SB 59

This bill expands eligibility for producer-led watershed protection grants, lake

protection grants, and river protection grants.

Under current law, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer

Protection administers a program to provide watershed protection grants to

producer-led groups made up of farmers located in one watershed. The bill allows

grants under the program to be awarded to producer-led groups that are made up

of farmers located in adjacent watersheds.

Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources provides lake

protection grants and lake management grants for monitoring and improving water

quality in lakes and lake classification grants for classifying lakes. Currently,

eligible recipients for these grants include nonprofit conservation organizations,

counties and municipalities, qualified lake associations, town sanitary districts,

qualified school districts, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts,

and other local governmental units that are established for the purpose of lake

management. DNR also provides river protection grants for monitoring and

improving water quality in rivers. Currently, eligible recipients for these grants

include local governmental units, qualified river management organizations, and

nonprofit conservation organizations. The bill provides that producer-led groups

are eligible to receive lake protection, management, and classification grants and

river protection grants provided by DNR. The bill defines “producer-led group” to

mean any group that meets the criteria for a producer-led watershed protection

grant issued by DATCP.