Minnesota Legislature
2026 Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Proposals Received
As of March 19, 2025, the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) received 400 proposals requesting a total of $358,772,000. The amount available for appropriation from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) is approximately $103 million. This RFP process is for FY 2027 funds that become available beginning July 1, 2026.
LCCMR reviews and evaluates all proposals against their adopted evaluation criteria. On June 11, members will select high-ranking proposals to invite for presentation before the LCCMR on June 24-27, June 30, and July 1 in order to receive further consideration. On July 18, the LCCMR will meet to make final selection and funding allocation decisions. In late 2025, the commission will meet to approve appropriation bill language for these projects that will be presented to the 2026 Minnesota Legislature as the official LCCMR recommendations for spending from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
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 list of 2026 proposals received - listed by category with project summaries (58-page PDF file).
Print-ready list of 2026 proposals received - listed by category without project summaries (27-page PDF file).
Summary and Process of the M.L. 2026 proposals received.
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', '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.
| Proposal ID | First Name | Last Name | Title | Organization | Requested $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Resiliency (RECEIVED: 37 Proposals / Subtotal - $37,362,000) |
|||||
| 2026-037 | Michele | Guala | Nature-Based Solutions Controlling Sedimentation and Erosion along Streambanks | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $513,000 |
| 2026-050 | Sara | Reagan | Increasing Resiliency in Permanently Protected Private Grasslands | Board of Water and Soil Resources | $1,800,000 |
| 2026-072 | Candace | Leong | Improving Superior National Forest's Landscape and Community Resiliency | Patriot Restoration OPS (PROPS) | $4,608,000 |
| 2026-085 | Sharon | Delcambre | Community Resiliency through AmeriCorps | ServeMinnesota | $4,500,000 |
| 2026-101 | Anna | Cates | Visible Resilience: Soil Health for Land and Water | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $574,000 |
| 2026-105 | Jessica | Kozarek | Resilient Shorelines and Resilient Habitat for Minnesota Lakes | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $760,000 |
| 2026-121 | Emilie | Snell-Rood | Biochar-Based Materials and Pollution Mitigation along Roadsides | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $823,000 |
| 2026-155 | Kristin | Mroz Risse | Preparing Resilient Communities with Model Land Use Ordinances | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | $480,000 |
| 2026-176 | Andrea | Harrell | Southbridge Community Park Revitalization Project | City of Shakopee | $358,000 |
| 2026-195 | Andrew | Wickert | Forecasting Floodplain and River-Channel Change | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $482,000 |
| 2026-205 | Alicia | Coleman | Impacts of Tree Removals and Replanting for Residents | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $467,000 |
| 2026-207 | Dan | Shaw | Resilient and Biodiverse Community Spaces | Board of Water and Soil Resources | $675,000 |
| 2026-213 | Brandon | Miller | Assessing Black Walnut for Climate Resilience in Minnesota | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $333,000 |
| 2026-218 | Joshua | Bergstad | Northwoods and Waters Community Resilience Collaborative | Arrowhead Regional Development Commission | $1,516,000 |
| 2026-226 | Brett | Barney | Microbial Systems to Improve Soil Resilience to Drought | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $561,000 |
| 2026-229 | Jan | Joannides | Perennials for Climate Resiliency on Minnesota Private Lands | Renewing the Countryside | $672,000 |
| 2026-265 | Eric | Schenck | Enhancing Forest Resilience through Collaborative Partnerships | Minnesota Forest Resources Council | $980,000 |
| 2026-273 | Marcella | Windmuller-Campione | Increasing Ecological and Economic Resiliency in Aspen Forests | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $485,000 |
| 2026-282 | Valerie | McClannahan | Protect Community Forests for Community Resiliency | MN DNR, Forestry Division | $3,500,000 |
| 2026-295 | Mingzi | Xu | Impact of Temperature and Microhabitat on Insect Reproduction | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $450,000 |
| 2026-298 | Charles | Lippert | Identifying Flooding Hazards on Mille Lacs Tribal Lands | Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe | $900,000 |
| 2026-303 | Veluchamy | Chitraichamy | Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in Minnesota Livestock Farming | U of MN, WCROC | $406,000 |
| 2026-322 | Haley | Smith | Developing Wetland Resilience in Voyageurs National Park | National Park Service, Voyageurs National Park | $774,000 |
| 2026-334 | Rachel | Gregg | Scandia Cemetery Shoreline Restoration Project | St. Louis County | $2,550,000 |
| 2026-368 | Vivian | Ferry | Improving Extreme Weather Resilience with Thermally Adaptive Materials | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $781,000 |
| 2026-392 | Emily | Fairfax | Minnesota Beaver Dams as Natural Infrastructure | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $791,000 |
| 2026-414 | Heidi | Roop | Accelerating Climate Adaptation Across Minnesota's Nature-Based Tourism Economy | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $400,000 |
| 2026-421 | Roger | Ruan | Electrified Nitrogen Fixation for Localized, On-Demand Fertilization | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $850,000 |
| 2026-438 | Ce | Yang | Wildfire Early Detection and Prescribed-Burn Management Using Drones | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $749,000 |
| 2026-464 | Natasha | Wright | Advancing Dehydration Technologies for Resilient Minnesota Food Systems | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $368,000 |
| 2026-481 | Isaac | Haagen | Resilient Dairy Calf Systems to Support Minnesota's Communities | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $406,000 |
| 2026-508 | Sabine | Engel | Climate-Smart Counties and Communities: Collaborative Resiliency Solutions | U of MN, Institute on the Environment | $975,000 |
| 2026-511 | Axel | Garcia y Garcia | Optimizing Oilseed Production for Sustainable Aviation Fuel | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $507,000 |
| 2026-515 | Jannell | Bazurto | Plant-Growth Promoting Microbes for Prairie Resilience and Restoration | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $356,000 |
| 2026-544 | Wenqing | Zhang | Sustainable Food Security, Ecosystem Restoration, and Indigenous Empowerment | U of MN, Duluth | $620,000 |
| 2026-579 | Lucas | Sjostrom | Farmer-Led Delivery of Natural Resource Outcomes | Minnesota Milk Producers Association | $922,000 |
| 2026-585 | Karl | Anderson | AI Powered Greenhouses: Strengthening Rural Food Security | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Northwest Technical College | $470,000 |
| Subtotal | $37,362,000 | ||||
| A. Resiliency G. Small Projects (RECEIVED: 17 Proposals / Subtotal - $3,303,000) |
|||||
