Subd. 1. Assistance priorities.

State agencies may give priority to local requests that are part of or responsive to a comprehensive local water plan when administering programs for water-related financial and technical assistance.

Subd. 2. Establishment.

A Local Water Resources Protection and Management Program is established. The board shall provide financial assistance to counties for local government activities that protect or manage water and related land quality. The activities include planning, zoning, official controls, and other activities to implement comprehensive local water plans.

Subd. 3. County request and sponsorship.

Counties must submit funding requests to the board. A county must coordinate and submit requests on behalf of other units of government within its jurisdiction.

Subd. 4. Contracts with local governments.

A county may contract with other appropriate local units of government to implement programs. An explanation of the program responsibilities proposed to be contracted with other local units of government must accompany grant requests. A county that contracts with other local units of government is responsible for ensuring that state funds are properly expended and for providing an annual report to the board describing expenditures of funds and program accomplishments.

Subd. 5. Financial assistance.

The board may award grants to watershed management organizations in the seven-county metropolitan area or counties to carry out water resource protection and management programs identified as priorities in comprehensive local water plans. Grants may be used to employ persons and to obtain and use information necessary to:

1. (1) develop comprehensive local water plans under sections 103B.255 and 103B.311 that have not received state funding for water resources planning as provided for in Laws 1987, chapter 404, section 30, subdivision 5, clause (a);
2. (2) revise comprehensive local water plans under section 103B.201; and

3. (3) implement comprehensive local water plans.

   A base grant shall be awarded to a county that levies a water implementation tax at a rate, which shall be determined by the board. The minimum amount of the water implementation tax shall be a tax rate times the adjusted net tax capacity of the county for the preceding year. The rate shall be the rate, rounded to the nearest .001 of a percent, that, when applied to the adjusted net tax capacity for all counties, raises the amount of $1,500,000. The base grant will be in an amount equal to $37,500 less the amount raised by that levy. If the amount necessary to implement the local water plan for the county is less than $37,500, the amount of the base grant shall be the amount that, when added to the levy amount, equals the amount required to implement the plan. For counties where the tax rate generates an amount equal to or greater than $18,750, the base grant shall be in an amount equal to $18,750.

Subd. 6. Limitations.

1. (a) Grants provided to implement programs under this section must be reviewed by the state agency having statutory program authority to assure compliance with minimum state standards. At the request of the state agency commissioner, the board shall revoke the portion of a grant used to support a program not in compliance.
2. (b) Grants provided to develop or revise comprehensive local water plans may not be awarded for a time longer than two years.
3. (c) A county may not request or be awarded grants for project implementation unless a comprehensive water plan has been adopted.

Subd. 7.

Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 8 s 16

Subd. 8.

Repealed, 2002 c 220 art 8 s 16