The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is now accepting applications for a new advisory council that will help shape how millions of dollars are invested in protecting the state’s environment.

The council will guide the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Community Grant Program, which supports projects aimed at protecting Minnesota’s air, water, land, fish, and wildlife — especially in communities hit hardest by pollution and a degrading environment.

Fourteen to nineteen members will be appointed in 2026, serving up to three-year terms and meeting at least quarterly starting in June. The council must include members of Ojibwe Bands and Dakota Communities that share geography with Minnesota.

From there, advisory members will help set policies, review eligibility criteria, and make recommendations to the DNR commissioner and lawmakers.

Applications are open to Minnesota residents and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on April 10.