Minnesota Legislature
2023 Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Recommendations
For FY 2024 (July 1, 2023 ‐June 30, 2024), approximately $79 million is available for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) and approximately $189,000 is available from the Great Lakes Protection Account (GLPA). As of August 30, 2022, the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has selected 85 projects totaling $79,833,000 to recommend to the 2023 Minnesota Legislature for funding from the ENRTF and the GLPA. The recommendations are a result of the LCCMR’s 2023 Request for Proposal (RFP) process in which 174 proposals requesting a total of approximately $164 million were received and considered through a competitive, multi‐stage evaluation. The 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 2023 Proposal & Funding Process Main Page for additional information.
Print-ready PDF list of 2023 proposals - listed by category with project summaries (10-pages).
Print-ready PDF list of 2023 proposals - listed by category without project summaries (7-pages).
Summary and process of the 2023 proposals recommended by the LCCMR.
Viewing Proposals
- Click on the "Proposal 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 | $ Recommended | Percentage of Total Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Subd. 03 Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information (19 Recommendations) |
$8,219,000 | 10.30% |
| Subd. 04 Water Resources (13 Recommendations) |
$8,328,000 | 10.43% |
| Subd. 05 Environmental Education (8 Recommendations) |
$3,905,000 | 4.89% |
| Subd. 06 Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species (2 Recommendations) |
$5,104,000 | 6.39% |
| Subd. 07 Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy (6 Recommendations) |
$3,913,000 | 4.90% |
| Subd. 08 Methods to Protect or Restore Land, Water, and Habitat (18 Recommendations) |
$15,997,000 | 20.04% |
| Subd. 09 Land Acquisition, Habitat, and Recreation (15 Recommendations) |
$31,241,000 | 39.13% |
| Subd. 10 Administration and Contract Agreement Reimbursement (4 Recommendations) |
$3,126,000 | 3.92% |
| Total Project $ | $79,833,000 | 100% |
| Fund Source | $ Amount |
|---|---|
| FY 2024 - Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) | $79,644,000 |
| Great Lakes Protection Account (GLPA) | $189,000 |
| Total $ | $79,833,000 |
*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. |
Proposal ID | Title | LCCMR Total Recomended Amount (FY24) |
Organization | Project Manager |
Region* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subd. 03 Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information (19 Recommendations = $8,219,000) | ||||||
| 03a | 2023-044 | Assessing Restorations for Rusty-Patched and Other Bumblebee Habitat | $75,000 | Friends of the Mississippi River | Alex Roth | Metro |
| 03b | 2023-066 | Removing Barriers to Carbon Market Entry | $482,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | John Zobel | Statewide |
| 03c | 2023-072 | Mapping Migratory Bird Pitstops in Minnesota | $340,000 | Audubon Minnesota | Dale Gentry | Statewide |
| 03d | 2023-086 | Enhancing Knowledge of Minnesota River Fish Ecology | $199,000 | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | Anthony Sindt | Metro, SE, SW |
| 03e | 2023-090 | Changing Distribution of Flying Squirrel Species in Minnesota | $186,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Michael Joyce | Statewide |
| 03f | 2023-092 | Statewide Forest Carbon Inventory and Change Mapping | $987,000 | MN DNR, Forestry Division | David Wilson | Statewide |
| 03g | 2023-120 | Predicting the Future of Aquatic Species by Understanding the Past | $170,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Lynn Waterhouse | Statewide |
| 03h | 2023-139 | Assessing Status of Common Tern Populations in Minnesota | $199,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Annie Bracey | Statewide |
| 03i | 2023-146 | Salvaged Wildlife to Inform Environmental Health, Ecology, Education | $486,000 | U of MN, Bell Museum of Natural History | Sushma Reddy | Statewide |
