Minnesota Legislature
2026 Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Recommendations
As of July 18, 2025, the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has selected 109 proposals totaling approximately $103 million to recommend to the 2026 Minnesota Legislature for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). The amount available for appropriation from the ENRTF through the LCCMR process for FY 2027 is $103,326,000. In response to LCCMR’s 2026 Request for Proposal (RFP), 400 proposals requesting a total of approximately $359 million were received and considered through a competitive, multi‐stage evaluation. The following recommendations range from funding the full proposal and dollar amount requested to partial funding for specific proposal elements.
Check the LCCMR schedule for the most up-to-date information and important process dates.
Visit the 2026 Proposal & Funding Process Main Page for additional information.
Print-ready PDF list of 2026 proposals - listed by category with project summaries (16-pages).
Print-ready PDF list of 2026 proposals - listed by category without project summaries (9-pages).
Summary and process of the 2026 proposals recommended by the LCCMR.
Viewing Proposals
- Click on the "Proposal ID" of the proposal to view the full proposal.
- To find specific proposals 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.
- Hyperlinks within the proposal to proposal attachments may not work for everyone. If you wish for a copy of a proposal attachment that is not already included in the PDF, please send a request to LCCMR staff.
| Overall Topic Area | $ Recommended | Percentage of Total Recommended | Number Recommended | Percentage of Number Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resiliency | $10,641,000 | 10.30% | 10 | 9.17% |
| Water | $17,014,000 | 16.47% | 20 | 18.35% |
| Education and Outdoor Recreation | $37,806,000 | 36.60% | 40 | 36.70% |
| Fish and Wildlife | $18,750,000 | 18.15% | 19 | 17.43% |
| Energy | $773,000 | 0.75% | 2 | 1.83% |
| Land | $17,964,000 | 17.39% | 17 | 15.60% |
| Administration* | $340,000 | 0.33% | 1 | 0.92% |
| Total | $103,288,000 | 100% | 109 | 100% |
*Includes commission buffer. The buffer is for mistakes made during the allocation process. If the buffer is not needed, the commission may either allocate it to another proposal or it will be allocated to the Emerging Issues Account later this year.
| Fund Source | $ Amount |
|---|---|
| FY 2026 - Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) | $103,288,000 |
| Total $ | $103,288,000 |
| Draft Work Plan Subd. |
Proposal ID | Project Title | Recommended | Organization | Project Manager | Region* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resiliency (10 Recommendations = $10,641,000) | ||||||
| 03a | 2026-085 | Community Resiliency through AmeriCorps | $3,312,000 | ServeMinnesota | Jessica Ayers-Bean | Statewide |
| 03b | 2026-155 | Preparing Resilient Communities with Model Land Use Ordinances | $468,000 | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Kristin Mroz Risse | Statewide |
| 03c | 2026-207 | Resilient and Biodiverse Community Spaces | $612,000 | Board of Water and Soil Resources | Dan Shaw | Statewide |
| 03d | 2026-218 | Northwoods and Waters Community Resilience Collaborative | $1,220,000 | Arrowhead Regional Development Commission | Joshua Bergstad | NE |
| 03e | 2026-282 | Protect Community Forests for Community Resiliency | $2,603,000 | MN DNR, Forestry Division | Valerie McClannahan | Statewide |
| 03f | 2026-298 | Identifying Flooding Hazards on Mille Lacs Tribal Lands | $800,000 | Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe | Charles Lippert | NE |
| 03g | 2026-464 | Advancing Dehydration Technologies for Resilient Minnesota Food Systems | $300,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Natasha Wright | Statewide |
| 03h | 2026-508 | Climate-Smart Counties and Communities: Collaborative Resiliency Solutions | $827,000 | U of MN, Institute on the Environment | Sabine Engel | Central, NE, NW, SE, SW |
| 03i | 2026-528 | Mahnomen Emerald Ash Borer Preparation Project | $62,000 | City of Mahnomen | Taylor Guenther | NW |
