Minnesota Legislature
2015 Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Recommendations
For the FY 2016 and FY 2017 biennium (July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2017), approximately $46.3 million is available each year (total = $92,674,000) for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. As of 11/19/14, the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has selected 65 projects totaling $46.4 million to recommend to the 2015 Minnesota Legislature for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) and the Great Lakes Protection Account (GLPA). The recommendations are the result of the LCCMR's 2015 Request for Proposal (RFP) process, in which 152 proposals requesting a total of approximately $126.3 million were received and considered through a competitive, multi-stage evaluation. The recommendations range from full funding for the full proposal and dollar amount requested to partial funding for specific proposal elements and partial dollar amounts requested.
LINKS TO:
- Print-ready PDF list of the M.L. 2015 proposals recommended by the LCCMR.
- Additional information on LCCMR's ML 2015 proposal and funding process
Viewing Proposals
- Click on the proposal ID # to view the full proposal.
- To find specific projects within the table you can use your browser's page-search function to search for a project by Project Manager 'Last Name', 'Project Title', or 'Organization'. In most browsers, the page-search function can be accessed under the browser's 'Edit' drop-down menu or by pressing 'Control+F' on a PC or 'Command+F' on a Mac.
| Topic Area | $ Recommended ($46,383,000) |
Percentage of Total Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Subd. 03 Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information (19 Appropriations) |
$12,932,000 | 27.88% |
| Subd. 04 Water Resources (9 Appropriations) |
$3,065,000 | 6.61% |
| Subd. 05 Environmental Education (5 Appropriations) |
$1,004,000 | 2.16% |
| Subd. 06 Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species (4 Appropriations) |
$6,071,000 | 13.09% |
| Subd. 07 Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy (4 Appropriations) |
$3,268,000 | 7.05% |
| Subd. 08 Methods to Protect, Restore, and Enhance Land, Water, and Habitat (11 Appropriations) |
$4,646,000 | 10.02% |
| Subd. 09 Land Acquisition for Habitat and Recreation (11 Appropriations) |
$14,190,000 | 30.59% |
| Subd. 10 Administration and Contract Agreement Reimbursement (2 Appropriations) |
$1,207,000 | 2.60% |
| TOTAL $ RECOMMENDATION | $46,383,000 | 100% |
| Fund Source | $ Recommended |
|---|---|
| FY 2016 - Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) | $46,324,000 |
| Great Lakes Protection Account (GLPA) | $59,000 |
| TOTAL $ RECOMMENDATION | $46,383,000 |
*NOTE: Region of Impact designated in the State include Statewide, Central, Metro, NE, NW, SE, SW. Metro region includes the 11 counties of Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright.
| Subd. | ENRTF ID | Title | Total LCCMR $ Recommended |
LCCMR $ Recommended ENRTF: FY2016 |
LCCMR $ Recommended GLPA: FY2016 |
Organization | Project Manager |
Region of Impact* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subd. 03 Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information (19 Recommendations - Subtotal = $12,932,000 ) |
||||||||
| 03a | 001-A | County Geologic Atlases - Part A | $2,040,000 | $2,040,000 | $0 | U of MN - MN Geological Survey | Dale Setterholm | Statewide |
| 03b | 006-A | County Geologic Atlases - Part B | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Jan Falteisek | Statewide |
| 03c | 002-A | Minnesota Biological Survey | $2,450,000 | $2,450,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Bruce Carlson | Statewide |
| 03d | 005-A | Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas for Enhanced Natural Resource Management | $340,000 | $340,000 | $0 | U of MN - Bell Museum of Natural History | Keith Barker | Statewide |
| 03e | 003-A | Updating the National Wetland Inventory for Minnesota - Phase V | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Steve Kloiber | Statewide |
| 03f | 014-A | Creating a Statewide Wetland Bird Monitoring Program | $146,000 | $146,000 | $0 | Audubon Minnesota | Kristin Hall | Statewide |
| 03g | 011-A | Minnesota Native Bee Atlas | $790,000 | $790,000 | $0 | U of MN | Robert Blair | Statewide |
| 03h | 008-A | Reintroduction and Interpretation of Bison in Minnesota State Parks | $600,000 | $600,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Edward Quinn | Statewide |
| 03i | 004-A | Endangered Bats, White-Nose Syndrome, and Forest Habitat | $1,250,000 | $1,250,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Richard Baker | Statewide |
| 03j | 007-A | Assessing Contaminants in Minnesota Loons and Pelicans - Phase III | $141,000 | $141,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Carrol Henderson | Statewide |
| 03k | 017-A | Movement and Seasonal Habitat Use of Minnesota Elk | $200,000 | $200,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Gino D'Angelo | NW |
| 03l | 013-A | Genetic and Camera Techniques to Estimate Carnivore Populations | $200,000 | $200,000 | $0 | U of MN - Duluth NRRI | Ron Moen | Central, NE, NW |
| 03m | 016-A | Turtle Population Dynamics in an Urban Lake | $250,000 | $250,000 | $0 | University of St. Thomas | Jennifer McGuire | Metro |
| 03n | 031-A | Digitization of Historic Gullion Ruffed Grouse Research | $75,000 | $75,000 | $0 | Central Lakes College | Kent Montgomery | Central, NE |
| 03o | 009-A | Effects of Grazing Versus Fire for Prairie Management | $414,000 | $414,000 | $0 | U of MN | Karen Oberhauser | Statewide |
| 03p | 010-A | Assessing Ecological Impact of St. Anthony Falls Lock Closure | $125,000 | $125,000 | $0 | Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership | Kathleen Boe | Metro |
| 03q | 020-A | Foundational Dataset Characterizing Historic Forest Disturbance Impacts | $200,000 | $200,000 | $0 | U of MN | Michael Falkowski | NE, NW |
| 03r | 024-A | Hydrologic Effects of Contemporary Forest Practices in Minnesota | $150,000 | $150,000 | $0 | U of MN | Diana Karwan | NE |
| 03s | 018-A | Habitat Mitigation for Goblin Fern Conservation | $61,000 | $61,000 | $0 | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe | Bobby Henderson | Central |
| Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information Subtotal = | $12,932,000 | $12,932,000 | $0 | |||||
| Subd. 04 Water Resources (9 Recommendations - Subtotal = $3,065,000 ) |
||||||||
| 04a | 033-B | Understanding Water Scarcity, Threats, and Values to Improve Management | $234,000 | $234,000 | $0 | U of MN | Bonnie Keeler | Statewide |
| 04b | 034-B | Biofilm Technology for Water Nutrient Removal | $281,000 | $281,000 | $0 | U of MN | Bo Hu | Statewide |
| 04c | 036-B | Biological Consequences of Septic Pollution in Minnesota Lakes | $364,000 | $364,000 | $0 | St. Cloud State University | Heiko Schoenfuss | Statewide |
| 04d | 035-B | Preventing Phosphorous from Entering Water Resources through Drain Tiles | $505,000 | $505,000 | $0 | U of MN | Kenneth Valentas | Statewide |
| 04e | 047-B | Southeast Minnesota Cover Crop and Soil Health Initiatives | $253,000 | $253,000 | $0 | Board of Water and Soil Resources | Matt Drewitz | SE |
| 04f | 037-B | Southeast Minnesota Subsurface Drainage Impacts on Groundwater Recharge | $488,000 | $488,000 | $0 | U.S. Geological Survey | Erik Smith | SE |
| 04g | 045-B | Using Hydroacoustics to Monitor Sediment in Minnesota Rivers | $455,000 | $455,000 | $0 | U.S. Geological Survey | Christopher Ellison | Central, Metro, SE |
| 04h | 048-B | Assessment of Irrigation Efficiencies in Benton County | $431,000 | $431,000 | $0 | Benton Soil and Water Conservation District | Gerry Maciej | Central |
| 04i | 060-B | Shoreview Water Consumption and Groundwater Awareness Project | $54,000 | $54,000 | $0 | City of Shoreview | Mark Maloney | Metro |