| 03j | 2023-154 | Developing Conservation Priorities for Rare and Specialist Bees | $619,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Daniel Cariveau | Statewide |
| 03k | 2023-169 | Efficacy of Urban Archery Hunting to Manage Deer | $393,000 | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Bemidji State University | Jacob Haus | NW |
| 03l | 2023-183 | Mapping the Ecology of Urban and Rural Canids | $601,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | James Forester | Central, Metro |
| 03m | 2023-186 | Maximizing Lowland Conifer Ecosystem Services: Phase 2 | $482,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Marcella Windmuller-Campione | Central, NE, NW |
| 03n | 2023-209 | Modernizing Minnesota’s Wildlife (and Plant!) Action Plan | $889,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Kristin Hall | Statewide |
| 03o | 2023-217 | Linking Breeding and Migratory Bird Populations in Minnesota | $199,000 | Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory | Janelle Long | Statewide |
| 03p | 2023-218 | Old Growth Forest Monitoring | $441,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Emily Peters | Statewide |
| 03q | 2023-222 | Integrating Remotely Sensed Data with Traditional Forest Inventory | $191,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | John Du Plissis | NE |
| 03r | 2023-232 | Community Response Monitoring for Adaptive Management in Southeast Minnesota | $483,000 | The Nature Conservancy | David Ruff | SE |
| 03s | 2023-248 | Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas - Phase 3 | $797,000 | U of MN, Bell Museum of Natural History | George Weiblen | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $8,219,000 | |||||
| Subd. 04 Water Resources (13 Recommendations = $8,328,000) | ||||||
| 04a | 2023-004 | Ditching Delinquent Ditches: Optimizing Wetland Restoration | $199,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Andrew Wickert | Statewide |
| 04b | 2023-022 | Assessment of Red River Basin Project Outcomes | $920,000 | Red River Basin Flood Damage Reduction Work Group | Andrew Graham | NW |
| 04c | 2023-026 | Wind Wave and Boating Impacts on Inland Lakes | $415,000 | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | Jeffrey Marr | Statewide |
| 04d | 2023-063 | Finding, Capturing, and Destroying PFAS in Minnesota Waters | $478,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | William Arnold | Statewide |
| 04e | 2023-074 | Sinking and Suspended Microplastic Particles in Lake Superior | $412,000 | U of MN, Duluth - Large Lakes Observatory | Elizabeth Minor | NE |
| 04f | 2023-107 | Ecotoxicological Impacts of Quinone Outside Inhibitor (QoI) Fungicides | $279,000 | University of St. Thomas | Kristine Wammer | Statewide |
| 04g | 2023-129 | Brightsdale Dam Channel Restoration | $1,004,000 | Fillmore County Soil and Water Conservation District | Mindy Williamson | SE |
| 04h | 2023-134 | Mapping Aquifer Recharge Potential | $391,000 | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | Peter Kang | Statewide |
| 04i | 2023-137 | ALASD's Chloride Source Reduction Pilot Program | $764,000 | Alexandria Lake Area Sanitary District (ALASD) | Scott Gilbertson | Central |
| 04j | 2023-215 | Removing CECs from Stormwater with Biofiltration | $641,000 | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | Andy Erickson | Metro |
| 04k | 2023-237 | Didymo II – The North Shore Threat Continues | $394,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Croix Watershed Research Station | Mark Edlund | NE |
| 04l | 2023-238 | Leveraging Data Analytics Innovations for Watershed District Planning | $738,000 | Minnehaha Creek Watershed District | Brian Beck | Statewide |
| 04m | 2023-247 | Protecting Water in the Central Sands Region of the Mississippi River Headwaters | $1,693,000 | White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa Indians | Jamie Konopacky | Central |
| Subtotal | $8,328,000 | |||||
| Subd. 05 Environmental Education (8 Recommendations = $3,905,000) | ||||||
| 05a | 2023-008 | Fostering Conservation by Connecting Students to the BWCA | $1,080,000 | Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness | Alison Nyenhuis | Statewide |
| 05b | 2023-051 | Statewide Environmental Education via PBS Outdoor Series | $391,000 | Pioneer PBS | Cindy Dorn | Statewide |
