Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership
Whatever Minnesotans’ disagreements on politics, the weather, or preferred state fair food, we’re largely in agreement that Minnesota should fund environment and conservation projects using the state lottery. A new tool will soon be launching to make that funding more widely available than ever before.
In 2024, a whopping 82% of voters supported the constitutional amendment to continue funding the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) from state lottery proceeds for the next 25 years. The “yes” vote won in every corner of the state and was strongly bipartisan.
Now, thanks to that vote, the ENRTF is closer than ever to Minnesotans. The passage of the constitutional amendment and related legislation in 2023 authorized the creation of a new Community Grants program funded by a portion of the Trust Fund.
Some Legislators sought to defund the Community Grants program by 95% before it even got up and going in the 2025 Legislative Session. They also proposed to do away with the Advisory Council advising the program, which is designed to be representative of the state’s diversity and environmental knowledge. MEP and other environmental groups objected to these rollbacks, which flew in the face of what Minnesotans voted for. Fortunately, the full funding was protected and the program is in place and ready to move ahead.
The Community Grants program is designed to empower small organizations and disadvantaged communities that have historically had limited success in accessing funds through the current ENRTF process – the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, or LCCMR. Most entities that secure funding from the ENRTF are larger institutions, like state agencies or the University of Minnesota, which have higher capacity and can afford to hire lobbyists to make their case to the LCCMR.
Community Grants, in contrast, will fund smaller projects ranging from educational programs, community gardens, grassroots cleanups efforts, and more. Rather than go through the extensive LCCMR process, groups seeking Community Grants dollars will be able to do so through this new program with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Further details can be found in our MEP-produced fact sheet on the program.
The Minnesota DNR recently launched a webpage providing further information about the program. This is a good step in the right direction. As the laws and funding for the program are now in place, groups across the state are looking forward to the DNR posting the membership applications for the Community Grants Advisory Council. This council is charged with advising on the development and implementation of the program and making recommendations for laws and policies for it going forward.
We strongly encourage our subscribers to sign up for updates regarding this program to learn when the agency will take the next steps in advancing this important community program. You can learn more about the membership that the DNR will be seeking for the Advisory Council in the law authorizing the council.
Whether or not you have an interest in serving on that Council, your community could directly benefit from ENRTF dollars via this program. If you have an idea for a project that could improve the environment in your own area, it could be among the first to be funded!