| 03j | 2026-544 | Sustainable Food Security, Ecosystem Restoration, and Indigenous Empowerment | $437,000 | U of MN, Duluth | Wenqing Zhang | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $10,641,000 | |||||
| Water (20 Recommendations = $17,014,000) | ||||||
| 04a | 2026-034 | Statewide Ecological Risk Estimates for Contaminants of Emerging Concern | $175,000 | University of St. Thomas | Dalma Martinovic-Weigelt | Statewide |
| 04b | 2026-055 | Eliminating Phenolic Compounds from Water Using Enzyme Filter | $300,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Hau Zhao | Statewide |
| 04c | 2026-070 | Vadnais Lake: Nature-Based Recreation and Drinking Water Protection | $2,842,000 | City of Vadnais Heights | Jim Hauth | Metro |
| 04d | 2026-088 | Almanac's Statewide Environment and Natural Resources Desk | $632,000 | Twin Cities Public Television | Kari Kennedy | Statewide |
| 04e | 2026-116 | Studying Dam Removal Feasibility for the Mississippi Gorge | $923,000 | Friends of the Mississippi River | Colleen O'Connor Toberman | Metro |
| 04f | 2026-124 | Protecting Minnesota’s Waters from Plastic- and Rubber-Derived Chemicals | $418,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | William Arnold | Statewide |
| 04g | 2026-164 | Public Toolbox to Forecast Toxic Cyanobacteria Blooms - Phase I | $509,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Chan Lan Chun | Statewide |
| 04h | 2026-169 | PFAS in Precipitation: Assessing a Critical Statewide Threat | $910,000 | U of MN, Duluth - Sea Grant | Alexander Frie | Statewide |
| 04i | 2026-203 | Assessment of Microplastic Pollution in Minnesota Karst Aquifers | $458,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Boya Xiong | Statewide |
| 04j | 2026-210 | Ash Recovery and Recycling Center | $1,177,000 | Otter Tail County | Chris McConn | Central, NW |
| 04k | 2026-248 | PFAS and Microplastics: Potential Impacts of Environmental Co-Occurrence | $721,000 | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | David Duffey | Statewide |
| 04l | 2026-331 | Brookdale Park Shingle Creek Restoration and Access Improvements | $409,000 | City of Brooklyn Park | Mitch Robinson | Metro |
| 04m | 2026-382 | Determining Fracture Characteristics for Karst Groundwater Flow Modeling | $375,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Qizhi He | Statewide |
| 04n | 2026-424 | Restoring Wild Rice Waters: Sulfate and Mercury Treatment | $727,000 | White Iron Chain of Lakes Association | Dave Holt | NE |
| 04o | 2026-447 | Cheap Portable Sensor to Detect PFAS in Water | $357,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Tianhong Cui | Statewide |
| 04p | 2026-473 | Geologic Atlases for Water Resource Management | $1,275,000 | U of MN, MN Geological Survey | Barbara Lusardi | Statewide |
| 04q | 2026-486 | Mitigating Short-Chain Forever Chemicals Toward a PFAS-Free Minnesota | $299,000 | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | Peter Bruggeman | Statewide |
| 04r | 2026-542 | Anoka Rum River Dam Reconstruction and Modification Project | $3,110,000 | City of Anoka | Ben Nelson | Metro |
| 04s | 2026-552 | Lake Superior River Watch | $404,000 | Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College | Courtney Kowalczak | NE |
| 04t | 2026-563 | Red Lake Nation Long-Term Continuous Monitoring Buoys | $993,000 | Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians | Mindy Phillips | NW |
| Subtotal | $17,014,000 | |||||
| Education and Outdoor Recreation (40 Recommendations = $37,806,000) | ||||||
| 05a | 2026-002 | Greater Minnesota Children's Museum Coalition Nature Play Curriculum | $300,000 | Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota | Crystal Olson | Statewide |
| 05b | 2026-010 | Cultivate, Connect, and Train Minnesota's Young Conservation Scientists | $538,000 | U of MN, Landscape Arboretum | David Remucal | Statewide |
| 05c | 2026-013 | Native Fish Exhibits Transforming Aquatic Education in Minnesota | $299,000 | Headwaters Science Center | Lee Furuseth | NW |
