Minnesota Legislature
2024 Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Recommendations
For FY 2025 (July 1, 2024 -June 30, 2025), approximately $79 million is available for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF).
As of July 20, 2023, the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has selected 101 projects totaling $79,644,000 to recommend to the 2024 Minnesota Legislature for funding from the ENRTF. In response to LCCMR’s 2024 Request for Proposal (RFP), 218 proposals requesting a total of approximately $174 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 2024 Proposal & Funding Process Main Page for additional information.
Print-ready PDF list of 2024 proposals - listed by category with project summaries (10-pages).
Print-ready PDF list of 2024 proposals - listed by category without project summaries (7-pages).
Summary and process of the 2024 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 (28 Recommendations) |
$14,993,000 | 18.83% |
| Subd. 04 Water Resources (13 Recommendations) |
$6,924,000 | 8.69% |
| Subd. 05 Environmental Education (22 Recommendations) |
$11,262,000 | 14.14% |
| Subd. 06 Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species (4 Recommendations) |
$8,304,000 | 10.43% |
| Subd. 07 Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy (5 Recommendations) |
$4,833,000 | 6.07% |
| Subd. 08 Methods to Protect or Restore Land, Water, and Habitat (16 Recommendations) |
$10,910,000 | 13.70% |
| Subd. 09 Land Acquisition, Habitat, and Recreation (10 Recommendations) |
$20,322,000 | 25.52% |
| Subd. 10 Administration, Emerging Issues, and Contract Agreement Reimbursement (3 Recommendations) |
$2,096,000 | 2.63% |
| Total Project $ | $79,644,000 | 100% |
| Fund Source | $ Amount |
|---|---|
| FY 2025 - Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) | $79,644,000 |
| Total $ | $79,644,000 |
*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 (FY25) |
Organization | Project Manager |
Region* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subd. 03 Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information (28 Recommendations = $14,993,000) | ||||||
| 03a | 2024-014 | Native Plant Community Data in the City of Duluth | $198,000 | Minnesota Land Trust | Virginia Breidenbach | NE |
| 03b | 2024-036 | Reconstructing Historical Wild Rice to Understand Its Future | $200,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Croix Watershed Research Station | Lienne Sethna | Statewide |
| 03c | 2024-044 | Characterizing Tree Cavities and Use by Minnesota’s Wildlife | $349,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Alexis Grinde | Statewide |
| 3d | 2024-046 | Fate of Minnesota’s Lakes in the Next Century | $453,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Ardeshir Ebtehaj | Statewide |
| 03e | 2024-048 | Turtle Island Skywatchers – Minnesota Research and Data Visualization | $200,000 | Native Skywatchers Inc | Annette S. Lee | Statewide |
| 03f | 2024-063 | Monitoring Minnesota’s Insects: Connecting Habitat to Insect Prey | $199,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Matthew Petersen | Central, NW |
| 03g | 2024-068 | Determining Ambient Background PFAS Concentrations in Minnesota Soils | $621,000 | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Sona Psarska | Statewide |
| 03h | 2024-071 | Investigating Life History Characteristics of Minnesota Elk | $933,000 | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | Eric Michel | Statewide |
| 03i | 2024-072 | Foundational Data for Moth and Butterfly Conservation | $195,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Kyle Johnson | Statewide |
| 03j | 2024-078 | DNR County Groundwater Atlas | $3,200,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Vanessa Baratta | Statewide |
| 03k | 2024-083 | Voyageurs Wolf Project - Phase III | $996,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Joseph Bump | Statewide |
| 03l | 2024-088 | Distribution and Population Status of Weasels in Minnesota | $400,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Michael Joyce | Statewide |
| 03m | 2024-150 | Improving Aquatic Plant Knowledge for Healthy Waters | $198,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Holly Bernardo | Statewide |
| 03n | 2024-158 | New Small Mammal Monitoring Methods for Minnesota | $199,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Ron Moen | Statewide |
| 03o | 2024-163 | Status of Bats and Roost Trees after White-Nose Syndrome | $195,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Ron Moen | Statewide |
| 03p | 2024-172 | Sublethal Effects of Pesticides on the Invertebrate Community | $387,000 | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | Mingzi Xu | Statewide |