| 2026-082 | Andrej | Pilipovic | Pioneer Tree Species Assisted Migration for Resilient Forests | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $171,000 |
| 2026-157 | Brandon | Miller | Evaluating Climate-Ready Native Shrubs for Resilient Managed Landscapes | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $239,000 |
| 2026-194 | Jacob | Jungers | Spatially Targeting Perennial Grains for Maximum Environmental Value | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $299,000 |
| 2026-249 | Christina | VanDeventer | Artesian Well | Hometown Resilience Foundation | $40,000 |
| 2026-325 | Seth | Wannemuehler | Resiliency through Sustainable Management of Viburnum Leaf Beetle | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $269,000 |
| 2026-381 | Monica | Haynes | Building Resilient Communities: Data-Driven Insights for Local Action | U of MN, Duluth | $74,000 |
| 2026-383 | Julie | Etterson | Impacts of Drought and Biodiversity on Prairie Plants | U of MN, Duluth | $94,000 |
| 2026-419 | Juer | Liu | Waste Textiles Chemical Recycling via Catalytic Microwave-Assisted Depolymerization | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $300,000 |
| 2026-440 | Mikael | Elias | Biotechnologies for Sustainable Mining of Critical Metals | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $280,000 |
| 2026-451 | Todd | Rexine | Implementing Biochar in Natural System Management | Great River Greening | $300,000 |
| 2026-477 | Paul | Chen | Catalytic Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis of Waste Printed Circuit Boards | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $300,000 |
| 2026-512 | Heather | Arends | Updating the Twin Cities Aggregate Resources Inventory | MN DNR, Lands and Minerals Division | $300,000 |
| 2026-528 | Taylor | Guenther | Mahnomen EAB Preparation Project | City of Mahnomen | $62,000 |
| 2026-538 | Lian | Shen | Wind Resource Assessment for Minnesota Energy Resiliency | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $289,000 |
| 2026-545 | Dan | MacSwain | Increasing Forest Resiliency, Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park | Washington County | $175,000 |
| 2026-587 | Grayson | Smith | Terra Nova Schoolyard Prairie Project | US Fish and Wildlife Service, Midwest Region | $11,000 |
| 2026-589 | Mark | Valdez | Bringing Upstream's Environmental Education to Minnesota | Mixed Blood Theatre | $100,000 |
| Subtotal | $3,303,000 | ||||
| B. Water (RECEIVED: 53 Proposals / Subtotal - $51,312,000) |
|||||
| 2026-055 | Hua | Zhao | Eliminating Phenolic Compounds from Water Using Enzyme Filter | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $390,000 |
| 2026-063 | Judy | Yang | Floating Wetlands for Microplastic and Pathogen Removal | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $522,000 |
| 2026-070 | Jim | Hauth | Vadnais Lake: Nature-Based Recreation and Drinking Water Protection | City of Vadnais Heights | $3,616,000 |
| 2026-088 | Kari | Kennedy | Twin Cities PBS Almanac Environment and Natural Resources Desk | Twin Cities Public Television | $673,000 |
| 2026-106 | Jessica | Kozarek | Minnesota Ice: River Ice Dynamics and Resiliency | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $431,000 |
| 2026-116 | Colleen | O'Connor Toberman | Studying Dam Removal Feasibility for the Mississippi Gorge | Friends of the Mississippi River | $1,099,000 |
| 2026-124 | William | Arnold | Protecting Minnesota’s Waters from Plastic- and Rubber-Derived Chemicals | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $600,000 |
| 2026-128 | Alison | Ling | Best Practices for PFAS Phase-Outs in Minnesota | University of St. Thomas | $385,000 |
| 2026-137 | Dale | Reed | Polar Lakes Park Water Reuse for Irrigation | White Bear Township | $1,044,000 |
| 2026-164 | Chan Lan | Chun | Public Toolbox to Forecast Toxic Cyanobacteria Blooms | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $550,000 |
| 2026-168 | Veluchamy | Chitraichamy | Integrating Biological-Carbon Capture and Microalgae for Sustainable Biofuel Production | U of MN, WCROC | $641,000 |
| 2026-169 | Alexander | Frie | PFAS in Precipitation: Assessing a Critical Statewide Threat | U of MN, Duluth - Sea Grant | $1,095,000 |
| 2026-179 | Andrew | Wickert | Enabling Widespread Real-Time River-Flow and Habitat Monitoring | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $688,000 |
| 2026-187 | Tyler | Dale | Wood Based Biochar for Water or Soil Improvements | Washington County | $2,083,000 |
| 2026-203 | Benjamin | Maas | Assessment of Microplastic Pollution in Karst Aquifers | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Metropolitan State University | $472,000 |
| 2026-206 | Traian | Dumitrica | Graphene Oxide Nanofiltration Membranes for Water Remediation | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $838,000 |
| 2026-209 | Jeff | Havig | Assessing Salt Impact on Minnesota Lake Health | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $651,000 |
| 2026-210 | Nicholas | Leonard | Ash Recovery and Recycling Center | Otter Tail County | $1,270,000 |
| 2026-230 | Rita | Weaver | Storage: A Real Solution within Production and Conservation | Board of Water and Soil Resources | $8,000,000 |
| 2026-248 | David | Duffey | PFAS and Microplastics: Potential Impacts of Environmental Co-Occurrence | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | $765,000 |
| 2026-280 | Satoshi | Ishii | Uncovering Drivers of Fecal Contamination in Minnesota's Waters | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $500,000 |
| 2026-286 | Chuck | Kendall | Community Led Water Quality Initiative, Twin Lakes Chain | Twin Lake Association | $449,000 |
| 2026-297 | James | Cotner | Increasing Fish Habitat and Water Quality in Lakes | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $616,000 |
| 2026-312 | Kun | Zhang | Optimal Sampling Design for Tracking Impairments in Streams | U of MN, Duluth | $329,000 |
| 2026-331 | Mitch | Robinson | Brookdale Park Shingle Creek Restoration and Access Improvements | City of Brooklyn Park | $410,000 |
| 2026-333 | Devanshi | Khokhani | Mitigating Diseases in Oilseed Crops for Clean Water | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $403,000 |
| 2026-342 | Beatriz | Baselga Cervera | Algal Blooms in Minnesota Lakes from Wildfires | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $682,000 |
| 2026-349 | Beth | Fisher | Restoring Floodplains for Nitrate Removal and Habitat Expansion | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Minnesota State University Mankato | $533,000 |
| 2026-366 | Tyler | Nelson | Drone-Based Multispectral Forecasting of Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms | Real Vision Drones | $750,000 |
| 2026-374 | Shaobo | Deng | Plasma System for PFAS Remediation: Integration and Validation | U of MN, Southern Research and Outreach Center | $862,000 |
| 2026-382 | Qizhi | He | Determining Fracture Characteristics for Karst Groundwater Flow Modeling | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $581,000 |
| 2026-398 | Mikael | Elias | Removing Microplastics from Minnesota Waters | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $598,000 |
| 2026-412 | Christine | Dolph | Dam Failure: Understanding Consequences for Nutrients and Sediments | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $1,892,000 |
| 2026-415 | Todd | Matvick | Immersion Cooling AI Computing in a Microgrid Environment | Ascentek Inc | $500,000 |
