SANDUSKY, OH -- Six Lake Erie communities and organizations will benefit from $263,754 in federally funded Coastal Management Assistance Grants recently announced by Governor Bob Taft and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The grant awards are designed to improve and protect the Lake Erie coastal area.
Lake Erie's coastal resources are important to all Ohioans, Taft said. These grants are just one tool used to support our overall mission of attaining and sustaining a healthy coast and lake.
Each project selected for the 2003 round of grants addresses at least one category of ODNR's Strategic Action Plan for Coastal Management. The categories are: water resources and watersheds; coastal land use and development; coastal habitat, wetlands and natural areas; coastal flooding and erosion; recreational opportunities; and fisheries and wildlife resources.
Funding for the Coastal Management Assistance Grant Program is provided by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, with each recipient matching its grant with at least 50 percent of the projects total cost.
ODNR has awarded more than $1.7 million in Coastal Management Assistance Grants since the program began in 1997. The grants assist communities and organizations in developing comprehensive plans, improving access to Lake Eries shoreline, conducting research and education and developing outdoor recreation facilities.
Applications and guidelines for the next round grants to be awarded in 2004 will be available in the fall by contacting the ODNR Office of Coastal Management at 419-626-7980 or online at ohiodnr.com .
Lake Erie Coastal Ohio, Inc. (8 coastal counties) $38,682 - Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Natural Heritage Tourism Awareness - This project will enhance Lake Erie Coastal Ohios ability to convey the message that Lake Erie and its resources are important to the economic well being of the Lake Erie watershed. This will be accomplished through a television Public Service Announcement and the development of a Corridor Management Plan to assist in obtaining State and National Scenic Byway designation.
Cuyahoga County Planning Commission (Cuyahoga) $40,000 - Euclid Creek Watershed Planning Guide - The project will develop a guide that will be a comprehensive tool for the watershed communities for framing future planning and policy decisions on economic development, community health, and ecological restoration based on a watershed planning approach.
Bowling Green State University (Lorain/ Wood) $15,000 - Ohio Maritime Personnel Online Database Project - This project will expand an existing database of personnel employed in the maritime trades extracted from several collections at BGSU. The data sets will then be available to local, regional and state planners, the public, resource managers, and other agencies via the Internet.
City of Lakewood (Cuyahoga) $65,250 - Lakewood Park Lakefront Revitalization Project - The goal of this project is to provide safe public access to the lakefront at Lakewood Park through the creation of an ADA accessible pathway to the Lakewalk area.
Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (Cuyahoga) $43,255 - Community Revitalization Plan for Lower Big Creek, Cleveland, Ohio Phase 2 - This project will coordinate the Phase 2 Planning and Feasibility studies in the Lower Big Creek watershed, maintain a stakeholder Project Advisory Team, and continue to engage the public in plan development. The Phase 2 studies are: A) Land Use Planning; B) Business Retention, Infrastructure Improvements, and Economic Development; C) Recreational Trails- Alignment and Design Study; D) Transportation Assessment; E) Hillside Subsidence Planning; and F) Coordinated Code Enforcement.
Lake County Planning Commission (Lake) $61,567 - Western Lake County Coastal Comprehensive Plan - A comprehensive coastal plan will be developed for the communities and port authorities of western Lake County. The plan will serve as a guide for future decisions by local governments and assist in coordination on a multi-jurisdictional level.