Outdoor Insights: Here’s why renewing Minnesota’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund matters this November

In addition to the people and parties seeking your support on Nov. 5, there’s a constitutional amendment that this outdoors scribe considers nonpartisan. If it passes, Amendment 1 would extend dedication of 40% of state lottery proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund for 25 years. Here’s exactly how it will read on your ballot:

“Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to protect drinking water sources and the water quality of lakes, rivers, and streams; conserve wildlife habitat and natural areas; improve air quality; and expand access to parks and trails by extending the transfer of proceeds from the state-operated lottery to the environment and natural resources trust fund, and to dedicate the proceeds for these purposes?”

It took years of haggling in the Legislature just to get that question on the ballot. Since then, the overwhelming chatter about the constitutional question has been strongly supportive, although I’ve heard some grumbling about the dollars not being available for wastewater treatment efforts for state municipalities, particularly in western Minnesota.

That’s never been the intention of these funds (that’s what local taxes are for), and if we start tapping ENRTF or the dedicated sales tax funding for municipal water infrastructure, it’ll absorb every penny of those dollars.

Minnesotans established the ENRTF in 1988 when 77% of voters supported the constitutional amendment creating the fund. We renewed it in 1998 (with 74% of the vote), and that reauthorization expires next year.

Citizens supported gambling 36 years ago because they wanted dollars for environmental causes. Passing it again three and a half decades later honors those outdoors advocates and citizens who had the foresight to establish a fund that has spent more than $1 billion on 1,600 projects since.

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During that time, ENRTF dollars have financed research for probably every species of managed wildlife in the state – from prairie chickens to white-tailed deer. It’s also helped fund aquatic invasive species research, chronic wasting disease studies and monitoring, tree planting, some acquisition (especially prior to the Legacy amendment), protecting pollinators – all to the tune of $80 million this year. That annual number could increase to $100 million as soon as next year. Again, those are dollars that citizens willingly fork over when they buy lottery tickets, not your state income or sales taxes.

The ENRTF is different from the Legacy amendment of 2008, which dedicates a sliver of state sales taxes to outdoor projects and accomplishes more direct habitat and acquisition work. That’ll be the next big ballot initiative battle as those dollars dry up in 2034.

But for this fall, let’s worry about re-dedicating lottery proceeds. The new lottery dedication prevents the use of ENRTF funds for wastewater infrastructure, increases the annual withdrawal from the ENRTF from 5.5% to 7% (thanks to the growing principal), and appropriates the additional 1.5% of the ENRTF to a new Community Grant Program.

Minnesotans for Our Great Outdoors is advocating for amendment passage. The coalition includes sporting groups like the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, Ducks Unlimited, and Pheasants Forever, among others.

Early voting is underway. Reminder than not voting counts as a “no” vote, so please do not ignore this ballot question.

I’ve been considering how old I’ll be when it comes time to re-dedicate these dollars 25 years from now and – from my perspective – that number isn’t pretty. But that’s a good thing for all the excellent work young Minnesotans can expect to see these dollars accomplish in their lifetimes.

With any luck, octogenarian Drieslein will be advocating for another 25-year extension in 2050.