Minnesota Legislature
2021 Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Recommendations
As of November 18, 2020, the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has selected 88 projects totaling $70,881,000 to recommend to the 2021 Minnesota Legislature for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). In response to LCCMR's 2021 Request for Proposal (RFP), 329 proposals requesting a total of approximately $240 million were received and considered through a competitive, multi‐stage evaluation. The following recommendations range from funding the full proposal and dollar amount requested to partial funding for specific proposal elements.
Check the LCCMR schedule for the most up-to-date information and important process dates.
Visit the 2021 Proposal & Funding Process Main Page for additional information.
Print-ready PDF list of 2021 proposals selected to present - listed by category with project summaries (8-pages).
Print-ready PDF list of 2021 proposals selected to present - listed by category without project summaries (6-pages).
Summary and process of the M.L. 2021 proposals recommended by the LCCMR.
Viewing Proposals
- Click on the "ENRTF ID #" of the proposal to view the full proposal.
- To find specific proposals 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.
- Hyperlinks within the proposal to proposal attachments may not work for everyone. If you wish for a copy of a proposal attachment that is not already included in the PDF, please send a request to LCCMR staff.
| Topic Area | ENRTF $ ($70,881,000) |
Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Subd. 03 Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information (14 Projects) |
$10,459,000 | 14.76% |
| Subd. 04 Water Resources (10 Projects) |
$4,771,000 | 6.73% |
| Subd. 05 Technical Assistance, Outreach, and Environmental Education (7 Projects) |
$2,687,000 | 3.79% |
| Subd. 06 Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species (7 Projects) |
$6,148,000 | 8.67% |
| Subd. 07 Air Quality and Renewable Energy (6 Projects) |
$6,205,000 | 8.75% |
| Subd. 08 Methods to Protect or Restore Land, Water, and Habitat (18 Projects) |
$6,429,000 | 9.07% |
| Subd. 09 Land Acquisition, Habitat, and Recreation (22 Projects) |
$32,062,000 | 45.23% |
| Subd. 10 Contract Agreement Reimbursement (3 Projects) |
$2,120,000 | 2.99% |
| Total Project $ | $70,881,000 | 100% |
| Fund Source | $ Amount |
|---|---|
| FY 2022 - Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) | $70,881,000 |
| Total $ | $70,881,000 |
*NOTE: Region 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.
| Draft Work Plan Subd. |
Original Proposal ENRTF ID |
Title | Total ENRTF $ FY2022 | Organization | Project Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subd. 03 Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information (14 Projects - Subtotal = $10,459,000) | |||||
| 03a | 2021-032 | What’s “Bugging” Minnesota’s Insect-Eating Birds? | $199,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Alexis Grinde |
| 03b | 2021-055 | Protecting Minnesota's Beneficial Macroalgae: All Stoneworts Aren't Starry | $811,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Donna Perleberg |
| 03c | 2021-071 | County Groundwater Atlas | $1,875,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Paul Putzier |
| 03d | 2021-087 | Improving Resiliency and Conservation Outcomes for Minnesota Turtles | $391,000 | Minnesota Zoological Society | Tricia Markle |
| 03e | 2021-113 | Minnesota Biological Survey: Setting a Future Course | $1,500,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Bruce Carlson |
| 03f | 2021-118 | 2021 Groundwater Contamination Mapping Project | $800,000 | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Myrna Halbach |
| 03g | 2021-138 | Geologic Atlases for Water Resource Management | $3,092,000 | U of MN, MN Geological Survey | Barbara Lusardi |