| 05d | 2026-027 | Inspiring and Connecting the Next Generations with Nature | $3,085,000 | YMCA of the North | Sara Miller | Statewide |
| 05e | 2026-039 | River Bend Nature Center's Inclusive Interpretive Plan Implementation | $293,000 | River Bend Nature Center | Brad Bourn | SE |
| 05f | 2026-065 | Fostering Environmental Stewardship through Art | $298,000 | Watermark Art Center | Lori Forshee-Donnay | Central, NE, NW |
| 05g | 2026-080 | Increasing Pollinator Conservation Action Through Education and Engagement | $501,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Elaine Evans | Statewide |
| 05h | 2026-086 | Flyway Fellows: Engaging Teachers in Bird Migration Education | $362,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Robert Blair | Statewide |
| 05i | 2026-093 | Minnesota Community Schoolyards | $1,343,000 | The Trust for Public Land | Anna Callahan | Statewide |
| 05j | 2026-099 | Bringing Environmental Education and Outdoor Recreation to K-12 Schools | $192,000 | Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center | Bryan Wood | Statewide |
| 05k | 2026-102 | Improving Trail Accessibility for Minnesotans at Osprey Wilds | $25,000 | Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center | Bryan Wood | Statewide |
| 05l | 2026-115 | Duluth Traverse Accessibility and Sustainability Improvements | $85,000 | Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores | Ansel Schimpff | Statewide |
| 05m | 2026-141 | Hardwood Creek Regional Trail Extension | $1,244,000 | Washington County | Andrea Rehm | Metro |
| 05n | 2026-165 | College-School Collaboration to Restore Campuses and Activate Stewardship | $199,000 | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Minnesota State University, Mankato | Kimberly Musser | SE, SW |
| 05o | 2026-177 | Urban Farming Education to Increase Urban Environmental Stewardship | $300,000 | East Phillips Neighborhood Institute | Daniel Schmidt | Metro |
| 05p | 2026-182 | A State Trail System for 21st-Century Minnesota | $623,000 | Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota | Dan Nemes | Statewide |
| 05q | 2026-221 | Mississippi River Water Trail Access in Dayton | $464,000 | Three Rivers Park District | Maggie Heurung | Metro |
| 05r | 2026-231 | YES! Connects Students to Outdoors for Youth-Led Sustainability | $199,000 | Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center | Kalley Pratt | Statewide |
| 05s | 2026-254 | Sharing Minnesota's Greatest Environmental Investment - Phase II | $623,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota | Joy Hobbs | Statewide |
| 05t | 2026-258 | Diversifying Nature Education Access | $438,000 | Ramsey County Parks and Recreation | Kristopher Lencowski | Statewide |
| 05u | 2026-260 | Cultivating Conservation Leaders through Education and Wilderness Experiences | $1,252,000 | Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness | Alison Nyenhuis | Statewide |
| 05v | 2026-267 | Lebanon Hills Regional Park Natural Resources Restoration and Sustainable Trails Improvements | $2,126,000 | Dakota County | Tony Wotzka | Metro |
| 05w | 2026-287 | Minnesota State Trails Development | $4,943,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Kent Skaar | Statewide |
| 05x | 2026-288 | Tettegouche State Park Entrance Bridge Replacement | $3,674,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Kent Skaar | Statewide |
| 05y | 2026-293 | Expanding Adaptive Outdoor Recreation Opportunities Around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area | $996,000 | Adaptive Wilderness Within Reach | Jill Leary | Statewide |
| 05z | 2026-302 | Engaging Saint Paul Youth in Meaningful Restoration Work | $300,000 | Urban Roots MN | David Woods | Metro |
| 05aa | 2026-304 | Expanding and Enhancing Environmental Education through Partnerships | $550,000 | Belwin Conservancy | Katie Bloome | Metro |
| 05bb | 2026-306 | Greater Fountain Lake Aquatic and Trail Accessibility Enhancements | $1,162,000 | Shell Rock River Watershed District | Courtney Phillips | SE |
| 05cc | 2026-313 | Local Parks, Trails, and Natural Areas Grant Programs | $3,833,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Jenni Bubke | Statewide |
