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Aug
3
Written by:
news editor
8/3/2011 1:00 AM
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) approved four new Lake Erie Protection Fund grant awards.
Projects will benefit Lake Erie water quality and habitat through research and implementation
TOLEDO, OH – The Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) approved four new Lake Erie Protection Fund grant awards, which will provide a direct benefit to Lake Erie and its tributary watersheds in Ohio.
The Ohio State University (Dr. Timothy Buckley) was awarded a grant in the amount of $14,997 to evaluate the linkage between Lake Erie water quality and public health for Ohio residents. The project will inventory current data on Lake Erie’s human-health related ecosystem services provided to Ohio residents. In addition, the project will develop and test a survey instrument to evaluate services for which data are not readily apparent. This project will assist in conveying the importance of Lake Erie’s ecosystem services.
Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc. (Matt Scharver) was awarded $15,000 to reduce sedimentation through improved roadside ditch management and to improve overall erosion and sediment control throughout the Chagrin River watershed. The organization will develop information and training on innovative ditch maintenance best management practices (BMPs), demonstrate those BMPs on three sites, and work with communities throughout Chagrin River watershed on local codes to minimize erosion and sedimentation.
The University of Toledo (Dr. Richard Becker) was awarded $13,750 to map the extent and density of invasive shrub thicket (mainly common and glossy buckthorn) throughout the Oak Openings Region, a globally rare ecosystem home to approximately 180 rare plant and animal species. Invasive species are a direct threat to habitat health by outcompeting native plants. The mapped distribution will be used to identify specific hydrologic and nutrient characteristics of areas prone to these dense thickets, which will assist land managers in managing this invasive species.
Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (Ann-Drea Hensley) was awarded a grant in the amount of $15,000 to inventory where existing stormwater management practices could be retrofitted with water quality BMPs. This project supports the efforts of the Swan Creek Balanced Growth Committee to use a watershed-based approach during land use development. The project’s goal is to initiate a stormwater retrofit program that will maximize environmental benefits in a cost-effective manner.
“Ohioans have donated more than $9.3 million to the Lake Erie Protection Fund by purchasing or renewing a Lake Erie license plate each year,” said John Watkins, interim executive director of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission. “Lake Erie license plates displayed on vehicles give Ohio’s citizens an opportunity to personally help preserve and protect Lake Erie.”
The Lake Erie Protection Fund was established to help finance research and implementation of projects aimed at protecting and preserving Lake Erie and its watershed. The fund is supported by Ohioans through the purchase of the “Erie...Our Great Lake” license plates, which display either the Marblehead Lighthouse or the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse, as designed by noted Lake Erie artist Ben Richmond. Fifteen dollars from the sale or renewal of each plate is invested in the Lake Erie Protection Fund grant program. The Fund also accepts direct donations.
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission was established for the purpose of preserving Lake Erie's natural resources, protecting the quality of its waters and ecosystem and promoting economic development in the region. The director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources serves as the commission's chairman. Additional members include the directors of the state departments of Transportation, Health, Development, Agriculture and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
For information on the Lake Erie Protection Fund, or to read about past grant projects, please visit: http://lakeerie.ohio.gov/.
For more information, contact:
Kristin Gardner, Grants Manager
419-245-2514
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