Minnesota Legislature
2027 Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Recommendations
As of July 30, 2026, the Legislative‐Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has selected 116 proposals totaling $129,595,000 to recommend to the 2027 Minnesota Legislature for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). $127,510,000 is available for appropriation from the ENRTF for FY 2028. The LCCMR is also recommending using $2,126,000 of unspent funds from previous appropriations. In response to LCCMR’s 2027 Request for Proposal (RFP), 434 proposals requesting a total of approximately $375 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 2027 Proposal & Funding Process Main Page for additional information.
Print-ready PDF list of 2027 proposals - listed by category with project summaries (19-pages).
Print-ready PDF list of 2027 proposals - listed by category without project summaries (10-pages).
Summary and process of the 2027 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 | $7,865,000 | 6.07% | 9 | 7.76% |
| Water | $15,695,000 | 12.11% | 17 | 14.66% |
| Education and Outdoor Recreation | $56,104,000 | 43.29% | 50 | 43.10% |
| Fish and Wildlife | $22,995,000 | 17.74% | 23 | 19.83% |
| Energy | $1,017,000 | 0.78% | 1 | 0.86% |
| Land | $21,131,000 | 16.31% | 13 | 11.21% |
| Administration | $4,788,000 | 3.69% | 3 | 2.59% |
| Total | $129,595,000 | 100% | 116 | 100% |
| Fund Source | $ Amount |
|---|---|
| FY 2028 - Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) | $127,469,000 |
| Unspent Funds from FY 2025 and FY 2026 Emerging Issues Account | $2,126,000 |
| Total $ | $129,595,000 |
| Proposal ID | Project Title | Recommended | Organization | Project Manager | Region* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resiliency (9 Recommendations = $7,865,000) | ||||||
| 2027-141 | Measuring Enhanced Greenhouse Gas Capture by Restored Peatlands | $1,072,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Mark Green | NE | |
| 2027-154 | Restoring Prairies, Supporting Communities | $296,000 | West Central Initiative | Cedar Walters | Central, NW | |
| 2027-157 | Evaluating Native Prairie Willow for Managed Landscape Applications | $75,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Brandon Miller | Statewide | |
| 2027-160 | Scandia Cemetery Shoreline Restoration Project | $1,510,000 | St. Louis County | Rachel Gregg | NE | |
| 2027-235 | Building Resilient Urban Forests for Climate Change 2 | $820,000 | Great River Greening | Katie Edmond | Central, Metro, SE, NW | |
| 2027-242 | Developing Biological Benchmarks for Resilient Lakes | $342,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Tyler Butts | Statewide | |
| 2027-347 | Wildfire Early Detection and Prescribed-Burn Management Using Drones | $823,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Ce Yang | Statewide | |
| 2027-435 | TickWise Minnesota: A First-Of-Its-Kind Minnesota Lyme Disease Forecast | $501,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Ryan Harp | Statewide | |
| 2027-558 | Gap-Filling Weather Data to Improve Watersheds/Community Resilience | $2,426,000 | Kandiyohi County | Ace Bonnema | Statewide | |
| Subtotal | $7,865,000 | |||||
| Water (17 Recommendations = $15,695,000) | ||||||
| 2027-006 | Freeing Minnesota Biosolids of Their PFAS Burden | $799,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Matt Simcik | Statewide | |
| 2027-035 | Mapping Southwest Minnesota’s Hidden Aquifers | $606,000 | U of MN, MN Geological Survey | Aaron Hirsch | SW | |
| 2027-057 | Reduction of Persistent Industrial Chemicals in Minnesota’s Water | $209,000 | U of MN, School of Public Health | Kelsey Klucas | Central, SW, SE, Metro, NW, NE | |
| 2027-073 | Hybrid Deconstruction of Persistent PFAS Toward Complete Mineralization | $452,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Xiaowen Chen | Statewide | |
| 2027-075 | A Comprehensive Approach to Advancing Forever Green Agriculture | $3,806,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Mitchell Hunter | Statewide | |
