Minnesota Legislature
2015 Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Recommendations
The Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota's Resources (LCCMR) has selected 65 projects totaling $45.8 million to recommend to the 2015 Minnesota Legislature for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). The recommendations are the result of the LCCMR's 2015 Request for Proposal (RFP) process, in which 152 proposals requesting a total of approximately $126.3 million were received and considered through a competitive, multi-stage evaluation. The recommendations range from full funding for the full proposal and dollar amount requested to partial funding for specific proposal elements and partial dollar amounts requested.
LINKS TO:- Print-ready PDF list of the M.L. 2015 proposals recommended by the LCCMR.
- Additional information on LCCMR's ML 2015 proposal and funding process
Viewing Proposals
- Click on the proposal ID # to view the full proposal.
- To find specific projects 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.
Topic Area |
$ Recommending ($45,851,000) |
Percentage of Total Recommendation |
| A. Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information (19 Appropriations) | $12,482,000 | 27.22% |
| B. Water Resources (9 Appropriations) | $3,065,000 | 6.68% |
| C. Environmental Education (5 Appropriations) | $1,004,000 | 2.19% |
| D. Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species (4 Appropriations) | $6,071,000 | 13.24% |
| E. Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy (4 Appropriations) | $3,268,000 | 7.13% |
| F. Methods to Protect, Restore, and Enhance Land, Water, and Habitat (11 Appropriations) | $4,646,000 | 10.13% |
| G. Land Acquisition for Habitat and Recreation (11 Appropriations) | $14,190,000 | 30.95% |
| H. Other (2 Appropriations) | $1,125,000 | 2.45% |
| TOTAL $ RECOMMENDATION | $45,851,000 | 100% |
| Fund Source | |
| FY 2016 - Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund | $45,851,000 |
| TOTAL $ RECOMMENDATION | $45,851,000 |
*NOTE: Region of Impact 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.
ENRTF ID |
Title |
ENRTF: FY2016 |
Organization |
Project Manager |
Region of Impact* |
| A. Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information (19 Recommendations - Subtotal = $12,482,000 ) |
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| 001-A | MGS Geologic Atlases to Support Natural Resource Management [Continuation] | $2,040,000 | U of MN - MN Geological Survey | ||
| 002-A | Minnesota Biological Survey [Continuation] | $2,000,000 | MN DNR | ||
| 003-A | Completing the National Wetland Inventory Update for Minnesota [Continuation] | $1,500,000 | MN DNR | ||
| 004-A | Endangered Bats, White-Nose Syndrome, and Forest Habitat | $1,250,000 | MN DNR | ||
| 005-A | Integrating Minnesotas Biodiversity Data: a Comprehensive, Dynamic Atlas | $340,000 | Bell Museum of Natural History | ||
| 006-A | County Geologic Atlas Continuation for Water Resource Sustainability [Continuation] | $2,000,000 | MN DNR | ||
| 007-A | Contaminants in Minnesotas Loons and Pelicans-Phase 3 | $141,000 | MN DNR | ||
| 008-A | Reintroduction/Interpretation of Bison in Minnesota State Parks | $600,000 | MN DNR | ||
| 009-A | Effects of Grazing Versus Fire for Prairie Management | $414,000 | U of MN | ||
| 010-A | St. Anthony Falls Lock Closure: Assessing Ecological Impact | $125,000 | Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership | ||
| 011-A | Minnesota Native Bee Atlas: A Citizen Science Project | $790,000 | U of MN | ||
| 013-A | Genetic and Camera Techniques to Estimate Carnivore Populations | $200,000 | U of MN - Duluth NRRI | ||
| 014-A | Creating a Statewide Wetland Bird Survey | $146,000 | Audubon Minnesota | ||
| 016-A | Turtle Population Dynamics in an Urban Lake | $250,000 | University of St. Thomas | ||
| 017-A | Movements and Seasonal Habitat Use of Minnesota Elk | $200,000 | MN DNR | ||
| 018-A | Goblin Fern: Habitat Mitigation for Species Conservation | $61,000 | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe | ||
| 020-A | A Foundational Dataset Characterizing Historic Forest Disturbance Impacts | $200,000 | U of MN | ||
| 024-A | Hydrologic Effects of Contemporary Forest Practices in Minnesota | $150,000 | U of MN | ||
| 031-A | Enhancing Future Forest Conservation Using Gullions Historic Research | $75,000 | Central Lakes College | ||
| Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information Subtotal = | $12,482,000 | ||||
| B. Water Resources (9 Recommendations - Subtotal = $3,065,000 ) |
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| 033-B | Informed Water Management: Mapping Scarcity,Threats, and Values | $234,000 | U of MN | ||
| 034-B | A Novel Biofilm Technology for Water Nutrient Removal | $281,000 | U of MN | ||
| 035-B | Preventing Phosphorous from Entering Water Resources Through Draintiles | $505,000 | U of MN | ||
| 036-B | Biological Consequences of Septic Pollution in Minnesota Lakes | $364,000 | St. Cloud State University | ||
| 037-B | Subsurface Drainage Impacts on Groundwater Recharge: Southeast Minnesota | $488,000 | U.S. Geological Survey | ||
| 045-B | Using Hydroacoustics to Monitor Sediment in Minnesotas Rivers | $455,000 | U.S. Geological Survey | ||
| 047-B | Southeastern Minnesota Cover Crop and Soil Health Initiatives | $253,000 | Board of Water and Soil Resources | ||
| 048-B | Achieving Minnesotas Groundwater Sustainability Through Irrigation Efficiencies | $431,000 | Benton Soil and Water Conservation District | ||
