SANDUSKY, OH – Grant applications are being accepted for land acquisition projects by communities in the watersheds of Ohio's four Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC). The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Office of Coastal Management recently announced this nationally-competitive funding opportunity for fee-simple land acquisitions and/or conservation easements to be acquired from willing sellers.

The U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement identifies AOCs as geographic areas where the beneficial uses of the waterbody have been severely impaired in up to 14 areas associated with the area's ability to support aquatic life. There are 42 areas of concern in the Great Lakes. Ohio’s include portions of the Maumee, Black, Cuyahoga and Ashtabula rivers.

Eligible projects for the grant program must be located within a designated AOC or its watershed and must be endorsed by the associated Remedial Action Plan implementation group. Project proposals may range from $100,000 to $1 million. After the land is acquired for preservation and recreation purposes, it must be owned by a non-federal public entity (state, local or regional unit of government) and preserved in perpetuity for conservation purposes.

A grant fact sheet and application template can be obtained by contacting the Office of Costal Management or downloaded at www.ohiodnr.com/tabid/23157/default.aspx. Grant applications must be submitted to the Office of Coastal Management by 5 p.m. January 27, 2012.

Developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this grant program will support projects which assist in the delisting of fish and wildlife habitat-related beneficial use impairments in Great Lakes AOCs.

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 ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

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For more information, contact:
Yetty Alley, ODNR Office of Coastal Management
419. 626. 7980
Jason Fallon, ODNR Office of Communications
614. 265. 6842