SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL—Hermantown) delivered $29,400,000 for nine projects in Northeastern Minnesota on Thursday evening when the Senate passed the Environment, Climate, and Energy budget bill.
“I ran on a promise to deliver for our region, and that’s exactly what I’m doing,” said Senator Hauschild. “The funding I secured in the Environment budget will support outdoor recreation across the Northland from Silver Bay Trailhead to the Crane Lake boat landing to the Redhead Mountain bike trail. It will also allocate $2 million toward a St. Louis County waste campus to address PFAS contamination.”
Senator Hauschild also authored and passed a bill to rename the St. Louis County Environmental Trust Fund the “Mary Murphy Environmental Trust Fund,” named after former State Representative Mary Murphy (DFL—Hermantown), the longest-serving female State Representative in Minnesota history.
“For nearly fifty years, Representative Murphy has been a champion for our region. I’m grateful for her decades of service to our state and to the Northland in particular, and I’m proud to rename this fund in her honor,” added Senator Hauschild.
Senator Hauschild secured the following projects totaling over $29 Million in the Environment Budget:
- $15 Million for a high voltage direct current line with Minnesota Power
- $6 Million for the 1854 Treaty Area Agreement
- $2 Million grant to St. Louis County to keep PFAS pollution out of Lake Superior
- $1.97 Million LCCMR grant to the city of Silver Bay for construction of the Silver Bay Trailhead
- $1.9 Million for the construction of the Crane Lake Voyageurs National Park Visitor Center and Campground and for improvements and maintenance of the state-operated boat ramp at Crane Lake
- $1.45 Million from the DNR’s ATV Dedicated Account for ATV Trail Development of the voyager country and prospector loop
- $500,000 for the Redhead Mountain Bike Park
- $400,000 grant to the city of Silver Bay for construction of the Silver Bay Trailhead
- $200,000 LCCMR grant for Grand Marais Mountain Bike Trail
Hauschild also secured $700,000 of ongoing Lottery in Lieu funding dedicated to Greater Minnesota parks and trails.
The bill passed on a vote of 35-32, with all DFL Senators and one Republican voting yes and 32 Republicans voting no. The Environment budget was passed by both the House and Senate and will now go to Governor Walz for his signature.
Photo description: Senator Hauschild (left) listens to former Representative Mary Murphy (right) during a 2022 transportation forum at Greysolon Ballroom in downtown Duluth.
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Learn more about Sen. Hauschild.