| 03h | 2021-140 | Redwood County RIM Easement Evaluation and Public Outreach | $197,000 | Redwood Soil & Water Conservation District | Kristy Zajac |
| 03i | 2021-159 | Collaborative State and Tribal Wild Rice Monitoring Program | $644,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Josh Knopik |
| 03j | 2021-238 | Morrison County Performance Drainage and Hydrology Management II | $197,000 | Morrison Soil and Water Conservation District | Shannon Wettstein |
| 03k | 2021-278 | Preserving Minnesota’s Wetlands: Our Resource for Future Medicine | $210,000 | U of MN, Crookston | Brian Dingmann |
| 03l | 2021-289 | A Biodiversity Checkup for Minnesota’s Big Woods | $109,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Lee Frelich |
| 03m | 2021-321 | Microbiome in Raptors: A New Tool for Conservation | $129,000 | U of MN, Raptor Center | Julia Ponder |
| 03n | 2021-396 | Bioacoustics for Broad-Scale Species Monitoring and Conservation | $305,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Elena West |
| Subd. 04 Water Resources (10 Projects - Subtotal = $4,771,000) | |||||
| 04a | 2021-050 | Trout Stream Habitat Restoration Success | $319,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Valerie Brady |
| 04b | 2021-115 | Novel Nutrient Recovery Process from Wastewater Treatment Plants | $200,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Bo Hu |
| 04c | 2021-121 | Monitoring Emerging Viruses in Minnesota's Urban Water Cycles | $416,000 | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | Sebastian Behrens |
| 04d | 2021-144 | Microgeographic Impact of Antibiotics Released from Identified Hotspots | $508,000 | U of MN, College of Veterinary Medicine | Randall Singer |
| 04e | 2021-266 | Sustainable Irrigation Management: Expanding a Statewide Web Application | $1,139,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Bryan Runck |
| 04f | 2021-358 | Assessing Membrane Bioreactor Wastewater Treatment Efficacy | $419,000 | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, St. Cloud State University | Heiko Schoenfuss |
| 04g | 2021-364 | Evaluating Coronavirus and Other Microbiological Contamination of Drinking Water Sources from Wastewater | $594,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Timothy LaPara |
| 04h | 2021-376 | St. James Pit Water Level Control | $259,000 | City of Aurora | Becky Lammi |
| 04i | 2021-384 | Long-Term Nitrate Mitigation by Maintaining Profitable Kernza Production | $485,000 | Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District | Dennis Fuchs |
| 04j | 2021-390 | Antibiotic Resistance and Wastewater Treatment: Problems and Solutions | $432,000 | University of St. Thomas | Justin Donato |
| Subd. 05 Environmental Education (7 Projects - Subtotal = $2,687,000) | |||||
| 05a | 2021-042 | Increasing Outdoor Learning For Young Minnesotans | $383,000 | Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center | Shannon Walz |
| 05b | 2021-131 | Pollinator Education in the Science Classroom | $366,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Elaine Evans |
| 05c | 2021-132 | Minnesota Freshwater Quest: Environmental Education for 20000 Youth | $699,000 | Wilderness Inquiry | Julie Edmiston |
| 05d | 2021-175 | Minnesota Master Naturalist: Nature for New Minnesotans | $293,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Robert Blair |
| 05e | 2021-186 | The Voyageurs Classroom Initiative | $348,000 | Voyageurs National Park Association | Christina Hausman Rhode |
| 05f | 2021-320 | Restoring Land, Reviving Heritage: Conservation Through Indigenous Culture | $420,000 | Belwin Conservancy | Katie Bloome |
| 05g | 2021-323 | Expanding Access to Environmental Education for Underserved Communities | $178,000 | U of MN, Raptor Center | Julia Ponder |
| Subd. 06 Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species (7 Projects - Subtotal = $6,148,000) | |||||
