(ABC 6 News) – A Minnesota Amendment Question to decide if a trust fund for environmental projects across the state, generated by the state’s Lottery proceeds, is appearing on ballots for this year’s general election.

The Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund provides grants to conservation, education, and other environmentally-focused projects throughout Minnesota, like at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center where grant money is being used to restore habitats along the Root River.

Colleen Foehrenbacher is the executive director of the learning center, and says they’ve relied heavily on funding like this for much of their work.

“We’ve received probably five grants from the fund over the years,” she said.

Currently, the center is involved in three projects: the river restoration, the construction of the Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail and a variety of education programs that have been a staple of the non-profit for several years.

“The one that most people are familiar with is our outdoor school program,” Foehrenbacher said.

Over 130 schools from five states, spending multiple days learning history, science, and outdoor skills in a natural setting.

All thanks to the trust fund.

“I can not tell you how many schools say, ‘If we didn’t have this funding, we would not be able to have these life-changing opportunities for our students,'” said Foehrenbacher.

The money in the fund is generated by proceeds from the Minnesota Lottery. For every ticket purchased throughout the state, a portion of it ends up in the fund.

That money is then distributed by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, a group of House, Senate, and citizen-appointees that review over a hundred projects a year.

“If we could actually logo everything that the LCCMR has touched with the money, it’d be so many really unique and cool projects throughout the state,” said Shona Langseth, a citizen member appointed by the state’s House of Representatives.

Things like the Ely Wolf Center or the Zumbro River Regional Water Trail, or the dozens of research projects by the University of Minnesota.

This year, the amendment that keeps the trust funded by the lottery is up for renewal. Rep. Athena Hollins, the author of the amendment and one of the House members of the LCCMR, wants people to be particularly aware of where the money comes from.

“This is not an additional tax that is being put on the people of Minnesota, this is just lottery funds,” she said.

And that leaving the item blank on the ballot counts as a no.

“For most average citizens, if this passes, they won’t notice a difference,” Hollins said. “If it doesn’t pass, they will notice a difference because their parks, their trails, their local schools might not have the funding to continue some of the programs that have happened previously.”

To see what other projects have been funded by this fund and others, click here.