MNRTF
MNRTF
Michigan Natural Resources
Trust Fund
For more than 40 years, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) has served as a key funding source for Michigan’s parks and recreation providers, allocating more than $1 billion to protect our state’s natural resources and to develop outdoor recreation opportunities for residents.
MNRTF projects help create vibrant communities and enhance residents quality of life. Trust fund grants have funded the development and expansion of parks and public green space, the creation of trail networks, the protection of our state’s pristine beaches, forests and wetlands, and the improvement of park and facility accessibility to ensure equal access for all.
The MNRTF has awarded more than $1.1 billion since its creation for land acquisition and park development projects in all 83 counties.
Over $1.1 Billion
To date, the MNRTF has awarded over $1.1 billion in grants to Michigan’s state and local parks, waterways, trails, and nature preserves throughout all 83 counties.
$245 Million
have been invested in our trail systems. In excess of 1,000 public parks have been acquired and/or developed.
Approximately 2,500
Other projects funded include ball fields, tennis courts, trailheads, restrooms and other amenities, for a total of just under 2,500 MNRTF-assisted projects since 1976.
History
The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) began as the “Kammer Recreational Land Trust Fund Act of 1976” via P.A. 204 of 1976. Act 204 created the Michigan Land Trust Fund (MLTF) program to provide a source of funding for the public acquisition of land for resource protection and public outdoor recreation. Funding was derived from royalties on the sale and lease of state-owned minerals (primarily oil and gas).
On November 6, 1984, Michigan residents voted in favor of Proposal B, which amended the State Constitution and created the MNRTF. The constitutional amendment required that oil, gas, and other mineral lease and royalty payments be placed into the Trust Fund, with proceeds used to both acquire and develop public recreation lands. To implement the constitutional amendment, the Legislature passed the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Act of 1985 (P.A. 101 of 1985, Act 101).
This act stipulated that in any one fiscal year, up to a third of all mineral lease revenues plus the interest and earnings of the MNRTF could be used to purchase land for resource conservation and public outdoor recreation but also to develop outdoor recreation facilities. P.A. 101 of 1985 specified that not less than 25 percent of funds made available from the fund in any fiscal year shall be expended for the acquisition of land and rights inland, and not more than 25 percent of funds made available from the fund in any fiscal year shall be expended for development of public recreation facilities. In addition, P.A. 101 of 1985 authorized the use of the MNRTF to make the annual payments in-lieu of taxes to local units of government that are required under subpart 14 of Part 21 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 451 PA 1994, as amended. The MNRTF is used to meet the DNR’s obligations under Part 21 for lands acquired by the DNR with MNRTF assistance.
On November 8, 1994, Michigan voters approved Proposal P, which also amended the State Constitution. The 1994 amendment reversed a previous constitutional provision which allowed the diversion of Trust Fund revenue to the Michigan Strategic Fund. Proposal P also established the State Park Endowment Fund (SPEF) for the operation, maintenance and capital improvements at Michigan’s State Parks, and provided for the distribution of $10 million annually in Trust Fund revenues to the new SPEF. The 1994 amendment also raised the maximum amount that could accumulate in the Trust Fund from $200 million to $400 million.
On August 6, 2002, Michigan residents approved Proposal 2. This amendment to Article IX of the Michigan Constitution allows the MNRTF to invest in a wider array of investments and raised the cap on the corpus amount from $400 million to $500 million.
In 2011, the MNRTF balance achieved a statutorily significant level of $500 million. At this point, grant-making and related operations of the program began to be solely funded by the interest and earnings of the programs invested funds, as opposed to earlier days when mineral royalties themselves were the source of funding. New revenue from mineral royalties started to be deposited into the SPEF.