Item Description:
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Endorse the constitutional amendment to reauthorize the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund
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WHEREAS:
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WHEREAS, Hennepin County residents value natural resources and ensuring a healthy environment for future generations; and
WHEREAS, over 30 years ago, 77% of Minnesotans voted in favor of using a portion of Minnesota State Lottery proceeds to build the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund; and
WHEREAS, since then, over $1 billion has been invested to help restore and protect our water, land, and wildlife, including $26.7 million awarded to 63 projects that benefit the county’s natural resources since 2010; and
WHEREAS, in November 2024, Minnesota voters will have the opportunity to vote to continue this policy for another 25 years, keeping state lottery funds at work supporting clean lakes, healthy forests, and outdoor recreation; and
WHEREAS, without passage of the constitutional amendment that has been placed on the 2024 ballot, the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund will lose its only income source.
Resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners endorses the constitutional amendment to reauthorize the Minnesota State Lottery dedication to the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund for another 25 years.
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Background:
In 1988, Minnesota’s voters approved a constitutional amendment establishing the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (Trust Fund). The purpose of the Trust Fund is to provide a long-term, consistent, and stable source of funding for activities that protect and enhance Minnesota’s environment and natural resources for the benefit of current residents and future generations. Forty percent of the net proceeds from the Minnesota State Lottery are deposited to the Trust Fund each year; this contribution is guaranteed by the Minnesota Constitution until December 31, 2024.
Hennepin County has an abundance of diverse landscapes and natural resources, from lakes and rivers to parks, forests and prairie. These natural resources provide critical habitat for wildlife, protect water quality, offer recreational opportunities, and enhance residents’ quality of life. The county provides programs and services to protect these natural resources, including securing conservation easements and restoring natural areas, protecting wetlands, improving water quality, improving the tree canopy, preventing the spread of noxious weeds and aquatic invasive species and educating residents and providing technical and financial assistance to landowners.
The Trust Fund is administered by The Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), which makes funding recommendations to the Minnesota Legislature for special environment and natural resource projects. The county has received LCCMR appropriations in the past and have applied for a grant in the upcoming 2025 funding cycle requesting $250,000 to plan for long-term natural resources protection. This request supports and expands an ongoing collaboration between the county, Three Rivers Park District and the University of Minnesota (BAR 24-0128). Since 2010, $26.7 million have been awarded to 63 projects that benefit the county’s natural resources.
The current constitutional authority to collect lottery proceeds will expire at the end of 2025. The legislature passed a bill in the 2024 session to put the reauthorization of the ENRTF on the ballot this fall.
Minnesota voters will have the opportunity to vote to continue this policy for another 25 years, keeping state lottery funds at work supporting clean lakes, healthy forests, and outdoor recreation. Without passage of the constitutional amendment that has been placed on the 2024 ballot, the ENRTF will lose its primary income source.
In addition to continuing the investment of lottery funds into the ENRTF, the 2024 renewal will create a new community grants program supported by the ENRTF. This community grants program will create greater equity by ensuring BIPOC-led organizations and smaller rural communities have greater access to funding to address local environmental issues.
Current request:
This action endorses the constitutional amendment to reauthorize the Minnesota State Lottery dedication to the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund for 25 years. This action also authorizes "Minnesotans for Our Great Outdoors," a nonpartisan coalition of organizations working to support the ballot measure, to list Hennepin County as an amendment supporter.
Impact/Outcomes:
This action supports the county’s 2024 state legislative priorities and platform to protect the environment, conserve resources, build equity and resiliency, including seeking funding for natural resources. Protecting and restoring natural resources supports the county’s climate action and disparity reduction priorities.
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval