Beginning this month, each of us is doing our part to clean up Minnesota’s lakes, rivers and streams, and protect Minnesota’s Great Outdoors.

On July 1, 2009, a three-eighths of 1 percent increase in the state sales tax, which was overwhelmingly passed by Minnesota voters last November as part of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Constitutional Amendment, went into effect.

And that’s worth celebrating.

It took 10 years of hard work by Minnesota sportsmen and women, plus more recent efforts by conservationists and arts advocates to achieve this dedicated funding. We gratefully acknowledge their dedication to protect Minnesota’s future.

In addition, we applaud the accomplishments of the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, the Clean Water Council, and the Minnesota Legislature in making the important choices about where those outdoor dollars should be spent.

The result is a solid start to a 25-year legacy for Minnesota’s waters and outdoors. The benefits of this legacy will be experienced throughout our great state.

In total, the amendment is expected to generate $480 million every two years. The 2009 funding allocations included:

$151 million to clean up Minnesota’s lakes, rivers and streams;

$87 million to protect wildlife habitat and conserve our lands, with an additional $71 million to be allocated next year;

$65 million for support of Minnesota’s parks and trails; and

$93 million for arts education and cultural heritage.

That’s an impressive list. These programs will help protect what we all value so much about Minnesota no matter where in the state we live, work and play.

Here in Southeastern Minnesota, Legacy-funded projects include:

 More than $1 million granted to Trout Unlimited for restoration of the region’s signature coldwater trout habitat;

 Some $395,000 to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for the Root River Watch program to help ensure healthy waters; and

To help save natural areas, some $500,000 was granted to the Minnesota Land Trust to secure easements on privately-owned lands as part of the Blufflands Prairie Protection Initiative.

In today’s difficult economic times, it is especially significant that Minnesota voters had the foresight to recognize how important our lakes, rivers and streams and Great Outdoors are to the future of our state. They took action to protect what they love about our state, and now they are seeing those dollars go to work for them.

Despite a large state deficit, the Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Tim Pawlenty adhered to the Minnesota Constitution by keeping the Legacy funds dedicated to the purposes for which the Constitution specifies that they are to be used.

This first batch of clean water, recreation and habitat projects funded by the Amendment proves that the voters are getting a good return on their investment. It will result in tangible benefits.

Yet, this first year of allocations for the Legacy funds may have been the easiest. There was a backlog of important projects awaiting funding. The real challenge lies ahead of us. We must keep focused on the big picture and vision of what’s best for our Great Outdoors over the next 24 years and not allow decision-makers to be distracted from this goal. You have the commitment of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership and its more than 80 conservation and environmental member organizations that we will work diligently together to protect Minnesota’s future for our children and grandchildren, as intended by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment.

Steve Morse is the executive director of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership.