Protecting and restoring Lake Erie Coastal Zone

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced yesterday that six projects received Coastal Zone Grants totaling more than $250,000.

The grants, which are aimed at protecting and restoring the Lake Erie Coastal Zone, will be used toward projects that will benefit this critical habitat and ecosystem.

“The Lake Erie Coastal Zone is an extraordinary environmental, economic, and community resource that is under growing pressure from threats such as development, pollution, and, increasingly, climate change,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.

“Local organizations that develop strategies and carry out projects to restore and protect these natural resources are an important bulwark against these pressures. DEP is committed to supporting these partners with grant funding and technical assistance.” 

Coastal zones are the area where land meets the coast and include both coastal waters and adjacent shorelands and are under increasing pressure from development, erosion, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

The 77-mile Lake Erie Coastal Zone is in Erie County and includes the Lake Erie shoreline and several major tributaries. The coastal zone also extends to the middle of the lake, to the international boundary with Canada, and inland an average of 1.4 miles.

Funded primarily by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the grants are administered by DEP’s Coastal Resources Management Program.