Lede: The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) briefed the committee on its organization, assets and programs and answered senators’ questions about accessibility investments, staffing and enforcement of a recent law on deer‑farm fencing.

Nut graf: Bob Myers, assistant commissioner of the DNR, told senators the agency manages a broad portfolio of lands and facilities and runs programs across seven divisions — from forestry and fisheries to parks and trails — while delivering public services such as hatcheries, public water accesses and trails. Myers also described accessibility work funded through recent appropriations and outlined the agency’s efforts to enforce a state law on fencing at captive‑deer operations; he said the fence requirement is the subject of active litigation and agency inspections.

Agency footprint and services: Myers said the DNR manages thousands of facilities and a large acreage of state‑administered land, and he said the department’s field staff maintain trails, water accesses and hatcheries. He told senators the DNR operates “approximately 3,150 full‑time equivalent employees” and noted the agency’s work reaches every Minnesota senate and house district. On parks access, Assistant Commissioner (name on record) described a statewide fleet of track chairs and new accessible campgrounds and hunting blinds that are being added with recent “Get Out More” funding.

Deer farms and enforcement: Senators pressed the DNR about a law that took effect Sept. 1 (no statute number was cited during the meeting) requiring deer farms to be “confined in a manner that prevents physical contact between farm and wild deer.” Myers said the agency inspected 98 deer farms in 2024, that 79 deer farms currently remain in operation, and that 19 farms closed in 2024. He told the committee officials are working to bring 13 farms into compliance after inspections identified failures to meet the agency’s exclusionary‑fence expectations. Myers said the department can accept written plans or reasonable timelines where weather or ground conditions prevent immediate fixes, but that operators who tell the agency they will not comply face a different enforcement path. The assistant commissioner said the state won a district court ruling that was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and that the court declined to grant a stay of the lower‑court decision; the DNR is briefing the Eighth Circuit on the appeal and said it continues to carry out enforcement while litigation proceeds.

Budget and facilities questions: Senators asked for more detail on the DNR’s building inventory and how many staff work in the field versus offices. Myers said the agency maintains an asset inventory that includes shower/toilet buildings, maintenance buildings, fish hatcheries and offices and that he would share a detailed breakout with members. He said much of the DNR workforce is in the field conducting forestry, enforcement and parks work.

Why it matters: The department’s operations touch recreation, natural resource management and local economies across the state. The deer‑farm fencing law has immediate compliance and enforcement implications for a small industry and has prompted litigation that could change how the requirement is enforced.

Ending: Senators asked DNR staff for follow‑up briefings and for more detailed asset and staffing data when the department presents its budget requests later in the session.