Call To Action
61% Natural Resource Base Program Budget Cut Proposed
Thank you to those who have already given your input – it is vital that the public be heard during the process of setting budget priorities, not after the decisions are already made. Of concern is that Dakota County have established, stable, ongoing natural resource maintenance funding.
We will continue to monitor and provide information on the 2025 budget and 5 year budget planning process. The next steps in the process are expected in late September and October.
Dakota County’s Draft 2025 Budget:
61% or $700,000 Natural Resources Base Program Budget Reduction
Dakota County made significant natural resources investments since 2015 in response to overwhelming public pressure to do so after decades of underfunding. This proposed budget cut will set its Natural Resource Base Program budget back 10 years.
Without adequate funding, ongoing management of restored acres and habitats will stall and new projects postponed indefinitely.
- Acres of parklands and greenspaces recently managed will revert to buckthorn forests
- Ecosystems undergoing restoration will revert to degraded landscapes
- Natural resource projects’ future progress and current backlog will struggle to be implemented
- Quality natural resource staff may be lost
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
Contact Dakota County Commissioners Today!
Public input to the County Board is vital through Friday, September 14
Suggested statement, or edit using your own words
“I do not support the proposed budget cuts to the Natural Resources Base Program for 2025 and beyond. I support an ongoing commitment to restoration and preservation of high-quality natural resources throughout Lebanon Hills and all Dakota County Forever Wild Parks. I urge the Dakota County Board of Commissioners to reverse the proposed cuts to our Natural Resource Base Program, which would be a huge step backward.”