| 05dd | 2026-348 | Lake Marion Greenway: Ritter Farm Park to Dodd Blvd | $1,797,000 | City of Lakeville | Joe Masiarchin | Metro |
| 05ee | 2026-355 | Restored Bluff and Trail at Owámniyómni | $2,385,000 | Owámniyomni Okhódayapi | Kjersti Monson | Statewide |
| 05ff | 2026-367 | Minnesota Water Education for Grades K-5 | $295,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota | Andy Chambers | Statewide |
| 05gg | 2026-436 | Outdoor Learning Center and Trails | $250,000 | Cook County Schools ISD 166 | Chris Lindholm | NE |
| 05hh | 2026-450 | Facility Outdoor Improvements | $180,000 | Veterans on the Lake | Eric Mayranen | Statewide |
| 05ii | 2026-519 | Classrooms to Careers: Expanding Environmental STEM Pathways | $763,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota | Kelsey Boeff | Statewide |
| 05jj | 2026-520 | Outdoor Learning Professional Development for Educators and Administrators | $323,000 | Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center | Peter Smerud | Statewide |
| 05kk | 2026-559 | Emerging Conservation Leaders: Expanding the Network | $786,000 | Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust Inc | Neal Feeken | Metro |
| 05ll | 2026-571 | Lakewood Elementary School Trail Renewal and Community Engagement | $288,000 | Duluth School District #709 - Lakewood Elementary | Darren Sheldon | NE |
| 05mm | 2026-578 | Explore Minnesota with COPAL | $392,000 | Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Accion Latina | Geanella Ochoa | Statewide |
| 05nn | 2026-584 | Expanding Community Boat Building and Outdoor Experiences | $100,000 | Urban Boatbuilders | Marc Hosmer | Metro |
| Subtotal | $37,806,000 | |||||
| Fish and Wildlife (19 Recommendations = $18,750,000) | ||||||
| 06a | 2026-049 | Which Cisco are Strongest? Identifying Healthy Populations | $674,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Kenneth Zillig | Statewide |
| 06b | 2026-074 | Mapping Leech Lake Vegetation: A Closer Look | $478,000 | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe | Raining White | Statewide |
| 06c | 2026-089 | Salvaged Wildlife to Inform Environmental Health, Ecology, and Education - Phase 2 | $673,000 | U of MN, Bell Museum | Keith Barker | Statewide |
| 06d | 2026-113 | Partnership for Resilient Landscapes | $2,638,000 | Pheasants Forever Inc | Josh Pommier | Statewide |
| 06e | 2026-271 | Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Impacts on Minnesota Raptors | $298,000 | U of MN, Raptor Center | Dana Franzen-Klein | Statewide |
| 06f | 2026-318 | United in Responding to CWD in Minnesota | $2,200,000 | U of MN, College of Veterinary Medicine | Tiffany Wolf | Statewide |
| 06g | 2026-332 | Survival and Movement of Deer in Minnesota's Prairie and Transition Zones | $1,000,000 | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | Tyler Obermoller | Statewide |
| 06h | 2026-357 | Uniting Minnesota’s Insect Record | $932,000 | U of MN, Bell Museum | George Weiblen | Statewide |
| 06i | 2026-373 | Lake Sturgeon Restoration at Great Lakes Aquarium | $500,000 | Lake Superior Authority | Jay Walker | NE |
| 06j | 2026-399 | Wolf Monitoring on the Leech Lake Reservation | $295,000 | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe | Tanya Roerick | Central |
| 06k | 2026-405 | Phase II Erosion Investigation of Pine and Curry Island SNA | $539,000 | Lake of the Woods County | Anthony Pirkl | Statewide |
| 06l | 2026-457 | Building a Future for Minnesota's At-Risk Butterflies | $294,000 | Minnesota Zoological Board | Erik Runquist | Statewide |
| 06m | 2026-498 | Advancing Bison Recovery and Stewardship through Statewide Partnership | $658,000 | Minnesota Zoological Board | Seth Stapleton | Statewide |
| 06n | 2026-499 | Identifying Climate-Resilient Fisheries to Guide Minnesota Lake Management | $643,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Gretchen Hansen | Statewide |
| 06o | 2026-500 | Supporting Implementation of Large-Scale Moose Habitat Management | $1,054,000 | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | Lindsey Shartell | Statewide |