| 2026-424 | Dave | Holt | Restoring Wild Rice Waters: Sulfate and Mercury Treatment | White Iron Chain of Lakes Association | $785,000 |
| 2026-425 | John | Nieber | Drainage Tools for Minimizing Downstream Impacts | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $421,000 |
| 2026-437 | Timothy | LaPara | Preventing Legionnaires’ Disease via Improved Drinking Water Management | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $925,000 |
| 2026-442 | Junaed | Sattar | Technology and Education to Address Water Quality Monitoring Challenges | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $729,000 |
| 2026-447 | Tianhong | Cui | Cheap Portable Sensor to Detect PFAS in Water | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $369,000 |
| 2026-454 | Jiwei | Zhang | Fungal-Amended Biofiltration System for Enhanced Remediation of Water | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $414,000 |
| 2026-465 | Kerry | Holmberg | Managing Climate using Inverse Modeling: Central Sands Aquifer | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $884,000 |
| 2026-473 | Barbara | Lusardi | Geologic Atlases for Water Resource Management | U of MN, MN Geological Survey | $1,455,000 |
| 2026-478 | Stephen | Kells | Mating Confusion to Protect Wild Rice Habitats | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $608,000 |
| 2026-503 | David | Mulla | Protecting Drinking Water from Nitrates in Southeast Minnesota | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $515,000 |
| 2026-505 | John | Downing | Protecting 1000 Northern Lakes from Septic System Effluent | Itasca Waters | $467,000 |
| 2026-507 | John | Sartori | Innovative Pollutant Sensors for Surface Water Monitoring | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $496,000 |
| 2026-514 | Otto | Strack | Subsurface Irrigation Design | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $363,000 |
| 2026-539 | Lian | Shen | Ice on the Lake | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $529,000 |
| 2026-542 | Ben | Nelson | Anoka Rum River Dam Reconstruction and Modification Project | City of Anoka | $4,575,000 |
| 2026-552 | Courtney | Kowalczak | Lake Superior River Watch | Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College | $420,000 |
| 2026-563 | Mindy | Phillips | Red Lake Nation Long-Term Continuous Monitoring Buoys | Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians | $1,033,000 |
| 2026-573 | Morgan | Schafer | CWF Green Infrastructure Proposal | Clean Water Fund | $720,000 |
| 2026-575 | Aaron | Hirsch | Airborne Geophysical Reconnaissance of Groundwater Resources, Northwestern Minnesota | U of MN, MN Geological Survey | $686,000 |
| Subtotal | $51,312,000 | ||||
| B. Water G. Small Projects (RECEIVED: 22 Proposals / Subtotal - $5,276,000) |
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| 2026-026 | Natalie | Warren | Investigating Policy Implementation: Minnesota’s One Watershed One Plan | U of MN, Humphrey School of Public Affairs | $203,000 |
| 2026-034 | Dalma | Martinovic-Weigelt | Statewide Risk Estimates for Contaminants of Emerging Concern | University of St. Thomas | $175,000 |
| 2026-054 | Andrew | Wickert | Why are Minnesota's Floods Larger and More Frequent? | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $299,000 |
| 2026-084 | Matthew | Petersen | Enhancing the Integrity of Minnesota's Waterway Bioassessment | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $299,000 |
| 2026-126 | Matt | Drewitz | Nutrient Reduction Tracking in Minnesota | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | $300,000 |
| 2026-136 | David | Mitchell | What the Microorganisms in Our Water Tell Us | College of Saint Benedict | $151,000 |
| 2026-139 | Lindsay | Pease | Nitrogen Management Benefits of Three Conservation Drainage Practices | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $265,000 |
| 2026-156 | Larry | Vollmar | Invasive Weed Control on Cedar Lake, Scott County | Cedar Lake Improvement District | $102,000 |
| 2026-294 | Samantha | Wells | Regenerative Agriculture: Sustaining Rural Livelihoods and Protecting Water | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $300,000 |
| 2026-323 | Melissa | Green | Streambank Scour Effects of Reed Canary Grass | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $298,000 |
| 2026-341 | John | Chapman | Road Salt Phytoremediation by Invasive Cattail Harvest | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $300,000 |
| 2026-343 | Mary | Schneider | Loretto Water Treatment Pilot Study | City of Loretto | $68,000 |
| 2026-401 | Jeff | Forester | Organizing Aquatic Invasive Species Efforts to Bridge Silos | Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Protection and Education | $190,000 |
| 2026-445 | Robyn | Dwight | Keep it Clean Winterized Sani-Dump Stations | Upper Red Lake Area Association | $275,000 |
| 2026-470 | Craig | Hill | Continuously Monitored Mesotrophic Lakes: Healthy Waters, Thriving Fisheries | U of MN, Duluth | $299,000 |
| 2026-486 | Peter | Bruggeman | Mitigating Short-Chain Forever Chemicals for a PFAS-Free Minnesota | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $299,000 |
| 2026-488 | Andy | Erickson | Achieving Water Quality Goals by Educating Watershed Practitioners | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $85,000 |
| 2026-491 | Christian | Lenhart | Improving Wetland Restoration Outcomes through a University-Led Center | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $272,000 |
| 2026-493 | Jason | Amundsen | Atmospheric Water Collection Project for Farmers | Amundsen Farms, Inc. | $291,000 |
| 2026-495 | Jeffrey | Strock | Taking Action to Quantify Tradeoffs of Intermediate Wheatgrass | U of MN, Southwest Research and Outreach Center | $300,000 |
| 2026-496 | Kui | Hu | It’s-Not Funny! Minnesota’s Trout Streams are at Risk | Science Museum of Minnesota | $300,000 |
| 2026-534 | Jeff | Forester | Expand Lake Steward to Protect/Restore Minnesota Shorelines | Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Protection and Education | $205,000 |
| Subtotal | $5,276,000 | ||||
| C. Education and Outdoor Recreation (RECEIVED: 69 Proposals / Subtotal - $108,183,000) |
|||||
| 2026-010 | David | Remucal | Cultivate, Connect, and Train Minnesota's Young Conservation Scientists | U of MN, Landscape Arboretum | $567,000 |
| 2026-027 | Beth | Becker | Inspiring and Connecting the Next Generations with Nature | YMCA of the North | $5,163,000 |
| 2026-045 | Matt | Kumka | Cullen Nature Preserve | City of Minnetonka | $688,000 |
| 2026-069 | Seth | Thompson | Fostering Local Leaders for Water Stewardship in Minnesota | Freshwater Society | $880,000 |
| 2026-076 | Jared | Smith | Tree Trust Career Pathways Green Industry Workforce Development | Tree Trust | $730,000 |
| 2026-080 | Elaine | Evans | Increasing Pollinator Conservation Action Through Education and Engagement | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $518,000 |
| 2026-086 | Robert | Blair | Flyway Fellows: Engaging Teachers in Bird Migration Education | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $535,000 |
| 2026-093 | Anna | Callahan | Minnesota Community Schoolyards | The Trust for Public Land | $1,997,000 |
| 2026-110 | Jennifer | Vieth | Trail Restoration at Carpenter Nature Center | Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center | $761,000 |