| 2027-121 | Strengthening the Lake Steward Program: It's Shore Important! | $204,000 | Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Protection and Education | Lily Carr | Statewide | |
| 2027-170 | Mississippi Riverwalk Restoration and Public Access Enhancement Project | $1,714,000 | City of St. Cloud | Luke Langner | Central | |
| 2027-178 | Biochar Applications for Stormwater Pond Management and Remediation | $574,000 | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | Lea Pollack | Statewide | |
| 2027-227 | Evaluating Sulfate, Chloride, and PFAS Wastewater Treatment Technologies | $570,000 | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Ashley Kneemueller | Statewide | |
| 2027-288 | Novel Algae Based Sustainable Bioproducts from Mining Wastewater | $300,000 | U of MN, WCROC | Veluchamy Chitraichamy | Statewide | |
| 2027-293 | Impacts of Winter Angling on Tribal Water Quality | $455,000 | U of MN, Water Resources Center | Bonnie Keeler | Statewide | |
| 2027-332 | Minnesota River Basin Water Storage BMP Prioritization | $468,000 | Board of Water and Soil Resources | Rita Weaver | Central, SE, SW, Metro | |
| 2027-362 | DNR County Groundwater Atlas | $3,012,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Vanessa Baratta-Person | Statewide | |
| 2027-418 | Water Education and Well Testing for Karst Communities | $295,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota | Andy Chambers | SE | |
| 2027-432 | Geologic Atlases for Water Resource Management-FY27 | $1,297,000 | U of MN, MN Geological Survey | Barbara Lusardi | Statewide | |
| 2027-455 | Inventory Aquatic Resources in Minnesota’s Scientific/Natural Areas | $635,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Croix Watershed Research Station | Mark Edlund | Statewide | |
| 2027-492 | HAB Early Warning Using Imaging Triggered eDNA Analysis | $299,000 | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | Jiarong Hong | Statewide | |
| Subtotal | $15,695,000 | |||||
| Education and Outdoor Recreation (50 Recommendations = $56,104,000) | ||||||
| 2027-083 | Developing Leadership Pipeline for Minnesota’s Natural Environment | $941,000 | Camp Fire Minnesota | Sara Lemke | Metro | |
| 2027-088 | Minnesota Sustainable Foraging: Participant Research and Educational Outreach | $649,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Ingrid Schneider | Statewide | |
| 2027-092 | Caring for Minnesota's Premier Hiking Trail | $627,000 | Superior Hiking Trail Association | Lisa Luokkala | NE | |
| 2027-115 | Minnesota State Trails Development | $7,250,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Kent Skaar | Statewide | |
| 2027-120 | Native American Veterans Memorial Plaza and Shoreline Restoration | $466,000 | Dakota County | Tony Wotzka | Metro | |
| 2027-124 | Indigenous Practice, Modern Threat: Brain-Tanning and CWD | $389,000 | U of MN, College of Veterinary Medicine | Tiffany Wolf | Statewide | |
| 2027-125 | CP Rail Regional Trail - South Segment Construction | $1,932,000 | Three Rivers Park District | Maggie Heurung | Metro | |
| 2027-139 | Mississippi River Learning Center - Peninsula Restoration | $2,802,000 | City of St. Paul | Anne Gardner | Statewide | |
| 2027-151 | Increasing Education and Outdoor Recreation Camps for Youth and Families | $199,000 | Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center | Bryan Wood | Statewide | |
| 2027-152 | The Boundary Waters Is Our Backyard | $616,000 | Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness | Alison Nyenhuis | NE | |
| 2027-166 | Improving Access to Recreational Trails at Eagle Bluff | $32,000 | Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center | Colleen Foehrenbacher | Statewide | |
| 2027-175 | Two Harbors Waterfront: Enhancing the North Shore Experience | $1,479,000 | City of Two Harbors | Kjersti Monson | NE | |
| 2027-184 | Minnesota Master Naturalist Teacher Institute | $399,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Robert Blair | Statewide | |
