Countdown to the Election: Let’s Vote YES for Our Great Outdoors!
10/17/2024
Can you believe it? In just three weeks, all Minnesotans will have the chance to renew the dedication of lottery proceeds to protect our Great Outdoors. Vote YES to support our land, and water, and to ensure organizations like Great River Greening can continue doing this critical work.
Voting YES to this measure is so important for preserving the natural beauty and resources we cherish, ensuring that future generations can experience everything our beautiful state has to offer. So, as you gear up to hit the polls, let’s explore why this measure is so important for our communities and environment.
WHAT IS ENRTF?
This ballot initiative aims to keep our state’s lottery funds flowing into the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). Managed by the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), this fund has been a game-changer, contributing over $1 billion to protect and enhance Minnesota’s stunning natural resources. It supports everything from wildlife habitats to park improvements.
WHY IT MATTERS
Great River Greening relies heavily on this fund to support our mission and the vital work.
Great River Greening’s Pollinator Habitat Restoration Project, Two Rivers High School.
Pollinator Habitat Restoration: We are restoring and enhancing over 500 acres of pollinator habitat across 28 sites in the Twin Cities Metro area. Our efforts not only benefit pollinators but also foster community engagement through monitoring initiatives. With funding through the ENRTF, we create new pollinator habitats and manage ecosystems for long-term resilience. Each year, we restore more than 1,500 acres of pollinator habitat, providing the food and nesting grounds these essential creatures need to thrive. Learn more about our work here.
Great River Greening’s new big box biochar kiln that has the ability to produce up to 8-9 cubic yards of biochar per burn.
Biochar Kiln Scalability: This project focuses on the scalability of biochar kilns as a climate-smart practice for processing waste wood from land restoration work. By burning invasive species like buckthorn in low-oxygen, high temperature kilns, the resulting biochar holds up to 80% of the carbon. We partner with municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, and other landowners to implement this technique, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while minimizing waste from land restoration efforts. Learn more about our work with biochar here.
These projects are just a glimpse of the impact the ENRTF has on our work at Great River Greening and our overall environment. Without this critical funding, we risk losing the momentum of our conservation efforts.
YOUR VOTE MATTERS!
This November let’s come together to support our environment and all the joys it brings. Whether you love hiking the trails, casting a line in our lakes, or simply soaking up a sunny day in the park, preserving Minnesota’s natural treasures is at the heart of this lottery funding. And renewing it is an opportunity we can’t afford to miss!
Remember, leaving the question blank counts as a “No” vote. If it doesn’t pass, we risk losing the constitutional protection that supports these essential conservation efforts.
Join us in voting YES to keep the lottery working for Minnesota’s Great Outdoors!
Photo credit: Great River Greening’s Pollinator Habitat Restoration Project at Two Rivers High School in July 2024 (Becca Tucker).