| 2026-114 | Philip | Wacholz | Freeborn County Regional Trail | Freeborn County | $2,500,000 |
| 2026-135 | Kellee | Omlid | North Creek Greenway Trails and Trailhead Construction Project | City of Farmington | $2,384,000 |
| 2026-141 | Andrea | Rehm | Hardwood Creek Regional Trail Extension | Washington County | $1,477,000 |
| 2026-145 | Owen | Connell | Building a Natural Connection CAIRO and Outdoor U | Saint Johns Arboretum and University | $617,000 |
| 2026-146 | Kristen | Poppleton | Watersheds, Careers, and Conservation: Students Doing Outdoor Science | Minnesota Trout Unlimited | $582,000 |
| 2026-151 | Rebecca | Swenson | Bugs Below Zero: Connecting Communities with Winter Science | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $428,000 |
| 2026-154 | Paul | Brinkman | Resurrect and Revitalize the Laurentian Environmental Center Ecosystem | Northeast Service Cooperative | $1,042,000 |
| 2026-182 | Dan | Nemes | A State Trail System for 21st-Century Minnesota | Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota | $716,000 |
| 2026-221 | Maggie | Heurung | Mississippi River Water Trail Access in Dayton | Three Rivers Park District | $500,000 |
| 2026-232 | Trish | Crego | Hermantown Community Connector Trail- 2026 Segments | City of Hermantown | $2,352,000 |
| 2026-243 | Caleb | Peterson | St. Louis River Multi-Use Bridge | City of Cloquet | $1,485,000 |
| 2026-251 | Bo | Hu | Integrating Sustainability into High School Science Curriculum | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $360,000 |
| 2026-254 | Joy | Hobbs | Sharing Minnesota's Greatest Environmental Investment Phase II | Science Museum of Minnesota | $709,000 |
| 2026-255 | Kim | Melton | Red River Basin Soil Health Initiative | Red River Basin Commission | $362,000 |
| 2026-258 | Kristopher | Lencowski | Diversifying Nature Education Access | Ramsey County Parks and Recreation | $450,000 |
| 2026-260 | Alison | Nyenhuis | Cultivating Conservation Leaders through Education and Wilderness Experiences | Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness | $1,375,000 |
| 2026-261 | Niki | Geisler | Thompson County Park Inclusive Outdoor Recreation Enhancements | Dakota County | $4,000,000 |
| 2026-262 | Niki | Geisler | Lake Byllesby Regional Park Accessibility and Resiliency Improvements | Dakota County | $3,100,000 |
| 2026-264 | Tony | Wotzka | River to River Greenway - BMPs, Underpass, Reconstruction | Dakota County | $1,400,000 |
| 2026-266 | Nick | Arola | Carey Lake Campground Construction Phase II | City of Hibbing | $1,499,000 |
| 2026-267 | Tony | Wotzka | LHRP Natural Resources Restoration and Sustainable Trails Improvements | Dakota County | $2,435,000 |
| 2026-268 | Tony | Wotzka | Veterans Memorial Greenway Main Memorial Trailhead | Dakota County | $3,000,000 |
| 2026-270 | Sara | Lemke | Empowering Future Leaders Through Outdoor Access | Camp Fire Minnesota | $875,000 |
| 2026-278 | Terry | Gips | Akepa Youth and School Program | Alliance for Sustainability | $896,000 |
| 2026-287 | Kent | Skaar | Minnesota State Trails Development | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | $6,500,000 |
| 2026-288 | Kent | Skaar | Tettegouche State Park Entrance Bridge Replacement | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | $8,625,000 |
| 2026-293 | Jill | Leary | Expanding Adaptive Outdoor Recreation Opportunities Around the BWCA | Adaptive Wilderness Within Reach | $1,164,000 |
| 2026-304 | Katie | Bloome | Expanding and Enhancing Environmental Education through Partnerships | Belwin Conservancy | $619,000 |
| 2026-305 | Britt | See-Benes | Southside Trail Connection and Silver Lake Park Upgrade | City of Virginia | $1,341,000 |
| 2026-306 | Courtney | Phillips | Greater Fountain Lake Aquatic and Trail Accessibility Enhancements | Shell Rock River Watershed District | $1,280,000 |
| 2026-313 | Jenni | Bubke | Local Parks, Trails, and Natural Areas Grant Programs | MN DNR, State Parks and Trails Division | $5,000,000 |
| 2026-321 | Michael | Stifter | Otter and Campbell Lakes Accessible Recreational Opportunities Project | City of Hutchinson | $615,000 |
| 2026-348 | Joe | Masiarchin | Lake Marion Greenway – Ritter Farm to Dodd Blvd | City of Lakeville | $2,843,000 |
| 2026-355 | Kjersti | Monson | Restored Bluff and Trail at Owámniyómni | Owámniyomni Okhódayapi | $2,500,000 |
| 2026-377 | Michael | Torres | Minnesota Bike Parks | Minneapolis Bike Parks | $1,000,000 |
| 2026-385 | Lawrence | Kirch | Root River State Trail Extension to the Mississippi | City of La Crescent | $990,000 |
| 2026-388 | Erika | Bailey-Johnson | Mishko Wisitoon Wilderness Academy | Sacred Bundle | $934,000 |
| 2026-408 | Karen | Zumach | Learning with Trees™ – Greening School Grounds | Tree Trust | $315,000 |
| 2026-453 | Karma | Choeyang | Norbu-Lingka | The Tehor Tibetan Organization of Minnesota | $650,000 |
| 2026-455 | Jeff | Jacobson | City of Biwabik Recreation Area Phase 2 | City of Biwabik | $2,250,000 |
| 2026-456 | Brian | Dingmann | Immersive Education: VR-Driven Wetland STEM Engagement | U of MN, Crookston | $697,000 |
| 2026-467 | Daniel | Stifter | Outdoor Learning Center and Trails | Aitkin Public Schools | $340,000 |
| 2026-474 | Jackie | Monahan-Junek | City of Eveleth - Park and Trail System | City of Eveleth | $334,000 |
| 2026-480 | Melissa | DeVetter | Restoration Park Environmental Classroom | Dodge County Environmental Services | $750,000 |
| 2026-504 | Josh | Pennington | Enhancing Nature-Based Learning Opportunities in Central Minnesota | Department of Military Affairs | $434,000 |
| 2026-510 | Anne | Gardner | Mississippi River Learning Center - Peninsula Restoration | City of St. Paul | $7,500,000 |
| 2026-519 | Kelsey | Boeff | Classrooms to Careers: Expanding Environmental STEM Pathways | Science Museum of Minnesota | $864,000 |
| 2026-520 | Peter | Smerud | Outdoor Learning Professional Development for Educators and Administrators | Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center | $325,000 |
| 2026-533 | Ronald | Gregg | Preserving Recreational and Trail Connnections: Historic Forestville Bridge | Fillmore County | $1,494,000 |
| 2026-537 | Jane | Stock | Sharing PWLC Environmental Programs with Partner School Students | Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center | $320,000 |
| 2026-543 | Jessica | Rich | City of Proctor 3rd Street Park | City of Proctor | $674,000 |
| 2026-553 | Nikolaos | Papanikolopoulos | Enhancing Visits and Environmental Management; Effective, Adaptive AI | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $456,000 |
| 2026-558 | Ray | Sogard | Sportsmen and Sportswomen Training Center - Phase 2 | Minnesota Forest Zone Trappers Association | $1,050,000 |
| 2026-559 | Neal | Feeken | Emerging Conservation Leaders - Expanding the Network | Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust Inc | $850,000 |
| 2026-562 | Holly | Hoy | Littlefork Public RV Campground | City of Littlefork | $2,500,000 |
| 2026-564 | Tim | Amundsen | Excelsior Commons Park Restoration | City of Excelsior | $1,151,000 |
| 2026-577 | Jodi | Knaus | Scenic Acres Trail and Boardwalk | Town of White | $2,800,000 |
| 2026-578 | Carolina | Ortiz | Explore Minnesota With COPAL | Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Accion Latina | $400,000 |
| 2026-586 | Anna | Gruber | Mill District Riverwalk Project | City of Sartell | $1,500,000 |