| 2027-192 | Mikinaake: Connecting Indigenous Youth to Land-Based Learning | $749,000 | Belwin Conservancy | Hannah Brithón | Metro | |
| 2027-193 | Revitalizing Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping in White Earth | $530,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Marissa Milstein | Statewide | |
| 2027-209 | Blaine Wetland Sanctuary Trail Development | $2,167,000 | City of Blaine | Brent Larson | Metro | |
| 2027-231 | The Living Lab: A Science and Art Experience | $178,000 | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Jennifer Maki | Statewide | |
| 2027-236 | Mobile Nature Center Serving Southwest Minnesota | $258,000 | Wild Compass Environmental Education | Alisha Paplow | Statewide | |
| 2027-238 | Future Stewards: Expanding Native Habitat and Outdoor Education | $299,000 | Great River Greening | Brennan Blue | Central, Metro, SE, SW | |
| 2027-285 | Casting Lines, Growing Habitat, Connecting Community | $501,000 | City of Hutchinson | Michael Stifter | Central | |
| 2027-307 | Braiding Knowledge for Biodiversity Conservation | $589,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota | Catherine Early | Statewide | |
| 2027-310 | Season Watch: Nature for Every Generation | $201,000 | Northern Community Radio, Inc. | Sarah Bignall | Statewide | |
| 2027-312 | Local Parks, Trails, and Natural Areas Grant Programs | $4,365,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Jenni Bubke | Statewide | |
| 2027-341 | Mesabi Trail Multiple Segments Eveleth, Gilbert, and Tower | $1,515,000 | St. Louis & Lake Counties Regional Railroad Authority | Sarah Ciochetto | NE | |
| 2027-372 | Restoration of the Historic Laurentian Environmental Center’s Mission | $160,000 | Northeast Service Cooperative | Paul Brinkman | Statewide | |
| 2027-387 | Leveraging Nature for Mental Health | $300,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Arielle Courtney | Statewide | |
| 2027-425 | Bugs Below Zero: Engaging Communities with Winter Science | $404,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Rebecca Swenson | Statewide | |
| 2027-426 | Increasing Access to Outdoor Recreation for 21,000 Minnesotans | $1,501,000 | Wilderness Inquiry | Nell Holden | Statewide | |
| 2027-428 | Glacial Edge Regional Trail - Cabbage Hill Segment | $1,683,000 | Otter Tail County | Kevin Fellbaum | Central | |
| 2027-429 | Lake Elmo Park Reserve - Single Track Trail | $1,413,000 | Washington County | Andrea Rehm | Metro | |
| 2027-480 | Nature for New Minnesotans: Expanding Inclusive Environmental Education | $300,000 | U of MN, Bell Museum | Natalie Kennedy | Statewide | |
| 2027-485 | Expanding Fishing Education and Shore Fishing Opportunities. | $3,851,000 | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | Brian Nerbonne | Statewide | |
| 2027-499 | Accessible Tree Canopy Walk at Eloise Butler Garden | $644,000 | Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board | Adam Arvidson | Metro | |
| 2027-505 | Voyageurs Dark Sky Science and Stewardship Education | $959,000 | Voyageurs Conservancy | Breanna Trygg | Statewide | |
| 2027-508 | River Bend Nature Center Outdoor Diversity Initiative Expansion | $296,000 | River Bend Nature Center | Brad Bourn | SE | |
| 2027-511 | Southwest Chaska Park - Phase 1 Improvements | $3,047,000 | City of Chaska | Ashley Cauley | Metro | |
| 2027-540 | Fergus Falls Multiuse Recreational Building | $1,624,000 | City of Fergus Falls | Klara Beck | NW | |
| 2027-546 | Expanding Conservation Education Access in Northeast MN | $270,000 | Arrowhead Zoological Society | Sarah Wilcox | NE | |
| 2027-551 | Agriculture–Energy Innovation Talent Development Camp (Morris, MN) | $391,000 | U of MN, Morris | Clement Loo | Statewide | |
| 2027-555 | Tettegouche State Park Entrance Bridge Replacement | $4,262,000 | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | Scott Haugen | Statewide | |
| 2027-565 | Connecting Minnesota Youth to the Lake Superior Watershed | $444,000 | Hartley Nature Center | Amy Demmer | NE, NW, Central | |