| Water Resources Subtotal = | $3,065,000 | $3,065,000 | $0 | |||||
| Subd. 05 Environmental Education (5 Recommendations - Subtotal = $1,004,000 ) |
||||||||
| 05a | 065-C | Hunter's Choice: Alternative Ammunition | $132,000 | $132,000 | $0 | U of MN | Julia Ponder | Statewide |
| 05b | 066-C | Connecting Students with Watersheds through Hands-On Learning | $400,000 | $400,000 | $0 | Minnesota Trout Unlimited | John Lenczewski | Statewide |
| 05c | 067-C | Zumbro River Watershed Recreational Learning Stewardship Sites | $300,000 | $300,000 | $0 | Zumbro Watershed Partnership | Lawrence Svien | SE |
| 05d | 073-C | Students Engaging Local Watersheds Using Mobile Technologies | $147,000 | $147,000 | $0 | Twin Cities Public Television | Joan Freese | Statewide |
| 05e | 074-C | Mississippi River Water Journey Camps | $25,000 | $25,000 | $0 | U of MN | Beth Mercer-Taylor | Metro |
| Environmental Education Subtotal = | $1,004,000 | $1,004,000 | $0 | |||||
| Subd. 06 Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species (4 Recommendations - Subtotal = $6,071,000 ) |
||||||||
| 06a | 081-D | Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Species Research Center | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $0 | U of MN | Rob Venette | Statewide |
| 06b | 082-D | Emerald Ash Borer Ecological and Hydrological Impacts - Phase II | $400,000 | $400,000 | $0 | U of MN | Anthony D'Amato | Statewide |
| 06c | 083-D | Biological Control of Canada Thistle | $300,000 | $300,000 | $0 | U of MN | Roger Becker | Statewide |
| 06d | 084-D | Preventing a New Disease of Pines in Minnesota | $371,000 | $371,000 | $0 | U of MN | Robert Blanchette | Statewide |
| Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species Subtotal = | $6,071,000 | $6,071,000 | $0 | |||||
| Subd. 07 Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy (4 Recommendations - Subtotal = $3,268,000 ) |
||||||||
| 07a | 96-E | Analysis of Minnesota Energy Systems to Develop Future Energy Strategies | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $0 | Legislative Energy Commission | Annie Levenson-Falk | Statewide |
| 07b | 101-E | Renewable and Sustainable Fertilizers Produced Locally | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $0 | U of MN | Alon McCormick | Statewide |
| 07c | 110-E | Reducing Emissions from Open Burning through Biomass Gasification | $268,000 | $268,000 | $0 | U of MN | William Northrop | Metro, SE |
| 07d | 116-E | Building Deconstruction to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Solid Waste | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $0 | The NetWork for Better Futures d/b/a Better Futures Minnesota / NRRI | Steve Thomas / Victor Krause | Central, Metro, NE, NW |
| Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy Subtotal = | $3,268,000 | $3,268,000 | $0 | |||||
| Subd. 08 Methods to Protect, Restore, and Enhance Land, Water, and Habitat (11 Recommendations - Subtotal = $4,646,000 ) |
||||||||
| 08a | 117-F | Prioritizing Future Management of North Shore Trout Streams | $416,000 | $357,000 | $59,000 | U of MN - NRRI | Lucinda Johnson | NE |
| 08b | 118-F | Thirteen Counties Propagating Native Plants and Restoring Diverse Habitats | $495,000 | $495,000 | $0 | Martin County Soil and Water Conservation District | Rich Perrine | Central, NE, NW, SW |
| 08c | 119-F | Preserving and Protecting Minnesota Native Orchid Species | $167,000 | $167,000 | $0 | U of MN - Landscape Arboretum | David Remucal | Statewide |
| 08d | 122-F | Acceleration of Minnesota Conservation Assistance - Final Phase | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $0 | Board of Water and Soil Resources | Tabor Hoek | Statewide |
| 08e | 126-F | Metro Conservation Corridors Phase VIII - Prairie, Forest, and Savanna Restoration in Greater Metropolitan Area | $276,000 | $276,000 | $0 | Friends of the Mississippi River | Tom Lewanski | Metro |