| 060-B | Shoreview Water Consumption and Groundwater Awareness Project | $54,000 | City of Shoreview | ||
| Water Resources Subtotal = | $3,065,000 | ||||
| C. Environmental Education (5 Recommendations - Subtotal = $1,004,000 ) |
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| 065-C | Hunter's Choice: Alternative Ammunition | $132,000 | U of MN | ||
| 066-C | Connecting Students with Watersheds through Hands-On Learning | $400,000 | Minnesota Trout Unlimited | ||
| 067-C | Building 8 Zumbro Watershed Recreational Learning Stewardship Sites | $300,000 | Zumbro Watershed Partnership | ||
| 073-C | Splash Screen: SciGirls Exploring Watersheds Using Mobile Technologies | $147,000 | Twin Cities Public Television | ||
| 074-C | Water Journey Camps | $25,000 | U of MN | ||
| Environmental Education Subtotal = | $1,004,000 | ||||
| D. Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species (4 Recommendations - Subtotal = $6,071,000 ) |
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| 081-D | Minnesota Terrestrial Invasive Species Research Center | $5,000,000 | U of MN | ||
| 082-D | Emerald Ash Borer Ecological/Hydrological Impacts - Phase 2 | $400,000 | U of MN | ||
| 083-D | Biological Control of Canada Thistle | $300,000 | U of MN | ||
| 084-D | Preventing a New Disease of Pines in Minnesota | $371,000 | U of MN | ||
| Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species Subtotal = | $6,071,000 | ||||
| E. Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy (4 Recommendations - Subtotal = $3,268,000 ) |
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| 096-E | Ending Minnesota Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Fossil Fuels | $1,000,000 | Legislative Energy Commission | ||
| 101-E | Renewable and Sustainable Fertilizers Produced Locally | $1,000,000 | U of MN | ||
| 110-E | Reducing Emissions from Open Burning through Biomass Gasification | $268,000 | U of MN | ||
| 116-E | Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Solid Waste | $1,000,000 | The NetWork for Better Futures d/b/a Better Futures Minnesota | ||
| Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy Subtotal = | $3,268,000 | ||||
| F. Methods to Protect, Restore, and Enhance Land, Water, and Habitat (11 Recommendations - Subtotal = $4,646,000 ) |
|||||
| 117-F | Prioritizing Future Management of North Shore Trout Streams | $416,000 | U of MN - Duluth NRRI | ||
| 118-F | Thirteen Counties Propagating Native Plants, Restoring Diverse Habitats | $495,000 | Martin SWCD | ||
| 119-F | Preserving and Protecting Minnesota's 48 Native Orchid Species | $167,000 | U of MN - Landscape Arboretum | ||
| 121-F | MeCC VIII: Restoration for Climate Resilience, Pollinators, Working Lands | $400,000 | Great River Greening | ||
| 122-F | Conservation Assistance Acceleration Project | $1,000,000 | Board of Water and Soil Resources | ||
| 123-F | MSU Moorhead Science Center Restoration & Monitoring | $527,000 | Moorhead State University | ||
| 126-F | MeCC VIII: FMR Restoring Prairie and Forest Habitat | $276,000 | Friends of the Mississippi River | ||
| 127-F | Empowered Citizens Improve 5 Urban Forests: Statewide Model | $800,000 | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | ||
| 128-F | Flood Recovery on Sargent Creek Duluth Habitat Restoration | $300,000 | City of Duluth | ||
| 129-F | Shoreland Protection for the Lower St. Croix River | $190,000 | St. Croix River Association | ||
| 135-F | Redwood/Renville County Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Master Plan | $75,000 | Redwood County and Renville County | ||
| Methods to Protect, Restore, and Enhance Land, Water, and Habitat Subtotal = | $4,646,000 | ||||
| G. Land Acquisition for Habitat and Recreation (11 Recommendations - Subtotal = $14,190,000 ) |
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| 136-G | Metropolitan Regional Park System Land Acquisition Phase 4 | $1,000,000 | Metropolitan Council | ||
| 137-G | SNA Acquisition, Restoration, Enhancement and Public Engagement | $4,000,000 | MN DNR | ||
| 138-G | Native Prairie Stewardship & Prairie Bank Easement Acquisition | $3,500,000 | MN DNR | ||
| 139-G | State Parks and State Trails Land Acquisitions | $1,500,000 | MN DNR | ||
| 141-G | MeCC VIII: Priority Expansion Minnesota Valley NWRefuge | $500,000 | Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust, Inc. | ||
| 142-G | Mesabi Trail Development Soudan to Ely Phase 2 | $1,000,000 | St. Louis & Lake Counties Regional Railroad Authority | ||
| 143-G | MeCC VIII: MN DNR Metro Conservation Corridors 8, Ecological Landscapes | $400,000 | MN DNR | ||
| 144-G | MeCC VIII: TPLs Strategic Land Protection Program | $750,000 | The Trust for Public Land | ||
| 145-G | MeCC VIII: Ecological Landscapes - Overall, Mapping and Coordination | $40,000 | Minnesota Land Trust | ||
| 147-G | Multi-benefit Watershed Scale Conservation on North Central Lakes | $1,000,000 | Leech Lake Area Watershed Foundation | ||
| 148-G | MeCC VIII: Metro Conservation Corridors 8 Ecological Landscapes | $500,000 | Minnesota Land Trust | ||
| Land Acquisition for Habitat and Recreation Subtotal = | $14,190,000 | ||||
| H. Other (2 Recommendation - Subtotal = $1,125,000 ) |
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| 152-H | Contract Management | $135,000 | MN DNR | ||
| N/A | LCCMR Administration | $990,000 | Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) | ||
| Other Subtotal = | $1,125,000 | ||||
| Total $ Recommendation = | $28,970,000 | ||||