MICHIGAN NATURAL RESOURCES
TRUST FUND

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) has been in place since 1976. It provides financial assistance to local governments and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to purchase lands for outdoor recreation and/or the protection of natural resources and open space. It also assists in the appropriate development of land for public outdoor recreation.

The MNRTF is supported by annual revenues from the development of State-owned mineral resources, largely oil and gas. It is governed by Article 9, Section 35 of the State Constitution and Part 19 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 451 PA 1994, as amended. The program is administered by the MNRTF Board of Trustees and the Grants Management office of the DNR. The MNRTF Board of Trustees meets about six times a year and all meetings are open to the public.

MNRTF projects provide for natural resource protection and outdoor recreation. By law, no more than 25 percent of the Trust Fund revenues available for appropriation each year can be used for development, therefore the majority of funding is allocated for acquisition projects.

Applications are accepted annually as follows:

• April 1 - Land acquisition and recreation development project application deadline. Development project applications must be submitted by April 1.
• August 1 - Secondary application deadline for land acquisition projects only.

Application materials are available each January for the current year application cycle.

Final grant recommendations are made by the MNRTF Board of Trustees in late fall and submitted to the Legislature for approval and appropriation of funds. Local grant and DNR funding applications are evaluated and scored by the staff in Grants Management, using criteria and a point scale established annually by the MNRTF Board.

While only State and local governments may apply to the MNRTF to acquire property, any individual, group or organization may nominate land for consideration. A nomination is a suggestion that a land parcel be considered for DNR acquisition and ownership.

As of January 2004, over $600 million in MNRTF appropriations had been made for more than 1,200 State and local recreation projects.

MNRTF-assisted project sites must be dedicated to public outdoor recreation in perpetuity. The MNRTF plaque on a park entrance sign or facility indicates that the site received MNRTF assistance.