News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2002
OHIO LAKE ERIE COMMISSION ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $370,000 IN RESEARCH GRANTS TO EIGHT ORGANIZATIONS
CLEVELAND, OH -- The Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) has awarded more than $340,000 to five organizations conducting long-term research on the health and welfare of the lake. Another $30,000 went to three other organizations for short-term research projects, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
The grants were approved on September 26 at the commission's annual meeting in Cleveland. Among the larger projects that received funding were: a geographic information system (GIS) mapping of the waters around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island; an upgrade of the way local health departments around the lake manage septic system records; a study of how migrating birds use various forest habitats around the lake as staging areas; a study of some invasive animal species in the lake to determine their origins and patterns of reproduction; and a study of four Lake Erie watersheds in northeast Ohio to determine how they are affected by local highway systems.
Smaller grants were awarded to study the Lake Erie water snake, survey steelhead trout fishing, and prepare a preservation plan for the West Creek Valley watershed in Cuyahoga County.
During the last nine years, the commission has awarded more than $7.5 million in grants from its Lake Erie Protection Fund to local and state organizations for a variety of lake-based research projects. Money for the fund comes from the sale of Lake Erie license plates, which feature an image of the historic Marblehead Lighthouse.
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission is comprised of the directors of the Ohio departments of environmental protection, transportation, development, health, natural resources and agriculture.
The commission was established to preserve Lake Erie's natural resources, water quality and ecosystem by furthering the goals laid out in the Lake Erie Protection & Restoration Plan. It also promotes economic development in the region.
EDITORS NOTE: A LIST OF RECIPIENTS APPEARS BELOW
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For additional news online, check out the ODNR Press Room at Ohiodnr.com
For Further Information Contact:
Jeffrey Busch, Ohio Lake Erie Commission
(419) 245-2514
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860
Lake Erie Protection Fund Grants
September 30, 2002
The ODNR Division of Geological Survey received $23,750 to study bottom substrates around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island for the state-sponsored GIS system. Results of the study will help other researchers locate valuable natural resources such as reefs, navigational hazards, shipwrecks and other habitat features.
The Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments received $50,000 for a GIS inventory of septic systems in urban and rural counties on the lake. The project will help local health departments on the lake manage septic system records and identify communities with a high potential for bacterial contamination from faulty systems.
The Ohio State University received $66,505 to assess the abundance and diversity of migrating birds in three forest habitats on the lake and study how birds use these habitats as staging areas. The information will be key to protecting areas that are vital to the survival of these bird species.
Cleveland State University received $99,913 for a genetic study of the round goby and nuisance mussel populations in the lake to better understand where these invaders originated in Europe and Asia and how they spread throughout the Great Lakes.
Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization received $100,000 to study how watersheds of the Cuyahoga, Black, Chagrin and Rocky rivers are affected by highways in their areas. The project will allow planners to fully consider all environmental impacts at the onset of the planning process and will serve as a model for other regions of the Great Lakes.
The Ohio Sea Grant College Program (OSU) received $9,988 for a steelhead anglers survey in Lake Erie tributaries.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife received $10,000 to study the abundance and habitat use of the Lake Erie water snake to aid in restoration efforts.
The Delta Institute for West Creek Preservation Committee received $10,000 to implement a strategy and plan for improving and preserving the West Creek watershed in Cuyahoga County.
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