State agency and project funding provided from the clean water and parks and trails funds, and money appropriated.
HF1370 is a biennial legacy-funds appropriations bill that allocates money from Minnesota’s Clean Water Fund and Parks and Trails Fund for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The bill is organized into two articles. Article 1 appropriates roughly $155.4 million each year from the Clean Water Fund to state agencies, the University of Minnesota, the Metropolitan Council, the Public Facilities Authority, and local governments for water-quality monitoring, groundwater protection, drinking water safety, watershed planning, agricultural best management practices, stormwater and wastewater projects, conservation easements, and related technical assistance and research. Article 2 appropriates roughly $65.3 million in FY 2026 and $67.8 million in FY 2027 from the Parks and Trails Fund for state parks, regional parks and trails, metropolitan park distributions, coordination among park agencies, and related restoration and maintenance work.
The clean water provisions emphasize monitoring and protecting surface water, groundwater, and drinking water sources, with significant funding for agricultural runoff reduction, nitrate and pesticide monitoring, impaired waters work, septic system assistance, and local watershed implementation. The bill also includes targeted funding for private well safety, PFAS and other contaminant analysis, floodplain and wetland protection, conservation drainage, and grants to support local and Tribal water-protection efforts. The parks and trails provisions support land acquisition, outdoor access, regional park systems, and coordination with the Metropolitan Council and Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission, while also encouraging disability access, energy and water conservation, and use of Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa for restoration and maintenance work.
HF1370 would continue Minnesota’s use of constitutionally dedicated legacy funds to finance environmental and outdoor recreation programs without changing substantive regulatory standards. It appropriates one-time money to existing agencies and programs, extends availability periods for many grants and projects, and directs how funds may be used, reported, and matched. The bill affects a wide range of state and local entities, including counties, watershed organizations, soil and water conservation districts, local governments, Tribal governments, the University of Minnesota, and regional park systems, while reinforcing existing statutory frameworks in chapters 103B, 103C, 103D, 114D, 115, 446A, and related provisions.
Based on the bill text alone, the overall sentiment appears broadly supportive of environmental protection, clean water, and parks-and-trails investment. The bill’s structure and detailed funding allocations suggest a consensus-oriented appropriations measure focused on continuing established programs and expanding implementation capacity. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no additional evidence of partisan division or formal opposition in the available materials.
The bill does not show explicit controversy in the provided record, but some provisions could draw differing views over funding priorities and implementation. Potential points of debate include the large share of clean water money directed to agricultural best management practices versus other water-quality needs, the use of conservation easements and land acquisition, and the extent of state support for local septic, stormwater, and watershed projects. In the parks article, possible areas of discussion include the balance between metropolitan and Greater Minnesota funding, the requirement to consider Conservation Corps contracting, and the bill’s emphasis on equity, disability access, and support for underserved and LGBTQ youth in outdoor programming.