Minnesota’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund will be releasing $26.1 million to 71 individual projects around the state. The bill containing the appropriations, which recently passed the Minnesota Legislature with bipartisan support, was based on project recommendations from the Legislative- Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). Governor Pawlenty signed the bill into law on May 15, thereby approving funds for all but one of 72 projects contained in the bill – one project was rejected by the governor through a line-item veto.
According to the citizen commission, projects funded by the bill will produce broad and diverse benefits for Minnesota’s environment and natural resources statewide.
The LCCMR’s recommendations for project funding were the product of a competitive, multi-step proposal and selection process. The LCCMR issued a request for proposal in January 2009. In response, 240 proposals requesting a total of approximately $163.8 million were received – more than $7 requested for every $1 available. Eight-five of these proposals were called in to present and answer questions before the LCCMR and from this pool, 48 proposals, containing a total of 72 individual projects, were recommended to receive funding from the $26.1 million available.
Projects can begin work on July 1, 2010, when the dollars from the Trust Fund first become available. Additional information on individual projects and the LCCMR proposal and funding process can be found on the LCCMR’s website at www.lccmr.leg.mn.
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