| 06p | 2026-501 | Evaluating Forward-Facing Sonar Impacts on Minnesota Fish | $676,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Gretchen Hansen | Statewide |
| 06q | 2026-506 | Incidence of Avian Influenza in Minnesota Forest Birds | $234,000 | U of MN, Duluth | Mark Clark | Statewide |
| 06r | 2026-532 | Regarding Native Fish: Outreach, Engagement, and Citizen Science | $270,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Solomon David | Statewide |
| 06s | 2026-590 | Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center - Phase 8 | $4,694,000 | U of MN, MITPPC | Robert Venette | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $18,750,000 | |||||
| Energy (2 Recommendations = $773,000) | ||||||
| 07a | 2026-529 | Minnesota Chiller Energy Efficiency and Onsite Energy Generation | $298,000 | U of MN, School of Public Health | Kelsey Klucas | Statewide |
| 07b | 2026-540 | Novel Piezoelectric Energy Converters for Minnesota Waters | $475,000 | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | Lian Shen | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $773,000 | |||||
| Land (17 Recommendations = $17,964,000) | ||||||
| 08a | 2026-035 | Lake Minnewashta Regional Park Restoration | $392,000 | Carver County | Martin Walsh | Metro |
| 08b | 2026-043 | Adopt a Flyway: Enhancing Minnesota's Migratory Bird Pitstops | $840,000 | Audubon Upper Mississippi River | Sarah Hewitt | Statewide |
| 08c | 2026-078 | Utilizing Wood Waste and Biochar for Mineland Reclamation - Phase I | $358,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Matthew Aro | Statewide |
| 08d | 2026-143 | Certified Prescribed Burn Manager Curriculum Development and Pilot | $454,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Eli Sagor | Statewide |
| 08e | 2026-166 | Updating Land Cover Maps for Enhanced Natural Systems | $298,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Bryan Runck | Statewide |
| 08f | 2026-190 | Pollinator Central V: Habitat Improvement with Public Engagement | $750,000 | Great River Greening | Rebecca Tucker | Central, Metro, SE |
| 08g | 2026-200 | Evaluating Soil Health Benefits of Controlled Agricultural Drainage | $249,000 | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Minnesota State University, Mankato | Mark Bowen | Statewide |
| 08h | 2026-223 | Oak Savanna Restoration for Living Landscapes | $1,944,000 | Board of Water and Soil Resources | Dan Shaw | Central, Metro, NW, SE |
| 08i | 2026-235 | Metropolitan Regional Parks System Land Acquisition - Phase 9 | $2,414,000 | Metropolitan Council | Jessica Lee | Metro |
| 08j | 2026-276 | SNA Habitat Enhancement, Public Engagement and Biodiversity Protection | $3,996,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Judy Elbert | Statewide |
| 08k | 2026-292 | Lake Brophy Park Trail Armoring and Trail Improvements | $70,000 | Douglas County | Brad Bonk | Statewide |
| 08l | 2026-300 | Sustainable Land Use with Robotic Technology on Small-Farms | $524,000 | U of MN, College of Design | Ji Youn Shin | Statewide |
| 08m | 2026-307 | Managing Minnesota’s Forests for Carbon: Tradeoffs and Synergies | $300,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Irene De Pellegrin Llorente | Statewide |
| 08n | 2026-339 | Native Prairie Bank-Private Native Prairie Conservation and Outreach | $1,758,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Heidi Wolf | Statewide |
| 08o | 2026-384 | Alleviating PFAS Impacts of Biosolids on Agricultural Lands | $300,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Jiwei Zhang | Central, Metro |
| 08p | 2026-396 | Southeast Minnesota Groundwater Protection and Soil Health Initiative | $2,817,000 | Olmsted County | Skip Langer | SE |
| 08q | 2026-581 | Living with Fire in Minnesota Forests | $500,000 | The Nature Conservancy | Robert Bale | Central, NE |
| Subtotal | $17,964,000 | |||||
| Administration (1 Recommendation = $340,000) | ||||||
| 09a | 2026-497 | 2026 Contract Agreement Reimbursement | $340,000 | MN DNR, Grants Unit | Katherine Sherman-Hoehn | Statewide |
| Subtotal | $340,000 | |||||
| Total | $103,288,000 | |||||
*NOTE: Region 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.