| 2026-588 | Pat | Chapman | Field Township Northwoods Nature Pedestrian Trail | Field Township | $735,000 |
| Subtotal | $108,183,000 | ||||
| C. Education and Outdoor Recreation G. Small Projects (RECEIVED: 43 Proposals / Subtotal - $9,019,000) |
|||||
| 2026-002 | Crystal | Olson | CMSM 2026 Proposal | Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota | $300,000 |
| 2026-013 | Lee | Furuseth | Native Fish Exhibits Transforming Aquatic Education in Minnesota | Headwaters Science Center | $299,000 |
| 2026-024 | Joey | Schugel | New Ulm Pollinator Park Expansion | City of New Ulm | $246,000 |
| 2026-039 | Brad | Bourn | River Bend Nature Center's Inclusive Interpretive Plan Implementation | River Bend Nature Center | $293,000 |
| 2026-065 | Lori | Forshee-Donnay | Fostering Environmental Stewardship through Art | Watermark Art Center | $298,000 |
| 2026-077 | Alisha | Paplow | Mobile Nature Center Serving Southwest Minnesota | Prairie Ecology Bus Center | $291,000 |
| 2026-092 | Nikolas | Winter-Simat | School/Community Regenerative Food Forest Model | Hand In Hand Christian Montessori | $256,000 |
| 2026-099 | Bryan | Wood | Bringing Environmental Education and Outdoor Recreation to K-12 Schools | Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center | $192,000 |
| 2026-100 | Nick | Bancks | Outdoors for All: A Mentored Hunting and Angling Program | The Trust for Public Land | $188,000 |
| 2026-102 | Bryan | Wood | Improving Trail Accessibility for Minnesotans at Osprey Wilds | Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center | $25,000 |
| 2026-104 | Timothy | Gossman | Lost Creek Hiking Trail Facilities Development | Bluff Country Hiking Club | $9,000 |
| 2026-115 | Ansel | Schimpff | Duluth Traverse Accessibility and Sustainability Improvements | Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores | $85,000 |
| 2026-147 | Colleen | Foehrenbacher | Land Perspectives: Experiential History at Eagle Bluff ELC | Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center | $210,000 |
| 2026-148 | Thomas | Crawford | Water Science Field Days Minneapolis/St. Paul Schools | Friends of the Minnesota Valley | $82,000 |
| 2026-152 | Matt | Carter | Historical Interpretive Loop | Dakota County Historical Society | $300,000 |
| 2026-165 | Kimberly | Musser | College-School Collaboration to Restore Campuses and Activate Stewardship | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Minnesota State University Mankato | $199,000 |
| 2026-177 | Daniel | Schmidt | Urban Farming Education to Increase Urban Environmental Stewardship | East Phillips Neighborhood Institute Resiliency Center | $300,000 |
| 2026-183 | Shawna | Weaver | Early Childhood Learning Center Expansion | Lake Superior Authority | $176,000 |
| 2026-185 | Laura | Hudson | Reel Hope: Breaking Outdoor Recreation Barriers for Youth | Fishing For Life | $149,000 |
| 2026-231 | Kalley | Pratt | YES Connects Students to Outdoors for Youth-Led Sustainability | Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center | $199,000 |
| 2026-281 | Anita | Hering | Oscar Mike: Nature Engagement for the Military Community | U of MN, Extension Center for Family Development | $192,000 |
| 2026-291 | Elizabeth | Sumida Huaman | Buen Vivir Minnesota: Latino and Indigenous Place-Based Education | U of MN, College of Education and Human Development | $300,000 |
| 2026-302 | David | Woods | Engaging Saint Paul Youth in Meaningful Restoration Work | Urban Roots MN | $300,000 |
| 2026-314 | Francie | Kennedy | Minnesota Bound Conservation Chronicle | Ron Schara Productions | $212,000 |
| 2026-359 | Jennifer | Tonko | Building Belonging and Environmental Literacy Among Queer Youth | Clean River Partners | $87,000 |
| 2026-367 | Omena | Giles | Minnesota Water Education for K-5 | Science Museum of Minnesota | $295,000 |
| 2026-400 | Natalie | Kennedy | Nature for New Minnesotans | U of MN, Bell Museum of Natural History | $300,000 |
| 2026-411 | Scott | Mehus | Education and Stewardship: Our National Bird in Minnesota | National Eagle Center | $276,000 |
| 2026-436 | Chris | Lindholm | Outdoor Learning Center and Trails | Cook County Schools ISD 166 | $250,000 |
| 2026-449 | Veronica | Mangio | Outdoor Learning through the Art of Conservation | Wildlife Forever | $68,000 |
| 2026-450 | Eric | Mayranen | Facility Outdoor Improvements | Veterans on the Lake | $180,000 |
| 2026-458 | Bill | Anderson-Horecka | Adventure Classroom | Northern Star Council, Boy Scouts of America | $244,000 |
| 2026-463 | Amanda | Fong | Expanding Outdoor Recreation Engagement with Underrepresented Communities | Three Rivers Park District | $288,000 |
| 2026-475 | Alexander | Keilty | Demystifying the Mississippi through Equitable Recreation Education | Broken Paddle Guiding | $210,000 |
| 2026-490 | Ellen | Reed | Expanding Paddling Access on the Mississippi River | Mississippi Park Connection | $299,000 |
| 2026-535 | Sara | Holger | Teach Outdoors - Southeast Minnesota | Project Get Outdoors Inc | $76,000 |
| 2026-536 | Joanna | Klein | MN SMILES! Summer Mentored Internship Launching Environmental Scientists | University of St. Thomas | $286,000 |
| 2026-566 | Ce | Yang | Enhancing Wildlife Education: AI-Powered Interactive Learning Experiences | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $295,000 |
| 2026-568 | Jason | Sehon | Austin Trails Master Plan | City of Austin | $87,000 |
| 2026-571 | Darren | Sheldon | Lakewood Elementary School Trail Renewal and Community Engagement 2 | Duluth School District #709 - Lakewood Elementary | $288,000 |
| 2026-584 | Gretchen | Wilbrandt | Expanding Community Boat Building and Outdoor Experiences | Urban Boatbuilders | $100,000 |
| 2026-591 | Patrick | Kindler | Norpine Association Trail System Upgrades and Maintenance | Norpine Trail Association | $10,000 |
| 2026-593 | Anne | Conway | Towards a Better Future for Our Shared Mississippi | Recreation Alliance of Winona | $279,000 |
| Subtotal | $9,019,000 | ||||
| D. Fish and Wildlife (RECEIVED: 36 Proposals / Subtotal - $40,717,000) | |||||
| 2026-015 | Michael | Joyce | Fisher Survival, Reproduction, and Health in Southern Minnesota | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $788,000 |
| 2026-049 | Kenneth | Zillig | Which Cisco are Strongest? Identifying Healthy Populations | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $713,000 |
| 2026-074 | Raining | White | Mapping Leech Lake Vegetation: A Closer Look | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe | $488,000 |
| 2026-089 | Keith | Barker | Salvage Wildlife Phase 2: Roadkill to Scientific Records | U of MN, Bell Museum of Natural History | $730,000 |
| 2026-113 | Josh | Pommier | Partnership for Resilient Landscapes | Pheasants Forever Inc | $4,869,000 |
| 2026-125 | Marc | White | St. Croix Community Conservation Project | Wild Rivers Conservancy | $952,000 |
| 2026-131 | Catherine | Early | Building a Superior Understanding of Minnesota's Small Mammals | Science Museum of Minnesota | $428,000 |
| 2026-224 | Natalia | Mossmann Koch | Using Lichens to Monitor Atmospheric Microplastics and Nitrogen | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $500,000 |
| 2026-239 | Sushma | Reddy | How Do Microplastics Impact Minnesota's Wild Birds? | U of MN, Bell Museum of Natural History | $508,000 |
| 2026-253 | Robert | Blair | Collaborative Monitoring to Prevent Avian Building Fatalities | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $394,000 |
