Votes

Restore Parks & Trails Funding | Amendment to SF 2314

Senate voted No

| April 23, 2019

About this Legislation

Floor Amendment to SF 2314—MN Senate’s Environment & Natural Resources Omnibus Policy & Finance Bill

Traditionally, the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) is used to fund a limited number of environment and natural resource projects as recommended by the LCCMR. In the 2019 legislative session, the LCCMR reviewed hundreds of proposals and recommended 68 projects, totaling about $54 million, for funding.

The Senate Environment Omnibus bill (SF2314) proposed cutting General Fund dollars for the DNR’s state parks and trails programs by over $10 million and using LCCMR funds to fill the gap by reducing or eliminating numerous recommended projects.

An amendment was offered to undo the state parks and trails budget shift and restore the project recommendations of the LCCMR.

The amendment failed and the Senate passed a bill that included these shifts and cuts to natural resource projects.

Status

Agreement on a comprise Environment Omnibus bill was not reached between the House and Senate before the mandatory adjournment date on May 20, 2019. The Governor called a special session and a compromise was reached that largely restored funding for parks, trails, and the LCCMR’s recommended projects.

What a no means

The DNR’s state parks and trails funding will be shifted into the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund and numerous projects recommended by the LCCMR will be eliminated.