St Paul – Late last night, the House passed a bill to provide $28,970,000 in funding for environment and natural resource projects. The bill, authored by Representative John Persell (DFL – Bemidji) invests in projects that were chosen by a joint panel of lawmakers and citizens from across Minnesota, the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.
“This is one of the rare opportunities that we have as legislators to work directly with citizens to make decisions at the Capitol,” said Persell. “Because our natural resources are such a crucial asset for the people of our state, it makes sense that citizens would have direct input in this process. It’s great to see the House invest in the projects that made it through that process.
The funding provided in the bill come from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. The trust fund is made up of profits from the Minnesota State Lottery and other private donations. It helps maintain forests, agricultural lands, wetlands, parks and trials, lakes and rivers, and other natural resources across Minnesota.
Projects up for consideration were broken down into six categories that range from habitat restoration to environmental education.
“Some of the more significant projects that will be funded this year address the challenges around Aquatic Invasive Species and water quality and treatment,” said Persell. “Minnesota is known for its lakes and water, but the truth is, we need to do a better job of stewardship. This bill will fund the protection of our waters in the short term and the research needed to find long term solutions.”
In all, 68 projects were funded across all categories, including:
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Natural Resource Research and Analysis - $13.1 million
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Research and analysis projects that will advance our knowledge and provide strategies for addressing issues related to Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), water quality, and land management.
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Environmental Education and Outreach - $5.4 million
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Education and outreach efforts that will engage and educate Minnesotans on topics including AIS, habitat conservation, and plant and wildlife species
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Parks and Trails Development - $4.3 million
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Expansion and development of trails in northern Minnesota, southwester Minnesota, and the metro area.
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Natural Resource Mapping and Planning - $3.6 million
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Inventory and monitoring of imperiled species and pollinators and redevelopment of the statewide land cover map. Improved record keeping for public drainage systems and forest inventories.
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Habitat Restoration - $1.2 million
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Prescribed burning, soil preparation, seeding, native vegetable installation, invasive species control, and evaluation on an estimated 1,440 acres across the state.
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Habitat Acquisition - $1.1 million
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Acquisition of permanently protected forests, prairies, bluff lands, wetlands, shore lands, and other habitat.