| 03q | 2024-186 | Modernizing Minnesota’s Plant Community Classification and Field Guides | $1,800,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Bruce Carlson | Statewide |
| 03r | 2024-192 | Assessing Prairie Health to Inform Pollinator Conservation | $297,000 | Minnesota Zoological Society | Erik Runquist | NE |
| 03s | 2024-193 | Understanding Native Fishes in the Bowfishing Era | $588,000 | U of MN, Duluth | Alec Lackmann | Statewide |
| 03t | 2024-206 | Preserving Minnesota Wildflower Information | $199,000 | U of MN, Bell Museum of Natural History | Ya Yang | Statewide |
| 03u | 2024-215 | White-Tailed Deer Movement and Disease in Suburban Areas | $699,000 | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | Meggan Craft | Statewide |
| 03v | 2024-222 | Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Minnesota Raptors | $187,000 | U of MN, Raptor Center | Victoria Hall | Statewide |
| 03w | 2024-223 | Geologic Atlases for Water Resource Management | $1,236,000 | U of MN, MN Geological Survey | Barbara Lusardi | Statewide |
| 03x | 2024-224 | Remote Sensing for Pollinator Habitat | $180,000 | Monarch Joint Venture | Wendy Caldwell | Statewide |
| 03y | 2024-247 | Harnessing Cover Crops and Roots for Sustainable Cropping | $375,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Axel Garcia y Garcia | SW |
| 03z | 2024-251 | Effects of Conservation Grazing on Solar Sites Managed for Pollinator Habitat | $88,000 | Minnesota Native Landscapes | Daniel Tix | Central, Metro |
| 03aa | 2024-278 | Genetic Detection of Endangered Mussels in the Mississippi | $241,000 | US Geological Survey, Ohio Water Microbiology Lab | Lauren Lynch | Statewide |
| 03bb | 2024-296 | Integrated Population Modeling for Trumpeter Swans | $180,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Todd Arnold | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $14,993,000 | |||||
| Subd. 04 Water Resources (13 Recommendations = $6,924,000) | ||||||
| 04a | 2024-037 | Hyperspectral Characterization of Toxic Harmful Algal Blooms | $399,000 | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | Ardeshir Ebtehaj | Statewide |
| 04b | 2024-057 | Characterization of Chemicals in Structural Fire Wastewater | $369,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Grace Wilson | Statewide |
| 04c | 2024-061 | Climate Change and Management Effects on Methane Cycling in Lakes | $540,000 | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | James Cotner | Statewide |
| 04d | 2024-073 | Enhancing Wastewater Treatment through Genetic Sequencing | $553,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Timothy LaPara | Statewide |
| 04e | 2024-077 | Improving Water Efficiency Programming with Measurable Outcomes | $200,000 | City of Woodbury | Heidi Quinn | Metro |
| 04f | 2024-086 | Fluorine Beyond PFAS: Pesticide and Pharmaceutical Degradation | $400,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | William Arnold | Statewide |
| 04g | 2024-161 | Novel Nutrient Recovery Process from Wastewater Treatment Plants | $486,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Bo Hu | Statewide |
| 04h | 2024-164 | Visitor Perceptions of Water Quality to Aid Lake Management | $379,000 | U of MN, Humphrey School of Public Affairs | Bonnie Keeler | Statewide |
| 04i | 2024-173 | Wildfire Impacts on Mercury Cycling in Wilderness Lakes | $297,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Christopher Filstrup | Statewide |
| 04j | 2024-213 | Flood and Drought Modeling for Minnesota | $499,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | John Nieber | Statewide |
| 04k | 2024-257 | Breaking the PFAS Cycle with a Full-Scale Demonstration | $1,481,000 | Barr Engineering Co. | Andrew McCabe | Statewide |
| 04l | 2024-269 | Are Stream Restoration Efforts Effective? An Evidence-Based Assessment | $200,000 | Saint Mary's University | Andrew Robertson | Statewide |
| 04m | 2024-279 | Uncovering the Past to Protect Minnesota’s Walleye Fisheries | $1,121,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Croix Watershed Research Station | Adam Heathcote | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $6,924,000 | |||||
| Subd. 05 Environmental Education (22 Recommendations = $11,262,000) | ||||||
| 05a | 2024-015 | Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Supplemental Teaching Staff | $410,000 | City of Austin | Luke Reese | SE |
| 05b | 2024-017 | Connecting Communities to Voyageurs Classroom and Minnesota’s National Park | $994,000 | Voyageurs Conservancy | Christina Hausman Rhode | Statewide |
| 05c | 2024-023 | Supporting Minnesota Teachers to Implement Culturally Sustaining Environmental Education | $295,000 | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | Seth Thompson | Statewide |