| 2027-566 | Pathways to Environmental Careers | $858,000 | MN DNR, Operational Services Division | May Yang-Lee | Statewide | |
| 2027-575 | Field Township Northwoods Nature Pedestrian Trail | $797,000 | Field Township | Pat Chapman | NE | |
| 2027-582 | Building Climate-Resilient Conservation Leadership in Minnesota | $538,000 | Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Accion Latina | Geanella Ochoa | Statewide | |
| 2027-584 | Growing Environmental Stewardship Through Trout in the Classroom | $295,000 | Minnesota Trout Unlimited | John Lenczewski | Statewide | |
| 2027-586 | Expanding Outdoor Leadership Through Minnesota's Natural Resources | $350,000 | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Bemidji State University | Anna Carlson | NW, NE, Central | |
| 2027-598 | Watershed Resilience: Youth, Science, and Dakota Cultural Knowledge | $300,000 | Izaak Walton League of America, Will Dilg Chapter | Anne Conway | SE | |
| 2027-604 | Asian Youth Arts and Environmental Leadership | $921,000 | Asian Economic Development Association | VaMegn Thoj | Metro | |
| 2027-609 | Sudheimer Park Project | $983,000 | City of Waconia | Casey Byers | Metro | |
| 2027-611 | Mobile Water Safety Education | $380,000 | Three Rivers Park District | Jason McGrew-King | Metro | |
| Subtotal | $56,104,000 | |||||
| Fish and Wildlife (23 Recommendations = $22,995,000) | ||||||
| 2027-031 | Recovering and Restoring Rare Native Minnesota Eastern Hemlocks | $170,000 | U of MN, Landscape Arboretum | David Remucal | NE | |
| 2027-041 | Fond du Lac Deer Study - Phase 2 | $2,164,000 | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Bemidji State University | Jacob Haus | NE | |
| 2027-109 | Critical Information for Science-Based Management of Minnesota’s Wolves | $2,339,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Joseph Bump | Statewide | |
| 2027-111 | Building a Superior Understanding of Minnesota's Small Mammals | $632,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota | Dakota Rowsey | Statewide | |
| 2027-136 | Enhancing Fisher Management with Population and Health Data | $785,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Michael Joyce | Statewide | |
| 2027-194 | Advancing Bioacoustics Beyond Species Detection in Minnesota | $299,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Elena West | Statewide | |
| 2027-280 | Expanding MN Prescribed Fire Implementation and Landowner Education | $1,564,000 | The Nature Conservancy | Liz Beery | NW, Central, SW | |
| 2027-284 | Moose Pathogen Surveillance and Genotyping Using Engorged Ticks | $129,000 | U of MN, School of Public Health | Jonathan Oliver | Statewide | |
| 2027-303 | Lake Sturgeon Restoration at Great Lakes Aquarium | $130,000 | Lake Superior Authority | Jay Walker | NE | |
| 2027-329 | Minnesota Mammal Atlas | $294,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Ron Moen | Statewide | |
| 2027-345 | Status of Mollusks in the Minnesota River Watershed | $685,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Kathryn Holcomb | Statewide | |
| 2027-360 | Health Assessment, Tracking, and Conservation of Wild Turkeys | $1,582,000 | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | Elizabeth Baker | Statewide | |
| 2027-402 | Investigating Social Interactions and Relationships of Urban Coyotes | $672,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Geoffrey Miller | Metro, Central, NE, SE | |
| 2027-403 | Integrating Biodiversity Data to Improve Conservation Decisions | $1,709,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Holly Bernardo | Statewide | |
| 2027-409 | Invasive Carp Tagging, Tracking and Removal | $1,035,000 | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | Brian Nerbonne | Central, SW, SE | |
| 2027-417 | Evaluating American Kestrel Declines to Inform Conservation Action | $424,000 | Minnesota Zoological Board | Tricia Markle | Statewide | |
| 2027-442 | Saving Common Terns: Decoding Drivers of Population Decline | $290,000 | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | Annie Bracey | Statewide | |
