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Jul
1
Written by:
news editor
7/1/2010 1:00 AM
Enhancements to Lake Erie, the coast and the Ohio Lake Erie watershed will be advanced through grants to nine Ohio groups seeking to improve water quality, public access and knowledge of the state’s greatest natural resource.
Coastal Grants Awarded to Enhance Lake Erie Access, Education and Water Quality
SANDUSKY, OH – Enhancements to Lake Erie, the coast and the Ohio Lake Erie watershed will be advanced through grants to nine Ohio groups seeking to improve water quality, public access and knowledge of the state’s greatest natural resource, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
The 2010 Coastal Management Assistance Grants, awarded by the ODNR Office of Coastal Management, will help fund the development of plans for improving public access to Lake Erie; the creation of educational videos about the importance of Lake Erie-related research; efforts to clean and monitor nine Lake Erie beaches; and study Ohio waters of Lake Erie in an attempt to identify areas where wind energy facilities may or may not pose a threat to pelagic birds. The $311,835 in grant awards will be matched with local or non-federal funds for more than $675,000 in enhancements to communities and resources in Ohio’s Lake Erie watershed.
"These grants are precision tools for making sure our natural resources remain healthy while we improve our economy and quality of life," said ODNR Director Sean Logan. "Our birds, forests and soil do not have to suffer when businesses grow. These grants give us the knoweldge and the know-how to build a truly sustainable economy."
Each of the nine selected projects address at least one of the Ohio Coastal Management Program's funding categories. The categories include the protection and restoration of Lake Erie coastal resources, promotion of sustainable land use and community planning, coastal resource management education and outreach, and research and data collection.
Projects from five local entities (the Alliance for the Great Lakes, WGTE Public Media, the city of Willoughby, the Blanchard River Watershed Partnership, and the West Creek Preservation Committee) and four state entities (ODNR Division of Soil and Water Resources, the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, East Harbor State Park, and the ODNR Division of Wildlife) will receive funding in this 14th year of coastal management grant awards.
The Office of Coastal Management dedicates a portion of its annual National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration funding to the Coastal Management Assistance Grant program. Applications for the next round of grants to be awarded in 2011 will be available in September 2010 either online (www.ohiodnr.com/coastal) or by contacting the Office of Coastal Management at coastal@dnr.state.oh.us or (419) 626-7980.
The ODNR Office of Coastal Management works to achieve a balance between use and preservation of Lake Erie's coastal resources, in collaboration with its partners, by effectively administering the Ohio Coastal Management Program.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at ohiodnr.com.
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(Editor’s Note—Grant award descriptions follow below)
For more information, contact:
Yetty Alley, ODNR Office of Coastal Management
419. 626. 7980
Heidi Hetzel-Evans, ODNR Media Relations
614. 265. 6860
ODNR Coastal Management Assistance Grant Recipients - 2010
ODNR Division of Soil and Water Resources (Lake Erie watershed) will receive $70,000 for the Lake Erie watershed coordinators project. This project will fund two watershed coordinators for one year to implement endorsed watershed action plans. Implementation of the plans will result in measurable water quality improvement and/or sediment load reduction. ($140,000 total project cost)
Alliance for the Great Lakes (Cuyahoga, Lake and Lorain counties) will receive $10,000 for the Adopt-a-Beach project. This project will expand the number of volunteers that clean up, monitor and collect beach data for nine beaches in Cuyahoga, Lorain and Lake counties. It will also pursue partnership development with state officials through integration of data collection with the goal of improving beach health. ($29,874 total project cost)
WGTE Public Media (Western Lake Erie watershed) will receive $35,370 for the Connecting Science- Building Lake Erie Literacy in the Western Basin project. WGTE will employ its expertise in video production and content distribution to produce a set of video vignettes, which spotlight the research of Old Woman Creek NERR and the agencies involved in the Lake Erie Partnership, and develop support materials for use in education settings. ($74,860 total project cost)
City of Willoughby (Lake County) will receive $5,000 for the Osborne Park / Sunset Park Coastal Recreational Analysis. A locally driven parks plan will be developed for two parks. The plan will provide concise strategies and a framework to increase park usage and public access to the water, establish connectivity between the two areas, and create sustainable public beaches. ($10,500 total project cost)
Blanchard River Watershed Partnership (Western Lake Erie watershed) will receive $15,500 for the Blanchard River watershed coordinator. This project will fund a watershed coordinator to develop remediation plans for five sites on the Outlet/Lye Creek, initiate development of a Watershed Action Plan for Riley Creek, and facilitate a feasibility determination for four habitat restorations along the main stem of the Blanchard River. ($39,750 total project cost)
ODNR Division of Soil and Water Resources (Lake Erie Watershed) will receive $50,000 for the Coastal Nonpoint Source (NPS) education specialists. This project will fund two Coastal NPS education specialists for one year; their job will be to develop and facilitate education programs emphasizing the reduction of nonpoint source pollution in the Lake Erie watershed. ($100,000 total project cost)
West Creek Preservation Committee (Cuyahoga County) will receive $32,000 for the West Creek Action Plan Implementation - Confluence Project. A West Creek Confluence Design Outreach Program will be developed with the goal of establishing a template for community outreach on water quality projects and a dialogue will be initiated with the public and community leaders on water quality land conversion restoration projects and using water budgets. ($70,000 total project cost)
East Harbor State Park (Ottawa, Erie counties) will receive $11,733 for the East Harbor Region Naturalist Funding Project. This project will extend the East Harbor and Kelleys Island naturalist seasons resulting in an increased focus on Lake Erie wildlife assets through the migratory bird season, offering more programs throughout the naturalist season, and additional Nature Center hours and live displays. ($28,408 total project cost)
Ohio Lake Erie Commission (Lake Erie Watershed) will receive $52,532 for the Ohio Balanced Growth Program in Lake Erie watershed. This project will facilitate ongoing technical assistance, data and state coordination to the planning partnerships and the State Assistance Work Group. It will also result in an updated Ohio Balanced Growth Incentives document and corresponding website. ($133,295 total project cost)
ODNR Division of Wildlife (Lake Erie Watershed) will receive $29,700 for the Investigating Annual Variability in Pelagic Bird Densities Project. This project will investigate the inter-annual spatial and temporal variability of pelagic birds throughout Ohio waters of Lake Erie in an attempt to identify areas of the lake where wind energy facilities may or may not pose a threat to pelagic birds. Pelagic birds are those that spend most of their time in the open-water environment. A map will be produced along with a final report depicting locations of specific species by month. ($59,860 total project cost)
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