Member application for new advisory council available soon
The Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Community Grant Program Advisory Council membership application period will open in early 2026. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will post an application link on this webpage when the advisory council application period opens.
This new advisory council will provide strategic guidance and recommendations to inform the DNR’s implementation of the recently authorized ENRTF Community Grant Program. By reviewing grant policies and guidelines, program structures, and recipient and program/project eligibility criteria and guidelines, the council will promote transparency, accessibility, equity and effectiveness in the allocation of ENRTF Community Grant Program resources.
If you are an individual with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation to apply for or participate in this advisory council, please contact Wendy Thompson by email or phone at 218-308-2076 for assistance. Calls from Telecommunications Relay Service are welcome. Any accessibility information you provide will only be used to facilitate a reasonable accommodation(s).
To be notified when the advisory council application is available, visit the Advisory groups page and enter your email address.
ENRTF Community Grants Program
Background
The ENRTF Community Grant Program was established in statute in 2023 to provide grants “for the benefit of current residents and future generations” (Minnesota Statutes, chapter 116X). Since 1988, a voter-approved amendment to the Minnesota State Constitution has dedicated state lottery proceeds to the ENRTF (Minn. Const. art. XI, sec. 14).
In the 2024 General Election, Minnesota voters approved an extension of the Constitutional dedication of state lottery proceeds to the ENRTF. That General Election vote of approval triggered the provisions of Minn. Statutes, chapter 116X and granted the Minnesota Legislature the option to appropriate up to 1.5% of the market value of the ENRTF to the DNR for the ENRTF Community Grant Program each fiscal year.
ENRTF Community Grants must:
Be used for purposes authorized under Minn. Constit. art. XI, sec. 14.
Expand the number and diversity of recipients who benefit from ENRTF, especially in communities that have been adversely affected by pollution and environmental degradation.
ENRTF Community Grants may be awarded only for the following purposes (Minnesota Statutes, chapter 116X) :
Helping adversely impacted communities respond to environmental degradation and related health concerns.
Educating and raising awareness related to stewardship of air, land, water, forests, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources.
Preserving or enhancing air, land, water, and other natural resources that otherwise may be substantially impaired or destroyed in any area of the state.
Maintaining and improving trails on existing state, regional, or local trails. No money allocated under this clause may be used to construct new trails or new trail segments.
Managing aquatic invasive species.
ENRTF Community Grants Advisory Council
Purpose
Minnesota Statute, section 116X.05 establishes the framework for the ENRTF Community Grant Program Advisory Council. The advisory council’s purpose is to provide strategic guidance and recommendations that enhance the management and distribution of ENRTF Community Grants. By reviewing grant policies and guidelines, program structures, and recipient and program/project eligibility, the council will promote transparency, accessibility, equity and effectiveness in the allocation of ENRTF Community Grant Program resources.
Responsibilities
The advisory council must:
Advise the commissioner on developing forms and applications and reporting for grants awarded under the grant program.
Review proposed grant program policies and budgets for the upcoming year.
Propose changes to the grant program, as needed.
Review other relevant information.
Make recommendations to the legislature and the commissioner for improving management of the grant program.
Review and advise on recipient eligibility.
The commissioner will provide the council with the information necessary to perform its duties.
Membership
The DNR commissioner will appoint at least 14 members, and no more than the statutory maximum of 19 members, to the advisory council. The final number of members appointed will depend upon what the DNR commissioner determines is necessary to ensure that the advisory council is sufficiently representative of various Minnesota communities. Before appointing members, the DNR commissioner will consult with the commissioners of Health and the Pollution Control Agency on proposed appointees.
Advisory council membership will align with the criteria established in statute, which state that the advisory council members must be Minnesota residents and must include:
Two enrolled members of an Ojibwe Tribal Nation that lies within Minnesota boundaries; and
Two enrolled members of a Dakota Tribal Nation that lies within Minnesota boundaries; and
Four members who identify as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian or Pacific Islander, or as members of a community of color.
Collectively, advisory council membership must include individuals with specific experience, including:
Experience or expertise in the science, policy, or practice of the protection, conservation, preservation, and enhancement of the state’s air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources, including expertise in understanding the cultural context in which these activities are undertaken from the perspective of Tribal communities.
A strong knowledge of environment and natural resource issues around the state, including those that are of particular importance to Tribal communities.
A demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative environment.
Grant management experience and/or a demonstrated history of experience applying for, managing, evaluating or administering public grants and/or working with government.
- Eligibility and appointments
Eligibility
To be eligible for appointment, an applicant must be a resident of Minnesota.
DNR employees are not eligible for appointment.
Registered lobbyists are not eligible for appointment.
Appointments
Minnesotans will be invited to apply for the advisory council through an open, competitive application process.
Members will be selected so that council membership aligns with the criteria outlined in statute.
The DNR commissioner will appoint advisory council members. The DNR commissioner will consult with the commissioners of Health and Pollution Control on proposed candidates before appointments are finalized.
Terms
Members will serve staggered three-year terms beginning in January of their first year and continuing through the end of December of their final year. Members whose term has expired may continue to serve until their replacement is named.
Initial appointments to the advisory council will be divided equally between one-year, two-year and three-year terms to establish a structure of staggered terms. To comply with statute, the terms of members appointed in calendar year 2026 will begin January 2026, regardless of the date of their appointment.
- Requirements of appointees
Collaboration
The DNR is committed to providing a positive environment in which all staff, members of the public, and others doing business with the state are treated with respect. Council members will be expected to demonstrate these behaviors with their fellow council members and with DNR employees:
Be open and honest.
Respect others.
Work together.
Respect council and departmental processes.
Value personal and physical safety.
Time commitment
Advisory council members will perform their duties during scheduled meetings and occasionally, with the council's authorization, outside of those meetings. Members will dedicate an estimated 35 to 40 hours annually to their council responsibilities.
Members will be expected to attend scheduled meetings or advise of their absence. If a member is unable to attend meetings regularly, the DNR commissioner may rescind the member’s appointment.
Expenses
Members of the council will be entitled to per diem and reimbursement for expenses incurred in the service of the council, as provided in Minnesota Statute, section 15.059, subdivision 3.
Conflicts of Interest
All advisory council members must disclose and appropriately manage actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest. An actual conflict of interest occurs when a member is in a position to influence a decision that could result in personal gain, gain for a relative, or organizational gain as a result of the council’s recommendations. A potential or perceived conflict of interest occurs when a member either could be, or is perceived to be, in such a position. A conflict of interest exists even if no unethical, improper or illegal act results from it.
Members must disclose any conflicts of interest, whether actual, potential or perceived. In response, DNR legal or other staff will consult with the member and/or the council as a whole on any implications or next steps.
Email address
The advisory council will rely on email for communication and some file sharing. Members will need to maintain an email address that they monitor regularly.
Access to a computer
Members must have regular access to a computer they can use in connection with council activities.
- Meeting schedule and process
- The advisory council will meet quarterly, unless specific circumstances require greater frequency. Members will inform and confirm the meeting schedule and locations. Meetings will be open to the public.
The DNR will provide online and in-person meeting spaces, as well as support for meeting planning, logistics, and related communications. Additionally, the DNR will provide meeting facilitation and assistance with meeting structure, work plan development, group decision-making, and production of reports and other communications.
- Reasonable accommodations
- Individuals who desire reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in committee meetings should contact a DNR liaison (see contact information below) at least two weeks before the meeting, if possible.
- For more information
- If you have questions or comments about this advisory council, please send an email to the contact person below.
Contacts
Katherine Sherman-Hoehn, agency-wide grants manager, at [email protected]