| 2027-451 | Protect and Sustain Red Lake’s Fisheries and Peatlands | $1,206,000 | Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Croix Watershed Research Station | Mark Edlund | Statewide | |
| 2027-456 | AIS Solutions for Minnesota - Innovation, Translation, Leadership | $5,186,000 | U of MN, MAISRC | Nicholas Phelps | Statewide | |
| 2027-483 | Moose Monitoring on the Leech Lake Reservation | $597,000 | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe | Tanya Roerick | Statewide | |
| 2027-528 | Assessing Recruitment Threats for Imperiled Blanding's Turtles | $308,000 | Department of Military Affairs | Josh Pennington | Statewide | |
| 2027-574 | Understanding Minnesota's Migratory Bats to Advance Conservation | $478,000 | Minnesota Zoological Board | Mary Mallinger | Statewide | |
| 2027-600 | Aerial Infrared Surveys of Sharp-Tailed Grouse and Prairie-Chickens | $317,000 | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | Charlotte Roy | Statewide | |
| Subtotal | $22,995,000 | |||||
| Energy (1 Recommendation = $1,017,000) | ||||||
| 2027-412 | Minnesota Solar for Soil, Water, and Wildlife | $1,017,000 | U of MN, Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships | Melissa Birch | Statewide | |
| Subtotal | $1,017,000 | |||||
| Land (13 Recommendations = $21,131,000) | ||||||
| 2027-051 | Precision Grazing – Virtual Grazing for Ecological Outcomes | $618,000 | Pheasants Forever Inc | Josh Pommier | Statewide | |
| 2027-181 | Engaging Landowners in Conservation Easement Stewardship | $1,156,000 | Board of Water and Soil Resources | Sara Reagan | Statewide | |
| 2027-276 | Northern Minnesota Integrated Reforestation and Climate Resilience Initiative | $1,359,000 | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Bemidji State University | James Harding | NW | |
| 2027-309 | Integrated PFAS Capture and Destruction on Tribal Lands | $579,000 | Prairie Island Indian Community | Rylee Hince | Statewide | |
| 2027-334 | Expanding Minnesota Grazing for Resilient Landscapes | $2,733,000 | Minnesota Department of Agriculture | Megan Lennon | Statewide | |
| 2027-336 | Metropolitan Regional Parks System Land Acquisition Phase 10 | $2,749,000 | Metropolitan Council | Jessica Lee | Metro | |
| 2027-349 | Minnesota Public Lands Conservation Grazing Coordination | $3,601,000 | Ducks Unlimited Inc | Logan Shoup | NW, Central, SW | |
| 2027-361 | Protecting the Future of the Superior Hiking Trail | $200,000 | Superior Hiking Trail Association | Lisa Luokkala | NE | |
| 2027-363 | Native Prairie Bank-Private Native Prairie Conservation and Outreach | $2,248,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Heidi Wolf | Statewide | |
| 2027-371 | SNA Habitat Enhancement, Public Engagement, and Biodiversity Protection | $4,514,000 | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | Judy Elbert | Statewide | |
| 2027-408 | Minneapolis Urban Forest Ecology Restoration, Phase 1 | $300,000 | Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board | James Shaffer | Metro | |
| 2027-498 | Ecological Riverbank Restoration at St. Anthony Falls | $290,000 | Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board | Adam Arvidson | Metro | |
| 2027-541 | Conservation Finance on School Trust Peatlands | $784,000 | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | Colleen Miller | Statewide | |
| Subtotal | $21,131,000 | |||||
| Administration (3 Recommendations = $4,788,000) | ||||||
| 2027-001 | LCCMR Administrative Budget FY2028 & FY2029 | $4,375,000 | Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources | LCCMR Universal Account | Statewide | |
| 2027-002 | LCC Legacy Website 2027 | $3,000 | Legislative Coordinating Commission | LCCMR Universal Account | Statewide | |
| 2027-214 | 2027 Contract Agreement Reimbursement | $410,000 | MN DNR, Grants Unit | Katherine Sherman-Hoehn | Statewide | |
| Subtotal | $4,788,000 | |||||
| Total | $129,595,000 | |||||
*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.