| 06a | 2021-017 | Starch Allocation Patterns of Starry Stonewort (Nitellopsis Obtusa) Harvested from Lake Koronis, MN | $101,000 | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Minnesota State University Mankato | Ryan Wersal |
| 06b | 2021-091 | Long-Term Efficacy of Invasive Removal in Floodplain Forests | $25,000 | Macalester College | Mike Anderson |
| 06c | 2021-162 | Oak Wilt Suppression at the Northern Edge II | $423,000 | Morrison Soil and Water Conservation District | Shannon Wettstein |
| 06d | 2021-164 | Biocontrol of Bee Lawns and Parklands | $425,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Vera Krischik |
| 06e | 2021-188 | Building Knowledge and Capacity for AIS Solutions | $3,750,000 | U of MN, MAISRC | Nicholas Phelps |
| 06f | 2021-217 | Evaluating Minnesota's Last Best Chance to Stop Carp | $424,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Peter Sorensen |
| 06g | 2021-313 | Stop Starry Invasion - Community Invasive Species Containment | $1,000,000 | Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates | Jeff Forester |
| Subd. 07 Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy (6 Projects - Subtotal = $6,205,000) | |||||
| 07a | 2021-010 | Enhanced Thermo-Active Foundations for Space Heating in Minnesota | $312,000 | U of MN, Duluth | Aggrey Mwesigye |
| 07b | 2021-169 | Storing Renewable Energy in Flow-Battery for Grid Use | $2,408,000 | U of MN, Morris | Bryan Herrmann |
| 07c | 2021-191 | Agrivoltaics to Improve the Environment and Farm Resiliency | $646,000 | U of MN, WCROC | Bradley Heins |
| 07d | 2021-294 | Behavioral Response of Bald and Golden Eagles to Acoustic Stimuli | $261,000 | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | Christopher Feist |
| 07e | 2021-344 | Create Jobs Statewide by Diverting Materials from Landfills | $2,244,000 | Better Futures Minnesota | Steve Thomas |
| 07f | 2021-402 | Strengthening Minnesota's Reuse Economy to Conserve Natural Resources | $334,000 | ReUse Minnesota | Jennifer Kedward |
| Subd. 08 Methods to Protect, Restore, and Enhance Land, Water, and Habitat (18 Projects - Subtotal = $6,429,000) | |||||
| 08a | 2021-022 | Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape Forest Restoration and Enhancements | $731,000 | Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District | Melissa Barrick |
| 08b | 2021-039 | Restoring Mussels in Streams and Lakes - continuation | $619,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Mike Davis |
| 08c | 2021-058 | Pollinator Central II: Habitat Improvement with Community Monitoring | $631,000 | Great River Greening | Rebecca Tucker |
| 08d | 2021-062 | Preserving Minnesota’s only Ball Cactus Population | $103,000 | U of MN, Landscape Arboretum | David Remucal |
| 08e | 2021-065 | Phase 2 - Prescribed-Fire Management for Roadside Prairies | $217,000 | Minnesota Department of Transportation | Nathan Johnson |
| 08f | 2021-084 | Restoring Upland Forests for Birds | $193,000 | American Bird Conservancy | Kevin Sheppard |
| 08g | 2021-097 | Minnesota Green Schoolyards | $250,000 | The Trust for Public Land | Eric Weiss |
| 08h | 2021-137 | Plumbing the Muddy Depths of Superior Hiking Trail | $187,000 | Superior Hiking Trail Association | Lisa Luokkala |
| 08i | 2021-212 | Reducing Plastic Pollution with Biodegradable Erosion Control Products | $200,000 | Agricultural Utilization Research Institute | Riley Gordon |
| 08j | 2021-223 | Remote Sensing and Super-resolution Imaging of Microplastics | $309,000 | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | Ardeshir Ebtehaj |
| 08k | 2021-229 | Woodcrest Trail Expansion and Prairie Restoration | $16,000 | Country Manor Campus, LLC | Sara Gabrielson |
| 08l | 2021-231 | Urban Pollinator and Native American Cultural Site Restoration | $213,000 | Friends of the Mississippi River | Betsy Daub |
| 08m | 2021-280 | Economic and Ecological Benefits of Soil Health | $288,000 | Redwood Soil & Water Conservation District | Scott Wold |