| 05d | 2024-027 | Phenology Investigations in Minnesota Schools | $392,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Robert Blair | Statewide |
| 05e | 2024-028 | Get the Lead Out: Lead-Free Fishing Tackle Education | $254,000 | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Kelly Amoth | Statewide |
| 05f | 2024-058 | Water Science and Policy Fellowships for Minnesota | $407,000 | U of MN, Duluth - Sea Grant | Alexander Frie | Statewide |
| 05g | 2024-059 | Mentoring Next Generation of Conservation Professionals - Phase 2 | $793,000 | Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust Inc | Deborah Loon | Statewide |
| 05h | 2024-091 | Restoring Land, Reviving Heritage: Indigenous Conservation - Phase 2 | $688,000 | Belwin Conservancy | Hannah Smith | Metro |
| 05i | 2024-099 | Unlocking Minnesota Wilderness for Youth | $705,000 | YMCA of the North | Beth Becker | Statewide |
| 05j | 2024-100 | Outdoor Pathways to Environmental Education, Recreation, and Careers | $1,500,000 | Wilderness Inquiry | Meg Krueger | Statewide |
| 05k | 2024-111 | Increasing Access to Environmental Education Youth Camps | $163,000 | Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center | Bryan Wood | Statewide |
| 05l | 2024-115 | Launching Environmental Education at Shepard Farm | $639,000 | Dodge Nature Center | Pete Cleary | Metro |
| 05m | 2024-129 | YES! Students Step Up To Reduce Carbon Footprint | $199,000 | Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center | Kalley Pratt | Statewide |
| 05n | 2024-139 | The Boundary Waters is Our Backyard | $500,000 | Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness | Alison Nyenhuis | NE |
| 05o | 2024-168 | Season Watch: Cultivating Young Naturalists with Phenology Education | $180,000 | Northern Community Radio, Inc. | Sarah Bignall | Statewide |
| 05p | 2024-177 | Rural Minnesota Mobile Lab: Environmental-Focused Earth Science Education | $459,000 | U of MN, Crookston | Timothy Dudley | Statewide |
| 05q | 2024-188 | Increasing Accessibility of Environmental Education at Deep Portage | $228,000 | Deep Portage Learning Center | Lindsay Bjorklund | Statewide |
| 05r | 2024-200 | College-School Collaboration to Promote Environmental Career Paths | $174,000 | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Minnesota State University Mankato | Kimberly Musser | Statewide |
| 05s | 2024-250 | Water Quality and Robots: Experientially Educating Minnesotan Youth | $353,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos | Statewide |
| 05t | 2024-272 | Expanding Youth and Family Fishing Opportunities | $1,162,000 | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | Brian Nerbonne | Statewide |
| 05u | 2024-273 | Youth Conservation Empowerment Project | $70,000 | U of MN, Extension Center for Youth Development | Nicole Pokorney | SE |
| 05v | 2024-292 | North Minneapolis Nature Connection: Storytelling and Leadership Pathways | $697,000 | The Loppet Foundation | Anne Olson | Metro |
| Subtotal | $11,262,000 | |||||
| Subd. 06 Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species (4 Recommendations = $8,304,000) | ||||||
| 06a | 2024-089 | Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center - Phase 7 | $7,000,000 | U of MN, MITPPC | Heather Koop | Statewide |
| 06b | 2024-097 | Mitigating the Spread of Invasive Jumping Worms | $470,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Vera Krischik | Statewide |
| 06c | 2024-114 | Implementing Innovative Techniques to Manage Low-Density Invasive Carp | $634,000 | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | Brian Nerbonne | Statewide |
| 06d | 2024-198 | Early Detection of Invasive Viruses in Native Pollinators | $200,000 | U of MN, College of Veterinary Medicine | Declan Schroeder | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $8,304,000 | |||||
| Subd. 07 Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy (5 Recommendations = $4,833,000) | ||||||
| 07a | 2024-039 | Minimizing Minnesota’s Landfill Problem by Expanding Waste Diversion | $2,318,000 | Better Futures Minnesota | Jason Allen | Statewide |
| 07b | 2024-049 | Building Resilient Urban Forests for Climate Change | $752,000 | Great River Greening | Todd Rexine | Central, Metro, SW |
| 07c | 2024-076 | Improving Agricultural Ecosystems through Autonomous Weed Control | $978,000 | U of MN, WCROC | Eric Buchanan | Statewide |
| 07d | 2024-098 | Advanced Biofilter for N2O Removal | $325,000 | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | Satoshi Ishii | Statewide |
| 07e | 2024-153 | Managing Future Floods and Droughts in Minnesota | $460,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Heidi Roop | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $4,833,000 | |||||
| Subd. 08 Methods to Protect or Restore Land, Water, and Habitat (16 Recommendations = $10,910,000) | ||||||
