State Beat

Minnesota

The Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor has completed a 105-page program evaluation of School Trust Lands. The study asked these questions:

• How has DNR managed the school trust land given its fiduciary responsibilities related to the Minnesota Constitution and state laws?
• How does DNR balance its fiduciary responsibilities to the Permanent School Fund with its natural resource management responsibilities?
• What returns have timber sales, mining rents and royalties, lakeshore and other leases, and land sales realized for the principal of the PSF?
• Do DNR's administrative costs reflect the actual costs of managing school trust land?
• How does Minnesota's oversight of school trust land management compare with other states? Could another unit of government manage Minnesota's school trust land more cost-effectively than DNR?
• How has the State Board of Investment invested the PSF principal? What rates of return have been earned?

In part of his response to this report, Commissioner Rod Sando stated that "Both the executive and legislative branches share this responsibility. The larger question is: has the legislature provided an effective and consistent policy framework for the management of trust lands?" and concludes with "I believe that overall the evaluation is a fair and accurate assessment. It can provide the basis for discussions and changes that can result in even better management of trust fund lands."

The entire report and the Commissioner's response can be found on the Web at www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us

The Department is currently working on a plan of action to address the issues raised in the report. If you want additional information, contact Jim Lawler directly at 612 (area code changing to 651 on July 12, 1998) 297-2572 or through e-mail jim.lawler@dnr.state.mn.us.

New Mexico

Commissioner of Public Lands Ray Powell said the State Land Office Community Development program recently achieved a significant milestone with the approval of the preliminary plat for Solana by the Bernalillo County Planning Commission. The commission gave unanimous approval to Solana, an innovative neighborhood in Bernalillo County, about 20 miles east of Albuquerque. The planning and development lease-holder is the North 217 I Partnership.

"This is the first planned development that has gotten to the final approval stage since we enhanced our commercial and community development office," Powell said. "This innovative neighborhood is setting new standards for community input, preservation of open space and wildlife habitat and resource conservation."

The project is unique in that the developers and homeowners will be paying an annual rental fee to the trust for the use of open space within the neighborhood. The plan calls for 42 percent of the 620-acre tract to be kept in open space for the use of the residents. The homes will be concentrated on hills on approximately half of the property.

The lots will be relatively small, to compensate for the large amount of open space, and roads will be unconventionally narrow. Sewage will be handled with the use of constructed wetlands. A playground will be developed to serve the surrounding neighborhood.