Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program Ph. 16 Statewide and Metro Habitat
The Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program is managed by the Department of Natural Resources to Provide competitive matching grants of up to $500,000 to local, regional, state, and national non-profit organizations and government entities. In its first 14 years of funding the CPL program has provided over 950 grants, totaling over $96 million to over 250 different grantee organizations, enhancing, restoring, or protecting over 575,000 acres of habitat. Demand continues as successful organizations return for additional grants and new organizations apply each year.
The CPL Program fulfills MS 97a.056 Subd. 3a, directing LSOHC to establish a conservation partner's grant program encouraging/supporting local conservation efforts. $14,400,000 of the requested $15,000,000 will be available for grants. Of this amount, at least $4,000,000 will be used for projects submitted from applicants who have not received CPL funds before, and at least $4,000,000 will be used for projects in the 7-county metro area and in cities with a population of 50,000 people or greater. If funds remain from the $4,000,000 new applicant fund after two grant rounds, and the $4,000,000 metro fund after two grant rounds, they may be used for projects statewide. Statewide funds may be used in the metro area and for new applicants. Grant activities include enhancement, restoration, and protection of forests, wetlands, prairies, and habitat for fish, game, or wildlife in Minnesota. A 10% match from non-state sources is required for all grants and may be in-kind or cash.
Applicants must describe the project goals, methods, location, activity, habitat, urgency, and overall benefit. Staff work with applicants to submit applications, oversee grant selection, prepare/execute grant documents, review expenditures, approve payments/reports, monitor work, and assist recipients with close-out. Staff complies with Office of Grants Management policies. Grantees are required to submit annual and final accomplishment reports. The CPL program has 4 annual grant cycles, Traditional, Metro, New Applicant, and Expedited Conservation Projects (ECP). The Traditional, Metro, and New Applicant cycles will have one grant round beginning August 2025 and a second round if funds remain.
Projects under $25,000 will have a simplified application. The ECP grant cycle will be open continuously for eligible projects under $50,000 beginning August 2025, and applications will be awarded up to 5 times through May 2026, depending on available funds. DNR may choose to make additional awards, consistent with DNR and OHF policy and guidance, if additional funding becomes available.
CPL staff provides an administrative review of applications. Technical Review Committees, comprised of habitat experts across the state, review and score Traditional and Metro applications based on evaluation criteria (attached). The DNR Directors of Fish and Wildlife, Ecological and Water Resources, and Forestry review the committees' recommendations and provide a ranking to the Commissioner. Final decisions are made by the Commissioner. ECP grants are reviewed by CPL staff and DNR habitat experts using established criteria. The Director of Fish and Wildlife makes final decisions for ECP.
CPL staff conducts site visits for most projects over $50,000 and smaller projects if needed. For projects over $250,000, staff may conduct site visits annually for the duration of the grant to ensure that project objectives are being met. Administration costs of $600,000 include salary/fringe, direct support services, travel, outreach, ongoing application system/database maintenance, and other professional services. 3.0 FTEs are needed to manage and promote the program, monitor grants, and assist with applications and technical review meetings.
$15,000,000 the first year is to the commissioner of natural resources for a program to provide competitive matching grants of up to $500,000 to local, regional, state, and national organizations for enhancing, restoring, or protecting forests, wetlands, prairies, or habitat for fish, game, or wildlife in Minnesota. Unless there are not enough eligible grant applications received, of this amount, at least $4,000,000 is for grants in the seven-county metropolitan area and cities with a population of 50,000 or more and at least $4,000,000 is for grants to applicants that have not previously applied for money from the outdoor heritage fund. Grants must not be made for activities required to fulfill the duties of owners of lands subject to conservation easements. Grants must not be made from the appropriation in this paragraph for projects that have a total project cost exceeding $1,000,000. Of the total appropriation, $600,000 may be spent for personnel costs, outreach, and support to first-time applicants and other direct and necessary administrative costs. Grantees may acquire land or interests in land. Easements must be permanent. Grants may not be used to establish easement stewardship accounts. The program must require a match of at least ten percent from nonstate sources for all grants. The match may be cash or in-kind. For grant applications of $25,000 or less, the commissioner must provide a separate, simplified application process. Subject to Minnesota Statutes, the commissioner of natural resources must, when evaluating projects of equal value, give priority to organizations that have a history of receiving, or a charter to receive, private contributions for local conservation or habitat projects. All restoration or enhancement projects must be on land permanently protected by a permanent covenant ensuring perpetual maintenance and protection of restored and enhanced habitat, by a conservation easement, or by public ownership or in public waters as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 103G.005, subdivision 15. Priority must be given to restoration and enhancement projects on public lands. Minnesota Statutes, section 97A.056, subdivision 13, applies to grants awarded under this paragraph. This appropriation is available until June 30, 2027. No less than five percent of the amount of each grant must be held back from reimbursement until the grant recipient completes a grant accomplishment report by the deadline and in the form prescribed by and satisfactory to the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. The commissioner must provide notice of the grant program in the summary of game and fish law prepared under Minnesota Statutes, section 97A.051, subdivision 2.
Outcomes depend on applications received and projects funded
Grantees