This bill appropriates over $8 million from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund for various environmental projects and research initiatives for the fiscal years 2026 and 2027. It includes funding for significant projects such as the University of Minnesota's research on climate change effects on walleye, deer mortality factors, and conservation strategies, as well as initiatives aimed at enhancing water quality and managing natural resources. The bill also emphasizes environmental education, providing scholarships for youth, supporting teachers in environmental stewardship, and engaging underrepresented communities in conservation efforts.

Additionally, the bill introduces new requirements for entities receiving appropriations for restoration activities, mandating compliance with Minnesota Statutes, the use of native plant species, and the preparation of ecological restoration plans. It specifies that funded projects must occur on permanently protected land and encourages contracting with Conservation Corps Minnesota for restoration services. Notably, it includes a $100,000 appropriation for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum to protect the state's only population of ball cactus and a $1,890,000 allocation for habitat protection and water quality improvement in the upper Mississippi River basin, with the deletion of "in Hubbard County" from previous legislation. The effective date for these provisions is retroactively set to July 1, 2024.