| 08f | 121-F | Metro Conservation Corridors Phase VIII - Enhancing Restoration Techniques for Improved Climate Resilience and Pollinator Conservation | $400,000 | $400,000 | $0 | Great River Greening | Wiley Buck | Metro |
| 08g | 123-F | Minnesota State University Moorhead Science Center Restoration and Monitoring | $527,000 | $527,000 | $0 | Moorhead State University | Brian Wisenden | NW |
| 08h | 127-F | Improving Community Forests Through Citizen Engagement | $800,000 | $800,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Ken Holman | Statewide |
| 08i | 128-F | Flood Recovery on Sargent Creek Duluth Habitat Restoration | $300,000 | $300,000 | $0 | City of Duluth | Christopher Kleist | NE |
| 08j | 129-F | Shoreland Protection for the Lower St. Croix River | $190,000 | $190,000 | $0 | St. Croix River Association | Debra Ryun | Metro |
| 08k | 135-F | Redwood and Renville Counties Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Master Plan | $75,000 | $75,000 | $0 | Redwood County and Renville County | Mark Erickson | Central, SW |
| Methods to Protect, Restore, and Enhance Land, Water, and Habitat Subtotal = | $4,646,000 | $4,587,000 | $59,000 | |||||
| Subd. 09 Land Acquisition for Habitat and Recreation (11 Recommendations - Subtotal = $14,190,000 ) |
||||||||
| 09a | 139-G | State Parks and State Trails Land Acquisitions | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Jennifer Christie | Statewide |
| 09b | 136-G | Metropolitan Regional Park System Land Acquisition - Phase IV | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $0 | Metropolitan Council | Jan Youngquist | Metro |
| 09c | 137-G | SNA Acquisition, Restoration, Enhancement, and Public Engagement | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Peggy Booth | Statewide |
| 09d | 138-G | Native Prairie Stewardship and Prairie Bank Easement Acquisition | $3,325,000 | $3,325,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Judy Schulte | Central, NW, SE, SW |
| 09e | 145-G 148-G |
Metro Conservation Corridors Phase VIII - Coordination and Mapping and Conservation Easements | $515,000 | $515,000 | $0 | Minnesota Land Trust | Kris Larson | Metro |
| 09f | 144-G | Metropolitan Conservation Corridors Phase VIII - Strategic Lands Protection | $750,000 | $750,000 | $0 | The Trust for Public Land | Robert McGillivray | Metro |
| 09g | 141-G | Metro Conservation Corridors Phase VIII - Priority Expansion of Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge | $500,000 | $500,000 | $0 | Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust, Inc. | Deborah Loon | Metro |
| 09h | 143-G | Metro Conservation Corridors Phase VIII - Wildlife Management Area Acquisition | $400,000 | $400,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Patrick Rivers | Metro |
| 09i | 142-G | Mesabi Trail Development Soudan to Ely - Phase II | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $0 | St. Louis & Lake Counties Regional Railroad Authority | Bob Manzoline | NE |
| 09j | 147-G | Multi-benefit Watershed Scale Conservation on North Central Lakes | $950,000 | $950,000 | $0 | Leech Lake Area Watershed Foundation / BWSR | Lindsey Ketchel / Dan Steward | Central |
| 09k | n/a | Conservation Easement Assessment and Valuation System Development | $250,000 | $250,000 | $0 | U of MN | Bonnie Keeler | Statewide |
| Land Acquisition for Habitat and Recreation Subtotal = | $14,190,000 | $14,190,000 | $0 | |||||
| Subd. 10 Administration and Contract Agreement Reimbursement (2 Recommendation - Subtotal = $1,207,000 ) |
||||||||
| 11a | n/a | Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) | $1,072,000 | $1,072,000 | $0 | Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) | Susan Thornton | Statewide |
| 11b | 152-H | Contract Agreement Reimbursement | $135,000 | $135,000 | $0 | MN DNR | Amanda Graeber | Statewide |
| Other Subtotal = | $1,207,000 | $1,207,000 | $0 | |||||
| Total $ Recommendation = | $45,851,000 | $45,792,000 | $59,000 | |||||