Grant Funding for Restoration Projects in the Great Lakes

A public–private partnership that supports habitat restoration throughout the Great Lakes basin, the Sustain Our Great Lakes partners yesterday announced $5.18 million in grant funding for 19 restoration projects in the Great Lakes basin.

Grant recipients will match the new funding with an additional $6.4 million, for a total on-the-ground conservation impact of $11.6 million.

The work funded in 2016 includes improving passage for fish and other aquatic organisms, controlling invasive species, permanently protecting important habitat, restoring wetland hydrology, and improving stream habitat structure.

Collectively, the funded projects will:

• Reopen 65 miles of river for fish passage and restore 7 miles of stream and riparian habitat;
• Remove or bypass 15 barriers to aquatic organism passage;
• Restore and enhance more than 1,500 acres of wetlands and associated uplands;
• Permanently protect 397 acres.