| 08n | 2021-308 | Creating Cost-Effective Forage and Management Actions for Pollinators | $198,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Daniel Cariveau |
| 08o | 2021-322 | Shoreline Stabilization, Fishing, ADA Improvements at Silverwood Park | $200,000 | Three Rivers Park District | Jonathan Vlaming |
| 08p | 2021-337 | Lawns to Legumes Program Phase 2 | $993,000 | Board of Water and Soil Resources | Dan Shaw |
| 08q | 2021-375 | Reintroduction of Bison to Spring Lake Park Reserve | $560,000 | Dakota County | Tom Lewanski |
| 08r | 2021-377 | Elm Creek Habitat Restoration Final Phase | $521,000 | City of Champlin | Todd Tuominen |
| G. Land Acquisition, Habitat and Recreation (22 Projects - Subtotal = $32,062,000) | |||||
| 09a | 2021-012 | Perham to Pelican Rapids Regional Trail (McDonald Segment) | $2,245,000 | Otter Tail County | Matthew Yavarow |
| 09b | 2021-028 | Mesabi Trail CSAH 88 to Ely | $1,650,000 | St. Louis & Lake Counties Regional Railroad Authority | Robert Manzoline |
| 09c | 2021-029 | SW MN Single Track Trail | $190,000 | Jackson County, Parks & Trails | Jeremy Bartosh |
| 09d | 2021-043 | Local Parks, Trails and Natural Areas Grant Programs | $2,250,000 | MN DNR, Grants Unit | Audrey Mularie |
| 09e | 2021-049 | Metropolitan Regional Parks System Land Acquisition- Phase 7 | $2,250,000 | Metropolitan Council | Jessica Lee |
| 09f | 2021-069 | Sauk Rapids Rapids Project Lions Park | $463,000 | City of Sauk Rapids | Todd Schultz |
| 09g | 2021-092 | City of Brainerd - Mississippi Landing Trailhead | $2,850,000 | City of Brainerd | David Chanski |
| 09h | 2021-105 | Native Prairie Stewardship & Prairie Bank Easement Acquisition | $1,341,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Judy Schulte |
| 09i | 2021-109 | Moose Lake - Trunk Highway 73 Trail | $330,000 | City of Moose Lake | Katie Bloom |
| 09j | 2021-151 | SNA Acquisition, Restoration, Citizen-Science and Outreach | $3,336,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Molly Roske |
| 09k | 2021-154 | Precision Acquisition for Restoration, Groundwater Recharge and Habitat | $467,000 | Shell Rock River Watershed District | Courtney Phillips |
| 09l | 2021-222 | Lake Brophy Trail Expansion | $100,000 | Big Ole Bike Club | Jefferson Brand |
| 09m | 2021-325 | Veterans on the Lake | $553,000 | Veterans on the Lake | Neil Olson |
| 09n | 2021-329 | Voyageur National Park Crane Lake Visitors Center Project | $2,700,000 | Town of Crane Lake | JoAnn Pohlman |
| 09o | 2021-330 | Brookston Campground, Boat Launch & Outdoor Recreational Facility Final | $425,000 | City of Brookston | Kaycee Melin |
| 09p | 2021-332 | Moose/Seven Beaver Multi-Use Trail Upgrade | $900,000 | City of Hoyt Lakes | Rebecca Burich |
| 09q | 2021-338 | Above the Falls Regional Park Acquisition and Restoration | $950,000 | Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board | Adam Arvidson |
| 09r | 2021-339 | Silver Lake Trail Improvement Project | $1,071,000 | City of Virginia | Britt See-Benes |
| 09s | 2021-362 | Minnesota State Trails Development | $4,266,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Kent Skaar |
| 09t | 2021-363 | Highbanks Ravine Bat Habernaculum Project | $825,000 | City of St. Cloud | Lisa Vollbrecht |
| 09u | 2021-371 | State Parks and State Trails In-Holdings | $2,560,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Brandon Helm |
| 09v | 2021-380 | Accessible Fishing Piers and Shore Fishing Areas | $340,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Nancy Stewart |
| Subd. 10 Administration (4 Projects - Subtotal = $2,120,000) | |||||
| 10a | 2021-027 | ML 2021 Contract Agreement Reimbursement | $135,000 | MN DNR, Grants Unit | Katherine Sherman-Hoehn |
| 10b | n/a | LCCMR Budget FY22-FY23 | $1,750,000 | LCCMR | Becca Nash |
| 10c | n/a | Emerging Issues Account | $233,000 | LCCMR | Becca Nash |
| 10d | n/a | Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC) Administration | $2,000 | LCC | Sally Olson |