| 2026-279 | Jonathan | Schilling | Combined-Use, Publicly-Accessible Native Plant Restoration Science at Itasca | U of MN, College of Biological Sciences | $577,000 |
| 2026-311 | Steven | Woodley | Assessing Neonicotinoids in Pheasants and Their Grassland Habitats | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | $513,000 |
| 2026-318 | Tiffany | Wolf | United in Responding to CWD in Minnesota | U of MN, College of Veterinary Medicine | $5,096,000 |
| 2026-332 | Tyler | Obermoller | Survival and Movement of Deer in Minnesota's Prairies | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | $1,872,000 |
| 2026-357 | George | Weiblen | Uniting Minnesota’s Insect Record | U of MN, Bell Museum of Natural History | $1,037,000 |
| 2026-373 | Jay | Walker | Lake Sturgeon Restoration at Great Lakes Aquarium | Lake Superior Authority | $525,000 |
| 2026-378 | Gillian | Tarr | Unrecognized Threats: Impact of Zoonotic Bacteria on Wildlife | U of MN, School of Public Health | $472,000 |
| 2026-379 | Lynn | Waterhouse | Detecting Native Fishes and Mussels Using Molecular Tools | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $468,000 |
| 2026-391 | Daniel | Dauwalter | Landscapes, Humans, Fish: Synergizing Brook Trout Habitat Restoration | Trout Unlimited, Inc. | $515,000 |
| 2026-394 | Emily | Fairfax | Monitoring, Modeling, and Managing Minnesota’s Beavers | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $506,000 |
| 2026-403 | Steve | Donovan | Developing an Innovative Technology to Control Carp | FarWide Conservation Trust, Inc. | $807,000 |
| 2026-405 | Anthony | Pirkl | Phase II Investigation of Pine and Curry Island SNA | Lake of the Woods County | $550,000 |
| 2026-422 | Min | Addy | Innovative Air Treatment for Wildlife and Livestock Protection | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $850,000 |
| 2026-444 | Tianhong | Cui | Easy-To-Use Tiny Sensor to Detect Mercury in Fish | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $517,000 |
| 2026-462 | Ellen | Titus | Managing Driftless Ecosystems After Invasive Shrub Removal | The Nature Conservancy | $514,000 |
| 2026-472 | Josh | Pennington | Assessing Recruitment Threats for Imperiled Blanding’s Turtles | Department of Military Affairs | $415,000 |
| 2026-484 | Tracy | Halstensgard | Roseau Lake Rehabilitation - Phase 4 | Roseau River Watershed District | $3,400,000 |
| 2026-498 | Seth | Stapleton | Advancing Bison Recovery and Stewardship through Statewide Partnership | Minnesota Zoological Garden | $717,000 |
| 2026-499 | Gretchen | Hansen | Identifying Climate-Resilient Fisheries to Guide Minnesota Lake Management | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $671,000 |
| 2026-500 | Lindsey | Shartell | Supporting Implementation of Large-Scale Moose Habitat Management | MN DNR, Fish and Wildlife Division | $1,220,000 |
| 2026-501 | Gretchen | Hansen | Evaluating Forward-Facing Sonar Impacts on Minnesota Fish | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $702,000 |
| 2026-509 | James | Forester | Monitoring Changes in Urban Wildlife | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $455,000 |
| 2026-513 | Elena | West | Species-Specific Assessment of Hibernation Phenology for Minnesota Bats | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $479,000 |
| 2026-531 | Jake | Walsh | Integrating Lake Management through Information Synthesis and Engagement | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $518,000 |
| 2026-565 | Andy | Erickson | Lake Impacts from Road Salt and Climate Change | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $516,000 |
| 2026-590 | Robert | Venette | Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center | U of MN, MITPPC | $6,435,000 |
| Subtotal | $40,717,000 | ||||
| D. Fish and Wildlife G. Small Projects (RECEIVED: 24 Proposals / Subtotal - $5,295,000) |
|||||
| 2026-036 | Steven | Marking | Steven Marking, Riverlorian in Schools | Riverlorian Productions LLC | $123,000 |
| 2026-073 | Jessica | Petersen | Conserving Rare Plants by Understanding Their Pollinators | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $299,000 |
| 2026-075 | Christine | Chase | Monarch Conservation Education for Minnesotans | Monarch Joint Venture | $261,000 |
| 2026-090 | Jamie | Jensen | Honey Bee Proliferation, Research, and Education | Pollinator Partners | $205,000 |
| 2026-112 | Yuzhu | Lu | Pollinator Education for Minnesota’s Diverse Cultural Communities | EcoAlpha | $54,000 |
| 2026-117 | Alicia | Coleman | Pig's Eye Lake Monitoring | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $137,000 |
| 2026-212 | Allen | Mensinger | Sub Lethal Effects of Road Salt on Fish | U of MN, Duluth | $189,000 |
| 2026-245 | Kathryn | Holcomb | Lake Mollusk Surveys to Inform Climate Change Analysis | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $157,000 |
| 2026-246 | Benjamin | Cull | Preparedness for Midge-Borne Disease Outbreaks in Minnesota Deer | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $110,000 |
| 2026-247 | Robin | Thomson | Exploring Minnesota’s Insect Pollinator Diversity: Beyond the Bees | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $200,000 |
| 2026-271 | Dana | Franzen-Klein | Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Impacts on Minnesota Raptors | U of MN, Raptor Center | $298,000 |
| 2026-337 | Dakota | Rowsey | Building Super-Cool Cryostorage Capacity for Minnesota Biodiversity | Science Museum of Minnesota | $230,000 |
| 2026-358 | Michael | Whitby | Improving Bat Conservation through Expanded Monitoring and Outreach | Bat Conservation International | $299,000 |
| 2026-380 | Nicole | Bernd | Crookston Tree and Pollinator Habitat Project | West Polk SWCD | $157,000 |
| 2026-399 | Tanya | Roerick | Wolf Monitoring on the Leech Lake Reservation | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe | $295,000 |
| 2026-416 | Kassandra | Ford | Minnesota Minnow Mania: Diversity Trends and Reproductive Strategies | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $299,000 |
| 2026-452 | Rebecca | Montgomery | Phenology Database Enhances Resource Management and Public Engagement | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $289,000 |
| 2026-457 | Erik | Runquist | Building a Future for Minnesota's At-Risk Butterflies | Minnesota Zoological Garden | $294,000 |
| 2026-468 | Garrett | Steede | Strengthening Urban Pollinator Habitats: Understanding and Leveraging Communication | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $182,000 |
| 2026-506 | Mark | Clark | Incidence of Avian Influenza in Minnesota Forest Birds | U of MN, Duluth | $234,000 |
| 2026-526 | Cristian | Beza Beza | Search for State Jewels: Agrilus Beetles in Minnesota | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $279,000 |
| 2026-532 | Solomon | David | Regarding Native Fish: Outreach, Engagement, and Citizen Science | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $270,000 |
| 2026-560 | Kenneth | Kozak | Conservation of the Mudpuppy, an Enigmatic Indicator Amphibian | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $221,000 |
| 2026-570 | Michael | Lynch | Forestry for Minnesota Birds | Forest Stewards Guild | $213,000 |
| Subtotal | $5,295,000 | ||||
| E. Energy (RECEIVED: 32 Proposals / Subtotal - $34,836,000) | |||||
