LANESBORO, Minn. (KTTC) – A question is returning to Tuesday’s ballot for the first time in about 25 years. The fate of the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) is in the hands of Minnesota voters as the constitutional amendment is up for renewal. Shona Langseth, a member of the Legislative Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), said the trust fund has supported various projects since its inception in the 1990s and uses a portion of state lottery funds .

“This will ensure that we can continue to place 40 percent of our Minnesota Lottery Fund revenue into the trust fund,” Langseth said. “That money will sit there and continue to accumulate so we can put money toward research, nonprofits, education and all those good things that will benefit Minnesota’s natural resources.”

Since 1991, he has supported at least 1,700 projects and generated more than a billion dollars. If the amendment is renewed by voters, the amount of interest charged on the fund will increase from five to seven percent.

“Which just means we’ll have more money to work with and distribute to larger organizations,” Langseth said. “Just seeing all the different projects is really cool and it makes me proud to be a Minnesotan.”

Eagle Bluff Learning Center is an organization that has directly benefited from the benefits of ENRTF. The endowment supports three projects at the center. Colleen Foehrenbacher, executive director of the learning center, said ENRTF is used to support its outdoor schools program. Students spend three days and two nights learning at the center while visiting for the program.

“The trust fund provided us with money to provide financial assistance,” Foehrenbacher said. “A lot of schools are saying to us, ‘Hey Colleen, this is such an important trip, we know it’s wonderful for our kids, but we don’t have the funds to make it happen.’ »

Over the past three years, more than $300,000 has been used for the outdoor schools program, which can reduce costs even further once other donations and grants are taken into account. Before ENRTF is considered, donations and grants reduce the cost per person to $175, according to Foehrenbacher. If the trust fund is not renewed, prices could increase.

“I want to answer your question. I wouldn’t be surprised if we lost a quarter of our schools because we can’t come here anymore because of tuition,” she said.

Langseth said it’s important for voters to review their ballots on Election Day.

“If you leave this blank, it is automatically considered a no. You must vote yes for it to be considered,” she said.

If the trust fund is renewed on Election Day, it won’t appear on the ballot again until 2050. Request for proposal recommends the state Legislature approve a program worth more than $103,000,000 that will support 125 projects in 2025.

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