LCCMR package recommended to Ways and Means; $103M in ENRTF recommendations, land purchases highlighted

Chair Heintzeman moved that House File 1218, the LCCMR recommendations for Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund spending, be re-referred to the House Ways and Means Committee; the committee approved the motion by voice vote.

Becca Nash, director of the LCCMR, summarized the commission’s process and the package before the committee. Nash said the commission had approximately $103,000,000 available for appropriation under its traditional 5.5 percent drawdown of the trust and that the commission received 214 proposals requesting about $183,000,000. After presentations and scoring, the commission selected 24 proposals and approved the package.

Nash described the fund source and process: the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) is funded by 40 percent of annual proceeds from the Minnesota State Lottery and investment income; LCCMR historically recommends 5.5 percent of the fund’s value. Nash told the committee that a November 2024 constitutional amendment increased the allowable drawdown to 7 percent, with the additional 1.5 percent to be directed to a new DNR-managed community grants program; the bill before the committee contains only the LCCMR portion (5.5 percent).

Nash walked through category totals in the recommendation packet: foundational natural resources data and information — $22,084,000 (36 appropriations); water resources — $11,812,000 (23 appropriations); environmental education — $11,965,000 (19 appropriations); aquatic and terrestrial invasive species — $6,713,000 (2 appropriations); air quality, climate change and renewable energy — $11,744,000 (7 appropriations); methods to protect, restore land, water and habitat — $12,188,000 (19 appropriations); land acquisition, habitat and recreation — $19,553,000 (14 appropriations); and administration and emerging issues — $7,267,000 (4 appropriations). Nash said the package includes 124 appropriations overall and several carry-forwards of prior project funding.

Committee members asked about voting and conflicts of interest. Nash said the package requires approval by at least 11 of 17 LCCMR members; this cycle two members had conflicts that reduced the threshold to nine, the commission received 11 affirmative votes and there were two no votes on the package. Representative Hansen and others asked for clarifications about land-acquisition totals; Chair Heintzeman noted the package includes 100 acres for local parks, trails and natural areas, 90 acres for state natural areas (SNAs) and 5.7 acres for the Chaska Big Woods project.

Representative Heintzeman thanked Director Nash and staff for their work and renewed his motion that House File 1218 be re-referred to Ways and Means; the committee approved the motion by voice vote.

The bill advances the LCCMR’s recommended spending from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund to the next fiscal committee with details on research projects, land purchases, and administration included in the packet the commission provided to legislators.