Lessard-Sams council seeks funding for outdoor resource projects

Since it was created in 2008, the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council has made recommendations that have funded 228 programs statewide with more than $755 million in appropriations from the Outdoor Heritage Fund.

Mark Johnson, the council’s executive director, briefed the House Legacy Funding Finance Committee on the 12-member advisory group’s work Monday.

The heritage fund is one of four funds created by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment approved by voters in 2008 to help preserve and enhance the state’s natural and cultural resources.

Johnson said the fund receives about $100 million annually, and the amendment requires this money be used to “protect, restore and enhance wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife.”

The council relies on a 15-month process each proposal must navigate before it can be approved. The cycle begins with a call for funding, put out each year at the beginning of April, and those interested then have until the end of May to submit proposals.

Johnson said the goal is to identify the best programs in order to fund “the cream of the crop.”

Although final approval has not yet been given, the council recommended appropriating $103.9 million to fund 35 programs for Fiscal Year 2018 at its December meeting.

This money would go to a variety of organizations around the state and to state agencies such as the Department of Natural Resources and the Board of Water and Soil Resources.