SANDUSKY, OH -- Federal grant funding of $888,000 is now available for coastal restoration and water quality projects in the Lake Erie region, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
This competitive matching grant program, administered by the ODNR Office of Coastal Management, is part of a one-time $30 million Congressional appropriation to improve the Great Lakes. Deadline for submitting grant proposals is August 22.
Those eligible to apply for funding include: local and county governments; area- wide agencies; county and regional planning agencies; port authorities; and park, conservancy and soil and water districts. Projects must be consistent with the goals and policies of the Ohio Coastal Management Program. Funding priority will be given to protection of critical coastal areas; water quality protection and coastal restoration; and sustainable development initiatives. The local match must be at least 20 percent of the total project cost.
Grant recipients will be announced in November and the projects must be completed by May 2005. For more information and application forms, contact the ODNR Office of Coastal Management, 105 West Shoreline Drive, Sandusky, OH 44870, 419-626-7980, toll-free 888-644-6267.