The commissioner of natural resources may supply planting stock produced or procured hereunder for use on any public or private lands within the state for the purposes herein authorized under such conditions as the commissioner may prescribe for planting, care, and maintenance in furtherance of such purposes.
Such planting stock may be supplied for use on any lands owned by or subject to an easement or right-of-way held by the state or by any political subdivision of the state upon payment of the cost of such stock and expenses of distribution, as the commissioner may determine. Such planting stock may be supplied under like conditions for use in any auxiliary forest owned and maintained by any corporation organized for religious, social, moral, educational, scientific, benevolent, charitable, fraternal, or reformatory purposes and not for profit.
To promote the availability and use of native plant material, the commissioner may sell native tree seed to licensed, private Minnesota nurseries when supplies of seed from geographically adapted sources are not available from private Minnesota seed dealers. The commissioner may also sell native trees and shrubs in lots of ten or more to nonprofit groups and local units of government.
All money received in payment for tree planting stock supplied under this section shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to a forest nursery account and are available to the commissioner of natural resources for the purposes of sections 89.35 to 89.37, including up to $250,000 per year for forestry education and technical assistance.
Income earned from the investment of funds in the forest nursery account beginning July 1, 1989, shall be credited to the account and are annually appropriated to the commissioner of natural resources for the purposes of sections 89.35 to 89.37.
All promotional materials for public cost-share programs for tree planting shall address the eligibility of private nursery planting stock.
The sale price of planting stock and native tree seeds distributed by the commissioner under this section is not subject to the rulemaking provisions of chapter 14, and section 14.386 does not apply. The commissioner may establish the sale price of planting stock and native tree seeds notwithstanding section 16A.1283.
Minn. Stat. § 89.37
1947 c 94 s 3; 1953 c 580 s 1,2; 1969 c 399 s 1; 1969 c 1129 art 10 s 2; 1973 c 234 s 2; 1982 c 511 s 14-17; 1986 c 444; 1989 c 335 art 4 s 106; 1991 c 199 art 2 s 6; 1992 c 513 art 2 s 24, 25; 1994 c 551 s 2; 1997 c 119 s 4, 5; 2004 c 221 s 34; 1Sp2005 c 1 art 2 s 73