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GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $263,000 IN GRANTS TO ENHANCE OHIO'S LAKE ERIE COASTLINE 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 project's 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 Erie's 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 .
Source: ODNR
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