management and payment-in-lieu of tax (PILT) issues.

The report can be found at: http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/2010/nrland.htm

The House Cultural and Outdoor Resources and the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Divisions held a number of hearings on the report last week. The Senate Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Finance had an overview as well.

While the analysis covered all DNR lands, it was especially critical of the agency’s Wildlife Management Area activities and their management and oversight of conservation easements.

In relationship to state parks and trails, the report referenced the work done by the Parks and Trails Division on the long-range budget analysis submitted to the Legislature in November.

Major findings include:

• While its long-range plans propose significant future acquisitions of land, the DNR, appears to lack adequate resources to manage and maintain its current land inholdings.
• However, except for state parks and trails, DNR has not prepared a long-range budget analysis that compares its ongoing land management needs to its current or projected funding levels.
• The DNR has been working to manage its land assets, although progress has been limited sometimes due to factors beyond the agency’s control.
• Regarding PILT, the study found that the statutory purposes behind PILT were unclear, but that PILT is generally more than adequate in replacing the property taxes lost by counties when DNR acquires nonhunting lands.

The report feeds into the traditional policy debate of purchasing public lands. This year push back against acquisition has been sharpened by the budget deficit as well as the appropriations from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Committee (LSOHC).

The budget bills are cutting PILT and operating budgets for land management agencies. The LSOHC appropriation spends nearly $60 million and acquires in fee or easement over 16,000 acres.

The good news for state park and trail supporters is that the report highlights the fact that there is a long-range analysis on what the needs and costs are into the future. Also good news is that park and trail acquisitions fit into already developed management plans.

Of course the challenge is to help legislators understand the distinction between park and trail acquisition and hunting land acquisition. Acquisition period becomes an easy target for frustrated lawmakers. (See LCCMR funding story).

The result of the report is two-fold. One, the Legislature is having a long over due policy discussion about land acquisition and its consequences. Two, land acquisition opponents are using it to deny additional acquisition of state land – of any kind and for any reason.

Stay tuned.