List of environmental projects that may be removed

by Stephanie Hemphill, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — The Legislative-Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources -- the LCCMR -- advises the Legislature on how to invest proceeds from the state lottery, some of which is dedicated to the environment.

The commission had initially recommended more than 100 projects around the state. But on Monday, the group dropped 22 of them, and determined that three others should undergo more study, after two new legislative members said that the Legislature would reject some of those projects.

Monday night's action was not a final one. The commission needs a super-majority vote to forward the entire package to the Legislature, and they did not take that vote Monday night.

Here's a list of the 22 that would be dropped.

1. Minnesota breeding bird atlas, phase III
2. Golden eagle survey
3. Groundwater sustainability assessment in the I-94 growth corridor
4. Determination of phosphorus reduction from perpetual easements
5. Prairie management for wildlife and bioenergy phase II
6. Conserving prairie plant diversity and evaluating local adaptation
7. Controlling encroachment of woody vegetation in grasslands
8. St. Croix basin conservation planning and protection
9. Assessment of tree retention forestry harvest guidelines
10. Change and resilience in boreal forests in northern Minnesota
11. Peatland carbon sequestration
12. Assessment of changes in Minnesota's wilderness lakes
13. Addressing ozone pollution in Minnesota
14. Low environmental impact sustainable neighborhoods
15. Optimizing biogas' role in meeting Minnesota's energy goals
16. Minnesota schools conserving energy and water
17. Cross-cultural cooperation in fish and wildlife conservation
18. Minnesota Junior Master naturalist program
19. Eagles linking students to science and nature
20. Community-based reduction of water contaminants
21. Conservation Corps training and low-income solar home heating installation
22. Canada lynx recovery options