Putting Green, Inc.

request's fate goes to

conference committee

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

ST. PAUL -- Even though it now faces a conference committee's scrutiny, Putting Green, Inc.'s environmental trust fund grant request has a good chance of surviving, Sen. Dennis Frederickson, R-New Ulm, said Thursday.

"I'm very optimistic that it will survive. On projects like these and issues like these, you can never be absolutely sure, but I'm optimistic."

It was Frederickson who revived the grant after it was "zeroed out" of the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources' grant recommendations to the Legislature.

However, the $147,000 originally recommended by the LCMR has been trimmed to $132,000 in subcommittee.

"I'll take credit for it. For what they want to do, I think that will get them off to a very good start," Frederickson said.

Because it only appears in the $1.3 billion environment, agriculture, economic development and natural resources finance bill passed by the Senate Tuesday, that bill and the House version now go to conference committee to resolve differences.

"I would expect the conferees to be appointed (today) or Monday. This is a fairly small part of a very large appropriations bill funds all of the game and fish activities, all of the department of agriculture, all of the economic development activity in the state so I think the total amount in the ag and natural resources total is like $1.3 billion.

Another "zeroed out" project that was restored in the Senate bill is $600,000 for a pilot alternative crop and water quality improvement project in the Blue Earth River Basin.

"It's for soil-saving alternative crops for farmers that will also improve water quality. Farmers could get a subsidy for planting alternative crops," Frederickson said. "It's (designed) to show that there is value in these types of crops."

Of the $1.3 billion, Frederickson said only about $600 million comes from the general fund; the rest is all dedicated monies. Included in the dedicated funds is $30 million from the environmental trust fund that is regulated by the LCMR.

"Historically, the LCMR has had $15 million, essentially, of cigarette tax money as traditional funding, but that is all going to balance the budget. In this bill, it's transferred to the general fund, but there is a sunset on that transfer in 2007 when it is to be remained in the future resources fund again," Frederickson said.

"That leaves us with $32 million in lottery money, but we take $2 million off the top to up-front match federal land and water conservation money. So, basically, there is $30 million remaining for other projects."

Because Frederickson has been on the environment and natural resources committee for 23 years, he believes he will have a good chance to be named to this conference committee with his experience in dealing with environmental issues and his service on past conference committees.

"With a bill like this, that's very important. No. 1, you have to vote for the bill; No. 2, you have to understand the issues, and No. 3, you have to be a good negotiator. "