FAQs
Establish a recreation card or pass (physical or online) which is easy to purchase and use
Assess out of state users for potential license increases
Charge fees for currently free uses (boat landings, WMAs, etc)
Increase fines for violations to charge true cost
Raise registration fees to better reflect maintenance costs
Establish a carbon tax with funds dedicated to conservation
Dedicate sales tax on all outdoor recreation equipment to conservation and outdoor recreation causes, or work with businesses for an optional point-of-sale add-on for conservation
Add a tax form check-off for public lands
Establishing a base funding for all natural resource and environmental agencies/services in Minnesota through the general fund that this predictable and stable over time
Automatically adjusting prices for services with inflation
Establishing a foundation to support state parks and other state lands (a la the National Parks Foundation)
Make it easier to make direct contributions (donations and volunteering)
Making state park merchandise easier to buy (a single on-line store)
Bolster federal programs so there is more money coming to Minnesota (and other recipients)
- Pursue opportunities for efficiency and cost saving
- Prioritize funding for most critical needs and those that will save costs in the future
- Maximize flexibility within current funding sources
- Cooperating with other agencies on closely shared tasks and services to more efficiently meet needs
What’s the need?
We have lots of people have asked us to describe what is need is or why we are thinking about funding. The DNR budget is rather complex, but we are seeing downward trends in two of the funds that make up a significant portion of the budget (Game and Fish fund and Natural Resources Fund) while we have not seen increases in other portions of the budget that would cover the declines. While these aren’t the only source of income for the agency, vulnerabilities in these funds would compromise the agency’s ability to provide the services Minnesotan’s expect. We don’t just want to keep covering gaps, however, if there is a larger issue in the funding system. That is why we are taking a broader approach – starting with a vision for the future of conservation and outdoor recreation and then finding solutions that will help us get to that vision.
Some ideas we have heard so far
These are some of the ideas and suggestions Minnesotans contributed during the first phase of this project, which are currently under consideration.
Expand fee based revenue solutions. People have offered many ideas on how to use the existing fee structure to increase revenue, including:
Expand tax based solutions. There have also been ideas on how to use the tax structure to increase revenue, including:
New or expanded mechanisms to increase funds not related to fees or taxes. A few ideas to increase revenue that were not related to fees or taxes included:
Examine current spending and lower costs.