| 05c | 2023-062 | Increasing Diversity in Environmental Careers | $763,000 | MN DNR, Operational Services Division (OSD) | Mimi Daniel | Statewide |
| 05d | 2023-167 | Reducing Biophobia and Fostering Environmental Stewardship in Underserved Schools | $180,000 | U of MN, Raptor Center | Victoria Hall | Statewide |
| 05e | 2023-185 | Sharing Minnesota's Biggest Environmental Investment | $628,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota | Joy Hobbs | Statewide |
| 05f | 2023-201 | North Shore Private Forestry Outreach and Implementation | $375,000 | Sugarloaf The North Shore Stewardship Association | Molly Thompson | NE |
| 05g | 2023-223 | Teaching Students about Watersheds through Outdoor Science | $290,000 | Minnesota Trout Unlimited | John Lenczewski | Statewide |
| 05h | 2023-229 | Bioblitz Urban Parks: Engaging Communities in Scientific Efforts | $198,000 | Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board | MaryLynn Pulscher | Metro |
| Subtotal | $3,905,000 | |||||
| Subd. 06 Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species (2 Recommendations = $5,104,000) | ||||||
| 06a | 2023-153 | Northward Expansion of Ecologically-Damaging Amphibians and Reptiles | $163,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Kenneth Kozak | Statewide |
| 06b | 2023-176 | Developing Research-Based Solutions to Minnesota's AIS Problems | $4,941,000 | U of MN, MAISRC | Cori Mattke | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $5,104,000 | |||||
| Subd. 07 Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy (6 Recommendations = $3,913,000) | ||||||
| 07a | 2023-013 | Community Forestry AmeriCorps | $1,500,000 | ServeMinnesota | Sharon Delcambre | Statewide |
| 07b | 2023-043 | Biochar Implementation in Habitat Restoration: A Pilot | $185,000 | Great River Greening | Todd Rexine | Central, Metro, SE |
| 07c | 2023-101 | Completing Installment of the Minnesota Ecological Monitoring Network | $1,094,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Holly Bernado | Statewide |
| 07d | 2023-152 | Lichens as Low-Cost Air Quality Monitors in Minnesota | $341,000 | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | Natalia Mossmann Koch | Statewide |
| 07e | 2023-171 | Environment-Friendly Decarbonizing of Steel Production with Hydrogen Plasma | $739,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Uwe Kortshagen | Statewide |
| 07f | 2023-240 | Economic Analysis Guide for Minnesota Climate Investments | $54,000 | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | David Bael | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $3,913,000 | |||||
| Subd. 08 Methods to Protect or Restore Land, Water, and Habitat (18 Recommendations = $15,997,000) | ||||||
| 08a | 2023-006 | Minnesota Bee and Beneficial Species Habitat Enhancement II | $876,000 | Pheasants Forever Inc | Sabin Adams | Statewide |
| 08b | 2023-010 | Karner Blue Butterfly Insurance Population Establishment in Minnesota | $405,000 | Three Rivers Park District | John Moriarty | Metro |
| 08c | 2023-025 | Root River Habitat Restoration at Eagle Bluff | $866,000 | Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center | Colleen Foehrenbacher | SE |
| 08d | 2023-060 | Restoring Mussels in Streams and Lakes - Continuation | $825,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Madeline Pletta | Statewide |
| 08e | 2023-061 | Minnesota Million: Seedlings for Reforestation and CO2 Sequestration | $906,000 | U of MN, Duluth | Julie Etterson | Statewide |
| 08f | 2023-080 | Panoway on Wayzata Bay Shoreline Restoration Project | $200,000 | City of Wayzata | Nick Kieser | Metro |
| 08g | 2023-105 | Pollinator Central III: Habitat Improvement with Community Monitoring | $190,000 | Great River Greening | Rebecca Tucker | Metro |
| 08h | 2023-117 | Restoring Forests and Savannas Using Silvopasture - Phase 2 | $674,000 | Great River Greening | Brad Gordon | Statewide |
| 08i | 2023-135 | Minnesota Community Schoolyards | $1,433,000 | The Trust for Public Land | Eric Weiss | Statewide |
| 08j | 2023-136 | Pollinator Enhancement and Mississippi River Shoreline Restoration | $187,000 | Department of Military Affairs | Josh Pennington | Central |
