SANDUSKY, OH – Nearly $2 million in federal funds will help Ohio preserve one of the last remaining natural areas along the Cleveland-area shore, as well as 3.4 acres along Lake Erie in Ottawa County.

Projects in Bratenahl and Port Clinton are among 17 nationwide to receive federal grants through the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP).

The Lake Erie Coastal and Riparian Forest Preserve in Bratenahl will receive $1.014 million toward the acquisition of two properties totaling 19.5 acres. The properties include a high-quality mature forest, a riparian corridor, the 100-year floodplain of Dugway Creek, and a rare estuarine environment on the Lake Erie coast. Both properties contain old-growth woods that provide important habitat for migrating birds and will preserve scenic views along Lake Shore Boulevard. This project is a partnership between the Village of Bratenahl and the Western Reserve Land Conservancy. Total cost of the acquisition is $2.2 million.

The City of Port Clinton in partnership with the Trust for Public Land will receive $875,000 to acquire approximately 3.4 acres along the city’s waterfront. The property encompasses 1,252 feet of Lake Erie frontage and includes near-shore wetlands, a coastal marsh and critical waterfowl and shorebird habitats. The property will be managed for restoration and enhancement of the site’s natural features and will include a nature trail for better lake access. Total cost of the acquisition is $1.75 million.

This is the first year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded CELCP funds based on competitive scoring. To be eligible, a state must have a CELCP plan. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Office of Coastal Management developed Ohio’s plan and submitted it to NOAA for approval in June 2006.

According to David Kennedy of NOAA, the 17 projects receiving funding are “the result of hard work by (coastal states and their staff) in preparing, vetting and coordinating project proposals on behalf of (each) state.”

Including this year’s award, Ohio has received nearly $22 million in CELCP funding since the program began in 2002. The CELCP serves to protect coastal and estuarine lands considered important for their ecological, conservation, recreational, historical or aesthetic value or that are threatened by development. The program provides federal funding for projects that ensure access by the public, as well as conservation of these areas for the benefit of future generations.

Other states receiving CELCP funding in 2007 include Michigan (1) project, Maine (2), Massachusetts (1), California (2), South Carolina (2), Connecticut (1), New Jersey (1), Delaware (2), Oregon (1), North Carolina (1) and Alabama (1).