| 2026-057 | Hua | Zhao | Converting Corn Stover to Sugars via Effective Pretreatment | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $398,000 |
| 2026-103 | Jennifer | Theodore | Reducing Refrigerant Emissions at Small Food Processors and Producers | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | $670,000 |
| 2026-149 | Veluchamy | Chitraichamy | Ambient Alkaline Hydrolysis, an Emergency Livestock Mortality Disposal | U of MN, WCROC | $706,000 |
| 2026-186 | Will | Northrop | Resilient Farms Using Green Ammonia-Fueled Equipment | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $784,000 |
| 2026-215 | Prasanth Kumar | Sasidharan Pillai | Advanced Pour Point Depressants from Waste Cooking Oil | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $500,000 |
| 2026-225 | Bo | Wang | Converting Agricultural Waste to Biodegradable Plastics and Biofuel | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $794,000 |
| 2026-274 | Bo | Hu | Tool for Food Waste Upcycling in Ethanol Biorefineries | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $494,000 |
| 2026-296 | Richard | James | A Vertical Axis Wind Turbine for Greater Minnesota | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $593,000 |
| 2026-309 | Jason | Hill | Environmental Impacts of Minnesota Sustainable Aviation Fuels | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $377,000 |
| 2026-329 | Eric | Buchanan | Making Solar Work for Minnesota Dairy Farmers | U of MN, WCROC | $1,443,000 |
| 2026-330 | Brett | Barney | Biocrude from Microbes to Extend Agricultural Sustainability | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $509,000 |
| 2026-338 | Soon Li | Teh | Evaluating Agrivoltaics on Minnesota's Novel Cold-Hardy Table Grapes | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $509,000 |
| 2026-351 | Chris | Leighton | Clean Energy and Water from Iron Range Materials | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $987,000 |
| 2026-387 | Melissa | Finnegan | Innovative Solution to Renewable Energy from Food Waste | Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Board | $10,000,000 |
| 2026-397 | Julia | Nerbonne | Community Climate Resilience Network Youth Apprentice Program | Climate Justice Commons, Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light | $1,031,000 |
| 2026-402 | Melissa | Birch | Empowering Small Business Energy Savings in Greater Minnesota | U of MN, Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships | $1,900,000 |
| 2026-404 | Dylan | Millet | AI, EVs, Crypto: Reducing Pollution from Electricity Demand | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $382,000 |
| 2026-407 | Jamie | Stallman | Agrivoltaics at Scale | Great River Energy | $2,000,000 |
| 2026-410 | Ardeshir | Ebtehaj | Future Availability of Solar Energy in Minnesota | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $339,000 |
| 2026-413 | Hessam | Mirgolbabaei | Accelerated Low-Dimensional Simulations of Fire Pools and Engine Ignition | U of MN, Duluth | $552,000 |
| 2026-426 | Qi | Zhang | Minnesota Sustainable Aviation Fuels Supply Chain Transition Optimization | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $448,000 |
| 2026-431 | Latisha | Brengman | Geologic Hydrogen: Minnesota's Subsurface System and Resource Potential | U of MN, Duluth | $599,000 |
| 2026-476 | Paul | Chen | Sustainable Aviation Fuels from Renewables through Microwave-Assisted Conversion | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $895,000 |
| 2026-483 | Sally | Bauer | Talking Energy: Engagement to Impact | Hennepin County | $2,529,000 |
| 2026-492 | Vivian | Ferry | Agrivoltaics in Minnesota: Enhancing Agriculture and Energy Production | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $685,000 |
| 2026-494 | Xiaojia | Wang | Energy 2-in-1: Hybrid Perovskites Harness Sunlight and Waste Heat | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $630,000 |
| 2026-502 | Samuel | Sharp | Regional Ground-Source Energy Project Screening Toolkit | Region Nine Development Commission | $400,000 |
| 2026-522 | Jun | Li | Data-Driven Design of Anti-Icing Coatings for Heat Pumps | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $466,000 |
| 2026-525 | Sayan | Biswas | SkyWindFarm: Clean, Scalable High-Altitude Wind Energy for Minnesota | TerraCare Energy LLC | $399,000 |
| 2026-540 | Lian | Shen | Novel Piezoelectric Energy Converters for Minnesota Waters | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $500,000 |
| 2026-551 | Dawn | Pape | Preparing Students for Clean Energy/Economy Careers | We All Need Food and Water | $664,000 |
| 2026-556 | Keiko | Miller | Enabling Local Ownership of Community Solar | Minneapolis Climate Action | $1,653,000 |
| Subtotal | $34,836,000 | ||||
| E. Energy G. Small Projects (RECEIVED: 9 Proposals / Subtotal - $2,478,000) |
|||||
| 2026-017 | Audrey | Pallmeyer | Cooperative Energy Futures: Home Energy Efficiency | Cooperative Energy Futures | $259,000 |
| 2026-336 | Cedar | Walters | West Central Minnesota Solar and Climate Action Support | West Central Initiative | $291,000 |
| 2026-375 | Walid | Sadok | Water Efficient Perennial Biofuel Grasses for Climate Resiliency | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $298,000 |
| 2026-376 | Sam | Toan | Novel Ethanol Production for Ethanol Fuel Cell | U of MN, Duluth | $257,000 |
| 2026-417 | Erin | Cortus | Roadmap to Decarbonize Livestock Farms | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $184,000 |
| 2026-423 | Min | Addy | Microwave-Enhanced Chemical Recycling of Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $300,000 |
| 2026-427 | Jason | Hill | Climate Change Effects of a Clean Transportation Standard | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $300,000 |
| 2026-527 | Aditya | Bhan | Biofuels for the Farm | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $291,000 |
| 2026-529 | Kelsey | Klucas | Minnesota Chiller Energy Efficiency and Onsite Energy Generation | U of MN, School of Public Health | $298,000 |
| Subtotal | $2,478,000 | ||||
| F. Land (RECEIVED: 41 Proposals / Subtotal - $57,646,000) | |||||
| 2026-035 | Martin | Walsh | Lake Minnewashta Regional Park Restoration | Carver County | $400,000 |
| 2026-040 | Daniel | Larkin | A Restoration Dashboard for Seeding Better Prairies | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $496,000 |
| 2026-043 | Sarah | Hewitt | Adopt a Flyway: Enhancing Minnesota's Migratory Bird Pitstops | Audubon Upper Mississippi River | $1,425,000 |
| 2026-046 | Lee | Penn | Eliminating Microplastics from Anaerobic Digestion to Prevent Pollution | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $822,000 |
| 2026-056 | Emma | Haydock | Minnesota 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program | Minnesota Crop Production Retailers | $433,000 |
| 2026-058 | Adrian | Hegeman | Strategic Metal Mining/Remediation Using Minnesota-Hardy Plants | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $1,493,000 |
| 2026-067 | Daniel | Cariveau | Collaborating for Resilience with the Prairie Reconstruction Initiative | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $526,000 |
| 2026-078 | Matthew | Aro | Utilizing Wood Waste and Biochar for Mineland Reclamation | U of MN, Duluth - NRRI | $371,000 |
| 2026-087 | Grace | Wilson | Measuring Wind Erosion in Minnesota | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $325,000 |