| 08a | 2024-005 | Long-Term Preservation of Minnesota’s Ball Cactus Population | $100,000 | U of MN, Landscape Arboretum | David Remucal | SW |
| 08b | 2024-022 | Morrison County Historical Society Streambank Stabilization and Restoration | $519,000 | Morrison Soil and Water Conservation District | Shannon Wettstein | Central |
| 08c | 2024-045 | Can Increased Tree Diversity Increase Community Diversity? | $415,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Marcella Windmuller-Campione | Central, NE, NW |
| 08d | 2024-090 | Restoration of Riverside Park | $141,000 | City of Long Prairie | Ted Gray | Central |
| 08e | 2024-096 | Pollinator Central IV: Habitat Improvement with Public Engagement | $698,000 | Great River Greening | Rebecca Tucker | Central, Metro |
| 08f | 2024-103 | Conservation Grazing for Birds, Beef, and Better Soil | $342,000 | Audubon Minnesota | Dale Gentry | Statewide |
| 08g | 2024-108 | Minnesota Microbes for Enhanced Biodegradation of Microplastics | $524,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Brett Barney | Statewide |
| 08h | 2024-170 | Completing the Mississippi River Greenway: Dakota County | $657,000 | Dakota County | Tom Lewanski | Metro |
| 08i | 2024-175 | Enabling Nature to Destroy Environmental PFAS Contaminants | $378,000 | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | Romas Kazlauskas | Statewide |
| 08j | 2024-185 | Bioacoustics for Species Monitoring and Conservation - Phase 2 | $568,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Elena West | Statewide |
| 08k | 2024-189 | Preventing PFAS and Microplastics Contaminants across Minnesota | $656,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Roger Ruan | Statewide |
| 08l | 2024-227 | Shingle Creek Aquatic and Shoreline Habitat Enhancement | $1,100,000 | Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board | Adam Arvidson | Metro |
| 08m | 2024-237 | LiDAR Technology to Help Prevent Wildlife Fatalities from Wind Turbines | $525,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Sayan Biswas | Metro |
| 08n | 2024-255 | Road Salt Pollution of Surface Waters from Groundwater | $622,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | John Gulliver | Statewide |
| 08o | 2024-277 | Growing the Minnesota Bison Conservation Herd | $1,775,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Molly Tranel Nelson | Statewide |
| 08p | 2024-298 | Priority Lakes: Meeting Protection Goals and Multiplying Benefits | $1,890,000 | Hubbard County Soil & Water Conservation District | Crystal Mathisrud | Central |
| Subtotal | $10,910,000 | |||||
| Subd. 09 Land Acquisition, Habitat, and Recreation (10 Recommendations = $20,322,000) | ||||||
| 09a | 2024-009 | Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail | $426,000 | Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail | Marty Walsh | SE |
| 09b | 2024-064 | Local Parks, Trails, and Natural Areas Grant Programs | $4,791,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Jenni Bubke | Statewide |
| 09c | 2024-081 | Acquisition of State Park Inholdings | $1,886,000 | Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota | Brett Feldman | Statewide |
| 09d | 2024-092 | Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) Biodiversity Protection | $957,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Judy Schulte | Statewide |
| 09e | 2024-093 | Metropolitan Regional Parks System Land Acquisition - Phase 8 | $3,000,000 | Metropolitan Council | Jessica Lee | Metro |
| 09f | 2024-094 | Zumbro River Regional Water Trail | $170,000 | City of Oronoco | Ryland Eichorst | SE |
| 09g | 2024-113 | Spring Lake Park Reserve Restoration and River Access | $2,925,000 | Dakota County | Niki Geisler | Metro |
| 09h | 2024-136 | Minnesota State Trails Development | $5,036,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Kent Skaar | Statewide |
| 09i | 2024-174 | Birch Lake Marina Design | $197,000 | City of Babbitt | Rebecca Jaeger | Statewide |
| 09j | 2024-264 | Dent and Vergas Spur Trails | $934,000 | Otter Tail County | Nicholas Leonard | Central |
| Subtotal | $20,322,000 | |||||
| Subd. 10 Administration, Emerging Issues, and Contract Agreement Reimbursement (4 Recommendations = $2,096,000) | ||||||
| 10a | 2024-001 | LCCMR Budget Supplement | $750,000 | Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources | LCCMR Universal Account | Statewide |
| 10b | 2024-002 | Emerging Issues 2024 | $1,071,000 | Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources | LCCMR Universal Account | Statewide |
| 10c | 2024-117 | 2024 Contract Agreement Reimbursement | $275,000 | MN DNR, Grants Unit | Katherine Sherman-Hoehn | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $2,096,000 | |||||
| Total | $79,644,000 | |||||