ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Senator Foung Hawj (DFL-St. Paul) celebrated the upcoming launch of the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Community Grants Program with fellow legislators, Minnesota Department of Resources leadership, and community members at Lake Monster Brewing in St. Paul. The event honored Sen. Hawj, Representative Athena Hollins (DFL-St. Paul) and other leaders who advocated for the Community Grants Program in the 2025 session.
Sen. Hawj releases the following statement:
“Minnesotans treasure our air, water, land, fish and wildlife — a value voters reaffirm every time they renew the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. I am proud to have been an advocate for the Community Grants Program, which ensures communities that have faced barriers and experienced disproportionate environmental impacts receive their share of these funds. This work strengthens our environment by enabling broader engagement with our outdoors for current and future future generations. Many people including Rep. Hollins and our late Majority Leader, Senator Kari Dziedzic, played instrumental roles in creating and protecting the Community Grants Program. We fought hard together to make this a reality grounded in clarity and accountability.
I want to thank voters across our state for their strong approval of the Constitutional Amendment. Their support is why I stood firm during negotiations to fully fund the Community Grant Program. There were moments when others walked away, but they could not deny the result and integrity of Minnesota voters.”
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