From Babbitt to the Zumbro River, from the farms of southern Minnesota to Lake Superior’s North Shore, more than 100 projects received support this year from the Minnesota Lottery via the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). Nearly $80 million from the lottery-funded account was made available for the new fiscal year to fund projects that “protect, conserve, preserve, and enhance Minnesota’s air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources.” The Lottery is proud to support these projects as one of many ways we play our part in positively impacting the lives of Minnesotans across the state.
Each year, 40 percent of the Lottery’s return to the state is designated to the ENRTF. These funds can be utilized by the legislature to support important projects in all corners of the state that otherwise may not receive a consistent appropriation. A 17-member Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) oversees, vets, and makes recommendations to the legislature on which projects should receive support. In 2024, the LCCMR’s Request for Proposal (RFP) yielded 218 proposed projects. After going through a competitive, multi-stage evaluation process, the LCCMR recommended $79,644,000 be distributed to 101 projects for Fiscal Year 2025. The legislature accepted these recommendations with limited changes and the bill appropriating these funds was signed into law by Governor Walz in April 2024.
Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund dollars can be used to support projects in 12 broad categories, including:
- Natural Resources
- Recreation
- Educational Outreach
- Invasive Species
- Biological Diversity
- Natural Areas & Habitats
- Agriculture, Forestry & Mining
- Water Quality
- Renewable Energy
- Historic Preservation
Here are just a few of the exciting projects that received support from the Lottery-funded ENRTF this year, each with the potential to help Minnesotans from all walks of life:
Flood and Drought Modeling & Mitigation
As floods and droughts continue to have a profound impact on families, farms, and communities around the state, the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences is hard at work analyzing data, modeling future events, and using those models to build plans to better protect against and mitigate the negative impacts of droughts and floods.
Forever Chemicals
As public awareness has grown regarding so-called “forever chemicals” like polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) and their negative health impacts, extensive efforts are underway to track, contain, and potentially remove these chemicals before they can further harm the public. This year the MN Pollution Control Agency received more than $600,000 to detect and analyze the concentration of PFAS in the state’s soil. Meanwhile, a private engineering firm is partnering with the city of St. Cloud and the MN Technical Assistance Program to conduct a pilot program aimed at destroying PFAS during the water treatment process.
Bison, Wolves, and Deer. Oh My!
Many impressive mammals call Minnesota home, and ensuring they continue to have a safe habitat to thrive in is often a priority for ENRTF funding. This year the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is working to reintroduce the American Plains bison to Camden State Park as part of an ongoing effort to reestablish and preserve the genome in the state. Over the last few years, you may have seen footage of the region’s wolf population near Voyageur’s National Park. Much of this footage stems from the Voyageurs Wolf Project, a project that received additional funding this year to continue their study of wolf predation, particularly in the summertime. As Chronic Wasting Disease and other Cervid diseases remain an ongoing concern for Minnesota’s deer and moose populations, the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences received funding this year to track and evaluate the movements of the state’s suburban white-tailed deer population. These measures will assist in more effective deer management and disease control.
In addition, funds were appropriated to study the impacts of the avian flu, encourage water conservation in suburban communities, promote and expand access to shore-fishing for families and youth, and much more. Millions of dollars were also set aside to build and maintain bridges on state trails, design and redevelop park space in rural communities, and begin the process of blazing several new regional trails throughout the state. This barely scratches the surface of all the great causes supported by Lottery dollars this year. Please go to our Playing Our Part page to learn more about all the ways in which the Minnesota Lottery benefits our state.
