Governor Tim Pawlenty today appointed eight citizen conservationists to serve on the newly created Environment and Natural Resource Trust Fund Advisory Task Force.  The Task Force was created during the past legislative session to examine the process for expenditures from the trust fund and is expected to issue a report by February 15, 2006.  The Task Force includes 16 members, eight appointed by the Governor and eight appointed by the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources.

The Governor's appointees are David Zentner, Joe Duggan, Karen Bowen, Craig Shaver, Jeff Broberg, Wayne Enger, Pam Landers and Ryan Heiniger.  Pawlenty is asking Zentner to serve as co-chair of the Task Force. 

Zentner was coordinator of the State Capitol's first "Rally for Ducks, Wetlands and Clean Water," which brought together a broad coalition of over 5,000 conservationists, sportsmen and environmentalists to highlight the need for support of Minnesota's outdoors on April 4, 2005.
 
"The threats to Minnesota's great outdoors are serious.  If we're going to be successful in building a long-term strategy to preserve, protect and improve Minnesota's natural resources, we need to refocus and reenergize our efforts," Governor Pawlenty said.  "With the leadership of David Zentner, these committed conservationists will chart a new course to better use our resources to enhance conservation and the environment."
 
The environment and natural resource trust fund was created in the Minnesota Constitution in 1988 and is supported by 40 percent of the net proceeds from lottery sales.  The Constitution requires that, "The assets of the fund shall be appropriated by law for the public purpose of protection, conservation, preservation, and enhancement of the state's air, water, land, fish, wildlife and other natural resources."
 
Citing public concerns over previous spending of the Trust Fund, in October 2004, Pawlenty called upon the legislature to reform the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund appropriations process.

Zentner, of Duluth, is a nationally recognized citizen conservation activist and member of the Izaak Walton League.
 
Duggan, of Bloomington, is vice-president of corporate relations and marketing for Pheasants Forever.
 
Bowen, of Dayton, worked previously for the Hennepin Regional Park District, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and a member of the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota.
 
Shaver, of Deephaven, is a senior vice-president of investments for Piper Jaffray, member of the Great Lakes Protection Fund and former board member of The Nature Conservancy and former state representative.
 
Broberg, of Rochester, is vice-president of environmental services for McGhie & Betts Environmental Services and president of the Minnesota Trout Association.
 
Enger, of Perham, is the Otter Tail County Director of the Farm Service Agency and recent past president of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association.
 
Landers, of Nisswa, is formerly the environmental education project manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Blandin Foundation.
 
Heiniger, of Prior Lake, is the Minnesota and Iowa director of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited.

The eight LCMR appointees to the 16-member Task Force are:  State Representative Phyllis Kahn, State Representative Loren Solberg, State Representative Ron Erhardt, former State Senator Steve Morse, former State Senator Gary Laidig, former State Senator Jane Krentz, former State Senator Earl Renneke and former State Representative Dave Bishop.