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State Representative Sarah Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5511
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Environmental Trust Fund and the Intent of the People
To the Editor,
Last week the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) project proposals. The projects are funded using Environmental Trust Fund dollars, and I am concerned that the House bill does not spend these dedicated funds in the way Minnesota residents expect them to be used.
The Environmental Trust Fund was established by a constitutional amendment in 1988 “for the public purpose of protection, conservation, preservation, and enhancement of the state's air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources.” I question whether projects like digital photography classes and online field trips fit the mission of the Fund or the intent of the people of Minnesota. When a Minnesota citizen buys a lottery ticket or makes a donation on their tax form to benefit the environment, I doubt they are envisioning computer screens and camera lenses.
Just like all legislative initiatives, use of Trust Fund dollars should focus on priorities—in this case, land maintenance, parks and trails upkeep, and natural resource preservation. The current backlog of deferred maintenance of state parks, for example, totals over $100 million. If we used $4 million of legacy funds each year and $10 million in bonding every two years, it would still take until 2023 to catch up—and that’s without adding new projects to the list.
Minnesota’s parks, trails and outdoors experiences are a tremendous addition to our quality of life. They are central to what makes this state such a great place to live, work and raise a family. We must first protect what we have, then prioritize what we add. As the bill continues through the process, I hope legislative leaders will take a step back and consider the aim of the Environmental Trust Fund and the will of the people.
Sincerely,
Sarah Anderson
State Representative - 43A
Plymouth and Medicine Lake
News Items
- Letter to the Editor - (Posted: 2012-02-20 00:00:00)
- Welcome to the 2012 Session - (Posted: 2012-01-31 00:00:00)
- REDISTRICTING ORGANIZATION TO WITHHOLD MAP FROM PUBLIC SCRUTINY - (Posted: 2011-10-14 00:00:00)
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