Minnesota Senate removes funding for Boundary Waters group following logo controversy

St. Paul — Minnesota lawmakers approved funding recommendations from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources for projects across the state – except one.

Senators passed an amendment stripping Friends of the Boundary Waters of this year’s funding after concerns over the organization’s improper use of the LCCMR logo.

HF3426 was presented on the Senate floor May 11 by Sen. Foung Hawj, DFL-St. Paul. Rep. Sydney Jordan, DFL-Minneapolis, authored the bill and presented it on the House floor April 30, where it passed 117-15.

During House debate, some lawmakers pointed to the organization’s misuse of the LCCMR logo. Rep. Peter Fischer, DFL-Maplewood, supported the bill but questioned whether removing all funding was too severe. He encouraged lawmakers in conference committee to consider a more appropriate response.

Chris Knopf, executive director of Friends of the Boundary Waters, said the mistake was made in an effort to draw attention to copper-nickel sulfide mining projects the organization believes threaten the area. He described the incident as an honest mistake and said the organization removed the video after receiving a call from the LCCMR.

He said the video was about 17 seconds long and that the logo appeared during the final two seconds.

“Our program serves a public purpose that fits exactly what these funds are to be used for,” Knopf said. “This is the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund that’s funded by lottery proceeds and it’s for these very sort of education programs we’re talking about here.”

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Knopf said losing the funding would negatively affect operations. The organization had been expected to receive $400,000 annually for the next three years.

Knopf said the funding would have helped connect more than 12,000 students to the Boundary Waters and provide scholarships for wilderness canoe trips.

Without the LCCMR funding, the organization will rely on donations and fundraising to meet budget needs and will plan to pursue funding in the future.

During Senate debate, Sen. Keri Heintzeman, R-Nisswa, introduced the amendment removing the organization’s appropriations.

“What has come to light regarding the Friends of the Boundary Waters when they created and disseminated a call to action video that boasted of support from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) raises serious questions about how public trust was violated and how funds, intended for conservation purposes, were instead diverted into partisan advocacy efforts,” Heintzeman said.

The funding package included nearly $1.3 million for Friends of the BWCA from the ENRTF.

Heintzeman referenced the organization’s 2024 IRS Form 990, noting its annual revenue totaled slightly more than $3 million. She said the appropriation would account for roughly 40% of the organization’s annual budget.

Hawj urged senators to reject the amendment. He said the funding would support educational and wilderness opportunities in the Boundary Waters for school-aged children. He also said he reviewed whether any laws or rules governing the funds had been violated and found none.

Sen. Jennifer McEwen, DFL-Duluth, also opposed the amendment and defended the organization’s mission. She said the program helps students develop outdoor skills, provides hands-on learning experiences and offers canoeing opportunities in the Boundary Waters at little or no cost.

“It reaches thousands of students each year through its educational programs, and it provides free online resources for teachers across the state and has been working on translating those resources for students whose primary language is not English,” McEwen said. “There’s many testimonials from the teachers and students about how these experiences going up to the Boundary Waters has changed their perspective overall.”

McEwen told senators the organization sent an apology letter after the incident. In the letter, Knopf apologized for the misuse of the logo and expressed gratitude for support from the LCCMR. The letter also outlined the organization’s programs and how the funds would be used while stating steps had been taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Sens. Steve Green, R-Fosston, Jason Rarick, R-Pine City, and Robert Farnsworth, R-Hibbing, spoke in support of the amendment. Green criticized the use of funding for wages, arguing Minnesotans intended the money to support natural resources rather than organizations.

Rarick pointed to Osprey Wilds, a similar organization in his district focused on introducing children to wilderness experiences. He noted the organization receives $192,000 in funding, far less than the amount allocated to Friends of the Boundary Waters.

Sen. Michael Holmstrom, R-Buffalo, questioned whether senators opposing the amendment had received endorsements from Friends of the Boundary Waters, and asked for those who have to recuse their vote.

The amendment ultimately passed 34-29.

Sens. Nick Frentz, DFL-Mankato, Heather Gustafson, DFL-Vadnais Heights, Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, and Judy Seeberger, DFL-Afton, did not vote on the amendment.

The bill later passed as amended on a 44-23 vote.