| 2026-095 | Steve | Donovan | Establishing a Regenerative Agriculture Demonstration Farm | FarWide Conservation Trust, Inc. | $1,730,000 |
| 2026-143 | Eli | Sagor | Certified Prescribed Burn Manager Curriculum Development and Pilot | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $465,000 |
| 2026-171 | Senyu | Chen | Developing Long-Term Resilient Cropping Systems Supporting Soil Biodiversity | U of MN, Southern Research and Outreach Center | $456,000 |
| 2026-181 | Shawn | Dolan | Bulky Waste Diversion Project (Oversized Bulky Waste) | EMERGE Community Development | $1,833,000 |
| 2026-190 | Rebecca | Tucker | Pollinator Central V: Habitat Improvement with Public Engagement | Great River Greening | $1,114,000 |
| 2026-208 | Maowei | Liang | Enhancing the Resiliency of Minnesota’s Native Prairies | U of MN, Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve | $817,000 |
| 2026-211 | Linda | Kinkel | Microbial Inoculants to Enhance Minnesota Agroecosystem Resilience | Jord BioScience | $1,199,000 |
| 2026-223 | Dan | Shaw | Oak Savanna Restoration for Living Landscapes | Board of Water and Soil Resources | $3,436,000 |
| 2026-235 | Jessica | Lee | Metropolitan Regional Parks System Land Acquisition Phase 9 | Metropolitan Council | $3,000,000 |
| 2026-256 | Vera | Krischik | Education on Land Management to Protect Beneficial Insects | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $306,000 |
| 2026-276 | Judy | Elbert | SNA Habitat Enhancement, Public Engagement and Biodiversity Protection | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $5,475,000 |
| 2026-289 | Dominic | Petrella | Reducing Microplastics and PFAS from Minnesota Lawn Fertilizers | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $998,000 |
| 2026-300 | Ji Youn | Shin | Sustainable Land Use on Small-Farms through Collaborative Robots | U of MN, College of Design | $562,000 |
| 2026-307 | Irene | De Pellegrin Llorente | Managing Minnesota’s Forests for Carbon: Tradeoffs and Synergies | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $328,000 |
| 2026-310 | Stuart | Lichtenberg | Microwave Assisted Pyrolysis for Environmental Prion Remediation | U of MN, College of Veterinary Medicine | $799,000 |
| 2026-324 | Melissa | Barrick | Resilient Habitat Restoration Around Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape | Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District | $968,000 |
| 2026-328 | Julie | Etterson | MN Million: Locally Grown Tree Seedlings for Reforestation | U of MN, Duluth | $1,095,000 |
| 2026-339 | Heidi | Wolf | Native Prairie Bank-Private Native Prairie Conservation and Outreach | MN DNR, Ecological and Water Resources Division | $2,500,000 |
| 2026-340 | Morteza | Maher | Swift Coulee Channel Restoration - Phase 2 | Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers Watershed District | $3,564,000 |
| 2026-346 | William Tai Yin | Tze | Recyclable/Reversible Thermosets for Reducing Microplastics in Minnesota | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $499,000 |
| 2026-396 | Skip | Langer | Southeast Minnesota Groundwater Protection and Soil Health Initiative | Olmsted County | $9,000,000 |
| 2026-418 | Juer | Liu | Sustainable Landfill Management for Waste Valorization and Recovery | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $890,000 |
| 2026-420 | Star | Nelson | Minnesota Grazing Lands Conservation Education and Outreach Initiative | Minnesota Grazing Lands Conservation Association | $830,000 |
| 2026-429 | Jason | Hill | Roadmap for Pollution-Smart Agriculture in Minnesota | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $377,000 |
| 2026-448 | Judy | Yang | Reduce Agricultural Soil Erosion with Precision Cover Crops | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $440,000 |
| 2026-466 | Adriana | Uscanga Castillo | Urban Nature: Mapping and Monitoring Minnesota’s Green Spaces | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $505,000 |
| 2026-482 | Colleen | Miller | Assessing Sociocultural, Economic Contributions of Northeastern Minnesota Resources | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $325,000 |
| 2026-487 | Christian | Lenhart | Cascading Generation of Hydrochar to Restore Farmed Peatlands | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $610,000 |
| 2026-518 | Joseph | Labuz | Evaluating Geologic Carbon Storage in the Tamarack Intrusion | U of MN, College of Science and Engineering | $509,000 |
| 2026-547 | Andrea | Harrell | Windermere Bluff Park | City of Shakopee | $2,200,000 |
| 2026-576 | Ian | Alexander | Daylighting Shingle Creek Phase I | City of Brooklyn Center | $3,573,000 |
| 2026-581 | Robert | Bale | Living with Fire in Minnesota Forests | The Nature Conservancy | $952,000 |
| Subtotal | $57,646,000 | ||||
| F. Land G. Small Projects (RECEIVED: 13 Proposals / Subtotal - $3,003,000) |
|||||
| 2026-052 | Elizabeth | Kluesner | PFAS Contaminated Land Cleanup Training/Brownfield Practitioner Expansion | Minnesota Brownfields | $57,000 |
| 2026-166 | Bryan | Runck | Updating Land Cover Maps for Enhanced Natural Systems | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $298,000 |
| 2026-200 | Mark | Bowen | Evaluating Soil Health Benefits of Controlled Agricultural Drainage | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Minnesota State University Mankato | $249,000 |
| 2026-217 | Brett | Arenz | Supporting Critical Capacity for Minnesota Plant Pathogen Detection | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $176,000 |
| 2026-275 | Madison | Rodman | Blown Away? Assessing Resilience of Minnesota Point Dunes | U of MN, Duluth - Sea Grant | $261,000 |
| 2026-292 | Jefferson | Brand | Lake Brophy Park Trail Armoring and Trail Improvements | Big Ole Bike Club | $70,000 |
| 2026-317 | Tony | Klaers | Soy Based Road and Trail Preservation Treatment | Headwaters Regional Development Commission | $221,000 |
| 2026-370 | Daniel | Griffin | Checking in on Old-Growth and Heritage Oaks | U of MN, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory | $244,000 |
| 2026-384 | Jiwei | Zhang | Alleviating PFAS Impacts of Biosolids on Agricultural Lands | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $300,000 |
| 2026-428 | Jason | Hill | Cleaning Minnesota's Air with Plant-Based Protein | U of MN, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | $248,000 |
| 2026-433 | Katherina | Pattit | Building Plant Natural History Data in Stearns County | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, St. Cloud State University | $285,000 |
| 2026-441 | Brad | Gordon | Restoring Forests and Savannas Using Silvopasture- Phase III | Great River Greening | $299,000 |
| 2026-569 | Bob | Basques | Capturing Seasons: PhenoCam Network for Monitoring and Forecasting | SharedGeo | $295,000 |
| Subtotal | $3,003,000 | ||||
| H. Administration (RECEIVED: 4 Proposal / Subtotal - $342,000) | |||||
| 2026-006 | LCCMR Universal | Account | Emerging Issues Account 2026 | Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources | TBD |
| 2026-007 | LCCMR Universal | Account | LCCMR Administrative Budget | Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources | TBD |
| 2026-009 | LCCMR Universal | Account | LCC Legacy Website | Legislative Coordinating Commission | $2,000 |
| 2026-497 | Katherine | Sherman-Hoehn | 2026 Contract Agreement Reimbursement | MN DNR, Grants Unit | $340,000 |
| Subtotal | $342,000 | ||||
| Total | $358,772,000 | ||||