The state of Minnesota reached a settlement with 3M in 2018 after alleging that the company’s releases of PFAS chemicals had damaged drinking water and natural resources in the Twin Cities east metropolitan area. After legal and other expenses were paid, about $720 million will be invested in drinking water and natural resource projects. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are co-trustees of these funds.
Priority 1, about $700 million, is dedicated to drinking water projects in the Twin Cities east metropolitan area.
Priority 2, up to $20 million, is for projects that restore and enhance aquatic resources, wildlife, habitat, fishing, and outdoor recreational opportunities in the project area. The project area includes portions of Washington, Ramsey and Dakota counties and downstream areas of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers affected by PFAS released by 3M.
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Eligible projects
Eligible projects must help to achieve one or more of the Priority 2 settlement goals:
- Goal 1 – Restore, protect, and enhance aquatic and terrestrial resources, wildlife, and habitats.
- Goal 2 – Increase understanding of fish tissue contamination, improve communication about PFAS-based fish consumption advisories, and identify and enhance alternative, non-contaminated fishing areas.
- Goal 3 – Improve and enhance outdoor recreational opportunities.
Applicants can apply for no less than $20,000 per project. No match is required.
50% or more of the proposed project activities must take place within the Priority 2 Project Area (see expandable map above) or download a Google Earth .kmz file here.
Application timeline
Projects will be reviewed through a two-phase process. Applicants will first submit a letter of intent — a brief project description and map to determine whether a project qualifies for Priority 2 funding. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a full application.
Below is the anticipated timeline.
- Request for Proposals opens
- Questions about Letters of Intent due
- Letters of Intent due
- Invitations sent to submit full applications
- Grant workshop
- Questions about full application due
- Full applications due
- Notice of project selection
February 5, 2025
March 28, 2025
April 4, 2025
June 2025 (estimated)
Late June 2025 (estimated)
Early August 2025 (estimated)
August 2025 (estimated)
December 2025 (estimated)
How to apply
The Request for Proposal details the two-phase process:
- Project proposers must submit a Letter of Intent to be considered for funding. Send form to [email protected] by 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 4.
- If a project is deemed eligible for funding based on the letter of intent, applicants will be given an application form and instructions to submit a full grant application.
Who may apply
- Local units of government (e.g., city, township, county)
- Soil and water conservation, watershed and lake improvement districts
- Area-wide agencies, including a county and/or regional planning agencies
- Nonprofit organizations
- Public school district and nonprofit schools
- Institutes of higher education (public and nonprofit)
- Port authorities
- Tribal governments
- Federal agencies
- State agencies (excludes direct funding to the DNR and MPCA; however, agencies may participate as collaborators)
Individuals and for-profit organizations may not apply.
Review process
Letter of Intent submissions will be assessed to determine whether the proposed projects are eligible for Priority 2 funding based on eight screening criteria. Projects considered eligible based on the information provided in the Letters of Intent will be given further feedback and invited to submit full grant applications. Applications will be scored based on the Evaluation Criteria in the RFP and ultimately selected by the DNR and MPCA Commissioners.
Contact
Questions and answers
Summaries of questions received and responses will be summarized and posted weekly until March 28, one week before Letters of Intent are due. Questions may be sent to the email address above.
- Project Types and Configuration
- The RFP indicates that ineligible projects include those focused on "sports and recreational facilities such as sport fields and play equipment, etc., and other recreation that is not focused on recreating in nature." Why are such projects ineligible?The exclusion of these types of projects is consistent with language in the 3M Settlement. As noted in the RFP, the 3M Settlement indicates that funds for Priority 2 shall be utilized on “projects that restore and enhance aquatic resources, wildlife, habitat, fishing, resource improvement, and outdoor recreational opportunities in the East Metropolitan Area and in downstream areas of the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers.” The Settlement also notes that example projects “may include, but are not limited to, aquatic habitat and water resource protection and restoration, terrestrial and water trails, boat ramps and/or fishing piers, restoration of wildlife habitat, and other terrestrial conservation and recreation improvements.”The exclusion of such activities is also consistent with the Minnesota Environmental Response and Liability Act (MERLA), which states that Natural Resources Damage Assessment damages recovered by the State must be used for “the rehabilitation, restoration, or acquisition of natural resources to remedy injuries or losses to natural resources resulting from the release of a hazardous substance” (Minnesota Statutes 2024, Section 115B.20, Subd. 2 (4)). In this case, the release of PFAS into the environment has harmed wildlife and nature-based outdoor recreational activities (e.g., bird watching, fishing), and thus such activities are the focus of Priority 2 funding.The DNR and MPCA have determined, based on the review of the settlement language and purpose, and the requirements of MERLA, that Priority 2 funding should be focused on natural resources-based outdoor recreation, and that sporting and playground facilities improvements are not eligible for funding.How should potential projects best be configured? (e.g., what types of project activities should be included, whether to propose one large project vs. several smaller projects, etc.)The DNR cannot provide advice to individual organizations regarding how to design their proposed projects. We encourage applicants to carefully review the criteria that will be used to screen and evaluate proposed projects (see pages 7-9 of the RFP) and to customize your proposal to best meet those criteria. Project proposers will be given an opportunity to discuss project alternatives and scalability in their application. It is also important to note that all applicants will receive feedback from the DNR about their LOI submissions, which may address concerns regarding proposed project components or activities.Is there a deadline to spend projected grant funds? What is the project completion timeline?Applications will give respondents an opportunity to detail their project timeline. Grantees will be expected to move their project forward on a timely basis, and reasonable grant deadlines will be assigned, based on the project activities proposed, to ensure timely completion. Grant deadlines may not exceed five years without approval. Is habitat restoration on a private residence an eligible project?Yes. Such projects will require coordination with and commitments from interested property owners. Restoration projects must be designed and constructed by the grantee (or their consultant/contractor) and all projects on private property will require a recorded property interest (such as a conservation easement or other deed restriction) that is to be held by a local government to ensure permanent protections. Applicants of such projects will be required to secure letters of support from each private landowner that is anticipated to be a part of the proposed project. Applications involving the purchase of property (including easements) must include a completed appraisal, which is not a reimbursable expense. Further detail is provided in Appendix A of the RFP.
- LOI Form Questions
- Is it intended for the Letter of Intent form to have a character limit for responses?Yes. It was intended for responses to be contained within the space provided in the text boxes. Respondents should save the form locally and then develop their responses thereafter. While working off the web version, users may notice a scroll wheel appears to accommodate for extended answers. However, once the document is saved locally, the scroll wheel disappears – showing only the initial portion of the response. The form available on the website was updated on February 10, but responses using the previous version will still be accepted.