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Emerging Issues Account - Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund

Emerging Issues Account

Overview

The Emerging Issues Account is intended to be used for efforts addressing an unexpected and urgent need that cannot be accommodated through standard funding cycles and need to be addressed in an expedited manner.

Requests for funds from the Emerging Issues Account have specific criteria and follow a different process than the LCCMR’s RFP and funding recommendation process. Additional information about the Emerging Issues Account funding availability, criteria, request and award process is detailed below.

Available Funds and Deadlines

Proposal submissions in 2025 will be due at 4:30 PM on:

  • March 19, 2025, for consideration at the June 11, 2025 meeting
  • November 19, 2025, for consideration at the December 10, 2025 meeting

$3,170,000 is currently available in the Emerging Issues Account from the following appropriations and funds must be spent by the date indicated:

  • M.L. 2024, Chapter 83, Section 2, Subd. 10b for $186,000 (deadline to spend is June 30, 2027)
  • M.L. 2025, 1st Special Session, Chapter 1, Article 2, Section 2, Subd. 10a for $2,984,000 (deadline to spend is June 30, 2028)

It is advisable to request funds from one or another of the appropriations listed above. Funds awarded from different appropriations will need to be tracked and reported in separate work plans.

If the funds are not spent for an unexpected and urgent need before the start of the legislative session prior to the Emerging Issues Account appropriation expiration, the Emerging Issues Account funds will return to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

Emerging Issues Account Criteria and Eligibility

The Emerging Issues Account appropriations are authorized under M.S. 116P.08, Subd. 4 (d) and are for efforts addressing an unexpected and urgent need that cannot be accommodated through the LCCMR standard funding cycle or directly through the legislature and need to be addressed in an expedited manner. Proposed efforts must:

  1. Be consistent with the constitutional purpose of the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) and the commission’s strategic plan.
  2. Address an issue that came up unexpectedly.
  3. Implement a solution where following the standard LCCMR funding cycle or waiting for the next legislative session would result in significant detrimental impact on the environment or natural resources.
  4. Be ready to be implemented as soon as funds are available.

Requests received will be evaluated based on these criteria in addition to the LCCMR’s standard evaluation and selection criteria.

The following efforts are not eligible for funding from the Emerging Issues Account, except in extraordinary circumstances where it can be demonstrated how funding is necessary to avoid imminent damage to or loss of an opportunity to protect the environment or natural resources in a timely fashion:

  • Land acquisition
  • Capital construction
  • Research

Requesting Funds

To be considered for an LCCMR recommendation for use of the Emerging Issues Account, a letter (two-page limit) with two attachments must be submitted to the LCCMR at lccmr@lccmr.mn.gov. The request must:

  1. Describe the issue that affects or threatens to affect the state’s air, water, land, fish, wildlife, or other natural resources.
  2. Explain how and why this issue is unexpected and could not have been reasonably foreseen.
  3. Describe the proposed solution to this issue.
  4. Explain the detrimental impact on the environment or natural resources if this proposed solution is not implemented immediately and had to wait for funding through the standard LCCMR funding cycle or directly from the legislature.
  5. Explain why this request for funding was not submitted or is not being submitted in response to the LCCMR’s most recent request for proposal (RFP).
  6. Provide the steps already taken to implement the proposed solution.
  7. Provide the next steps needed to implement the proposed solution, the primary outcomes and/or outputs that would be achieved if funding is awarded, and the proposed completion dates.

Attached to the letter requesting consideration of funding must be a description of the organization and its ability to carry out the proposed solution and a spreadsheet of the budget showing how funds would be used. Please use the budget template shown below. An initial conversation with staff prior to proposal drafting is recommended.

Budget Template

Awarding Funds

  • The commission will review requests at posted and open meetings.
  • Request materials will be distributed to the full commission for evaluation according to the Emerging Issues Account criteria. Members will submit to staff their evaluation that includes their interest in receiving a presentation from the applicant. If a simple majority of members indicate interest in receiving a presentation, with at least 8 total responses received, the applicant will be invited to present to the commission at the next appropriate LCCMR meeting. Following presentation(s) at that LCCMR meeting, all requests received will be voted upon by the full commission.
  • For a request to be approved, a quorum of the commission must be present and at least 60% of those members present must vote in favor of approval.
  • If a request is approved by the LCCMR it will be sent to the governor for consideration per M.S. 116P.08, Subd. 4 (d).
  • If the governor approves the request, the project can begin incurring costs following LCCMR approval of the work plan per M.S. 116P.05 Subd. 2 (b).

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