Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to modify an existing capital investment appropriation specifically related to the development and enhancement of the Heartland State Trail in Minnesota.

Main Provisions

• Trail Construction and Design: The bill allocates funds for constructing trail segments between Detroit Lakes and Frazee and for creating a paved multiple-use trail connecting Itasca State Park to the Heartland State Trail. This includes a phase involving a tunnel under U.S. Highway 71.
• Funding Designation: $1,550,000 is designated for the construction of the segment between Detroit Lakes and Frazee. An additional $2,240,000 is provided for the environmental review, predesign, design, and construction of the trail connecting Itasca State Park to the Heartland State Trail.
• Additional Funding Use: If there are unspent funds from this allocation after completing the primary projects, those remaining funds can be used for environmental review, engineering, and design for other segments of the Heartland State Trail, particularly between the west Becker County line and Detroit Lakes, from Park Rapids to Osage, and from Osage to Frazee.

Significant Changes

• This bill amends a prior law (Laws 2023 chapter 72 article 1 section 7 subdivision 18) to update funding allocations and project scope for enhancements and constructions of the Heartland State Trail.
• It builds on previous appropriations from 2017 and 2020, ensuring continued development of the trail system.

Relevant Terms

Heartland State Trail, capital investment, appropriation, Detroit Lakes, Frazee, Itasca State Park, environmental review, multiple-use trail, U.S. Highway 71, Becker County, Park Rapids, Osage.