| 08k | 2023-142 | Conservation Cooperative for Working Lands | $2,611,000 | Pheasants Forever Inc | Tanner Bruse | Statewide |
| 08l | 2023-177 | Quantifying Environmental Benefits of Peatland Restoration in Minnesota | $754,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Christian Lenhart | NE, NW |
| 08m | 2023-181 | Renewing Access to an Iconic North Shore Vista | $197,000 | Superior Hiking Trail Association | Lisa Luokkala | NE |
| 08n | 2023-189 | Addressing Erosion Along High Use River Loops | $368,000 | Superior Hiking Trail Association | Lisa Luokkala | NE |
| 08o | 2023-211 | Pollinator Habitat Creation at Minnesota Closed Landfills | $1,508,000 | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Eric Pederson | Statewide |
| 08p | 2023-212 | Enhancing Habitat Connectivity within the Urban Mississippi Flyway | $190,000 | Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board | Adam Arvidson | Metro |
| 08q | 2023-219 | Statewide Diversion of Furniture and Mattress Waste Pilots | $2,833,000 | EMERGE Community Development | Shawn Dolan | Statewide |
| 08r | 2023-250 | Phelps Mill Wetland and Prairie Restoration | $974,000 | Otter Tail County | Nicholas Leonard | Central |
| Subtotal | $15,997,000 | |||||
| Subd. 09 Land Acquisition, Habitat, and Recreation (15 Recommendations = $31,241,000) | ||||||
| 09a | 2023-028 | SNA Stewardship, Outreach, and Biodiversity Protection | $1,919,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Judy Schulte | Statewide |
| 09b | 2023-032 | Wannigan Regional Park Land Acquisition | $727,000 | City of Frazee | Stephanie Poegel | NW |
| 09c | 2023-039 | Local Parks, Trails and Natural Areas Grant Programs | $3,802,000 | MN DNR, Grants Unit | Audrey Mularie | Statewide |
| 09d | 2023-064 | Outreach and Stewardship Through the Native Prairie Bank Program | $620,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Judy Schulte | Central, NW, SW |
| 09e | 2023-081 | Minnesota State Trails Development | $4,952,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Kent Skaar | Statewide |
| 09f | 2023-091 | Construction of East Park | $700,000 | City of St. Joseph | Nate Keller | Central |
| 09g | 2023-110 | Scandia Gateway Trail to William O'Brien State Park | $2,689,000 | City of Scandia | Anne Hurlburt | Metro |
| 09h | 2023-147 | Grand Marais Mountain Bike Trail Rehabilitation: Phase II | $200,000 | Superior Cycling Association | Paul Nordlund | NE |
| 09i | 2023-148 | Acquisition of State Parks and Trails Inholdings | $5,425,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Shelby Kok | Statewide |
| 09j | 2023-172 | St. Louis River Re-Connect - Phase II | $1,375,000 | City of Duluth | Cliff Knettel | NE |
| 09k | 2023-207 | City of Biwabik Recreation | $1,306,000 | City of Biwabik | Jeff Jacobson | NE |
| 09l | 2023-210 | Silver Bay Multimodal Trailhead Project | $1,970,000 | City of Silver Bay | Lana Fralich | NE |
| 09m | 2023-213 | Above the Falls Regional Park Restoration Planning and Acquisition | $1,376,000 | Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board | Adam Arvidson | Metro |
| 09n | 2023-231 | Redhead Mountain Bike Park | $1,666,000 | Minnesota Discovery Center | Donna Johnson | NE |
| 09o | 2023-249 | Maplewood State Park Trail Segment of the Perham to Pelican Rapids Regional Trail | $2,514,000 | Otter Tail County | Nicholas Leonard | Central |
| Subtotal | $31,241,000 | |||||
| Subd. 10 Administration, Emerging Issues, and Contract Agreement Reimbursement (4 Recommendations = $3,126,000) | ||||||
| 10a | 2023-001 | LCCMR Administrative Budget | $2,000,000 | Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources | Becca Nash | Statewide |
| 10b | 2023-002 | Emerging Issues | $900,000 | Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources | Becca Nash | Statewide |
| 10c | 2023-073 | Contract Agreement Reimbursement | $224,000 | MN DNR, Grants Unit | Katherine Sherman-Hoehn | Statewide |
| 10d | 2023-255 | Legislative Coordinating Commission Legacy Website | $2,000 | Legislative Coordinating Commission | Sally Olson | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $3,126,000 | |||||
| Total | $79,833,000 | |||||