1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to natural resources; establishing the Minnesota Sustainable Foraging Task
1.3 Force; providing appointments; requiring a report.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. MINNESOTA SUSTAINABLE FORAGING TASK FORCE.
1.6 Subdivision 1.Membership.(a) The task force shall consist of the following members:
1.7 (1) two members of the senate committee with jurisdiction over natural resources policy,
1.8one appointed by the majority leader of the senate and one appointed by the minority leader
1.9of the senate;
1.10 (2) two members of the house of representatives committee with jurisdiction over natural
1.11resources policy, one appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one
1.12appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives;
1.13 (3) two members appointed by the Minnesota Mycological Society, of which one member
1.14must be an owner of a small business;
1.15 (4) two members appointed by the Minnesota Foraging Alliance, of which one member
1.16must be from an underrepresented cultural group;
1.17 (5) two scientists with expertise in botany, ecology, and environmental science appointed
1.18by the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota;
1.19 (6) three representatives of the Department of Natural Resources involved with managing
1.20state parks, forestry, fish and wildlife, and public lands appointed by the commissioner of
1.21natural resources;
1Section 1.
S1464-2 2nd EngrossmentSF1464 REVISOR CKM
SENATE
STATE OF MINNESOTA
S.F. No. 1464NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
(SENATE AUTHORS: PHA, Hawj and Kunesh)
OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
Introduction and first reading40602/17/2025
Referred to Environment, Climate, and Legacy
Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to State and Local Government900a03/20/2025
Author stricken Wesenberg941
Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to Rules and Administration04/01/2025
Author stricken Bahr 2.1 (7) one member of the Minnesota Ojibwe Tribe appointed by the Minnesota Indian
2.2Affairs Council;
2.3 (8) one member of the Minnesota Dakota Tribe appointed by the Minnesota Indian
2.4Affairs Council; and
2.5 (9) two representatives with expertise on local ecosystems, species recovery, and
2.6sustainable harvesting appointed by the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota
2.7Extension.
2.8 (b) A member appointed under paragraph (a) may not be a registered lobbyist.
2.9 (c) The appointing authorities must make the appointments by August 1, 2025.
2.10 Subd. 2.Duties.The task force must:
2.11 (1) gather and review data and information, including traditional ecological knowledge,
2.12on the impact of foraging on species resilience, ecosystem health, and other aspects of
2.13Minnesota's diverse biomes;
2.14 (2) review existing regulations governing foraging activities on state lands;
2.15 (3) develop recommendations for science-based, including traditional ecological
2.16knowledge, foraging guidelines for state lands that balance public access with conservation
2.17needs, setting limits on foraging activities only where supported by data. The
2.18recommendations must be in the form of draft statutory or rule language and must be
2.19consistent with Indigenous and other cultural practices and traditions;
2.20 (4) develop recommendations for increasing public understanding of sustainable foraging
2.21practices that include safety and ecological considerations;
2.22 (5) solicit public input, when appropriate; and
2.23 (6) develop recommendations for reduced-priced foraging permits.
2.24 Subd. 3.Administrative support; meetings.(a) The Legislative Coordinating
2.25Commission must provide administrative support and convene the first meeting by September
2.261, 2025.
2.27 (b) The commissioner of natural resources must provide subject matter resources and
2.28expertise, including information on the management of, and flora and fauna on, state lands,
2.29as requested by the task force.
2Section 1.
S1464-2 2nd EngrossmentSF1464 REVISOR CKM 3.1 (c) The task force must meet at regular intervals as often as necessary to accomplish the
3.2goals enumerated under subdivision 3. Meetings of the task force are subject to the Minnesota
3.3Open Meeting Law under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13D.
3.4 Subd. 4.Chair.The task force must elect a chair at its first meeting from among the
3.5legislative members.
3.6 Subd. 5.Legislative recommendations; expiration.By February 28, 2026, the task
3.7force must submit a written report containing its findings and recommendations to the
3.8commissioner of natural resources and to the chairs and ranking minority members of the
3.9legislative committees with primary jurisdiction over natural resources policy. The
3.10recommendations in the report must be specific and actionable. The report must detail the
3.11proposals for changes or additions to statute or rules to effectuate the task force's
3.12recommendations. The task force expires March 15, 2026, or upon submission of the report
3.13required by this subdivision, whichever occurs later.
3.14 Subd. 6.Compensation; expense reimbursement.Members of the task force appointed
3.15under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clauses (1) and (2), may receive per diem and
3.16reimbursement for expenses as provided in the rules of their respective bodies. Other
3.17members of the task force may be compensated and have expenses reimbursed as provided
3.18in Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059, subdivision 3.
3.19 Sec. 2. MORATORIUM ON FORAGING RULES.
3.20 The commissioner of natural resources shall not commence or complete any rule making
3.21on foraging before July 1, 2027.
3Sec. 2.
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