Ohio Coastal Management Program
Coastal Management Assistance Grants
Communities along Lake Erie enhance their coastal areas through grants administered by the Office of Coastal Management. At least $250,000 in Coastal Management Assistance Grants is awarded annually.
Coastal Management Assistance Grants help preserve, protect and enhance Ohio's Lake Erie coastal resources. More than $2.9 million has been awarded since the program first awarded grants in 1998.
Applications for Cycle 14 (FY 2011) Coastal Management Assistance Grants are being accepted until 5 pm Friday November 20, 2009.
The Cycle 13 (FY 2010) grant application period closed at 5 p.m. November 14, 2008. The Office of Coastal Management received 23 grant applications requesting more than $1.2 million in funds. Grant recipients were announced in May 2009 for projects that start July 1, 2009 (FY 2010). Read May 28, 2009 Grant Announcement
Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, with applicants providing a minimum of 50 percent of the project costs. The Coastal Management Assistance Grant program is a reimbursement grant program whereby the project sponsor is expected to make the initial outlays for the project and then request reimbursement from OCM.
Funding for the Coastal Management Assistance Grant Program is provided by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.
CMAG Program Goals
The Ohio Coastal Management Program and its grants strive to promote a sustainable coast and lake. Comprehensive community planning, watershed planning to address coastal nonpoint pollution and balanced growth have been given priority for grant funding. The goal is to promote coastal community and watershed planning that will address enhanced public access, hazard mitigation, natural resource protection and restoration, economic viability and sustainable coastal development issues. If coastal communities and watersheds draining into Lake Erie can develop long-term plans for sustainability, a healthy maintainable coast and lake will result.
Other goals of the Coastal Management Assistance Grant program are to help improve public access to Lake Erie; conduct coastal research and education; develop outdoor recreational facilities and in general, protect, restore and enhance Ohio's Lake Erie coastal resources.
Fundamental Elements of the Coastal Management Assistance Grant Program
- Prospective projects are eligible only if they will be conducted within the Ohio Coastal Management Program's boundary or will have demonstrated direct and substantial benefits within that boundary.
- Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis using the qualifying and general criteria described in the guidance booklet.
- Other federal funding may not be used as sponsor's cost (match).
- Work to be reimbursed or counted as match may not begin until an agreement is signed by ODNR and the project sponsor.
Groups Eligible for Coastal Management Assistance Grant Funding
- Units of local government, including municipalities, townships, counties and villages
- Area-wide agencies, including county and regional planning agencies
- State agencies whose activities affect or are affected by activities in the coastal area
- Colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning
- School districts
- Park districts, conservancy districts and port authorities
- Nonprofit organizations that are legally constituted as 501(c)(3) organizations and have been nominated to undertake the project by one of the other eligible entities listed above Note: Nonprofit organizations are only eligible for non-construction/non-acquisition projects.
Categories for Eligible Projects
- Protecting and Restoring Coastal Resources:
- Habitat Restoration/ Demonstration of Innovative Practices
- Coastal Land Acquisition
- Water Quality
- Land Use and Community Planning
- Coastal Planning
- Public Access
- Coastal Resource Management Education and Outreach
- Research and Data Collection
Non-eligible Project Categories
- Restroom facilities
- Construction of erosion control structures
- Beach re-nourishment
- Maintenance
- General recreational facilities such as playgrounds, ball fields and courts, etc.
- Road and parking lot construction
- Water and sewer line construction
- Wetland or other habitat restoration that is required as a condition of a permit or other regulatory action
Grant Timeline
- Applications printed and distributed annually in September
- Applications due the third Friday of November
- Grant awards announced in May
- Projects begin in July and must be completed 12 months later (June of the following year.)
Statistics
- The Coastal Management Assistance Grant program began in the fall of 1997 with its first grant awards in 1998.
- A total of 89 projects have been approved in Cycles 1 - 13.
- Total dollars awarded to local communities through ODNR-OCMP from NOAA: $2.9 million.
Grant Workshops
Two workshops were presented in mid-October by the Office of Coastal Management. An overview of the newly revised grant guidelines, writing tips and sample applications were presented. Click here to visit the Grant Workshop page.
Grant Project Management Documents
For more information
CMAG Coordinator: Yetty Alley
Office of Coastal Management
ODNR Coastal Services Center
105 West Shoreline Drive
Sandusky, OH 44870
419.626.7986
Fax: 419.626.7983
yetty.alley@dnr.state.oh.us or coastal@dnr.state.oh.us
Attend a Grant Workshop | Download CMAG Application | Download CMAG Guidance Material
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