The Great Lakes are one of our most important natural resources—they are the largest freshwater system on earth. However, they face many threats, including habitat degradation, oil spills and other pollution, overfishing, and invasive species.
Funding for these partnerships is provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The GLRI, led by EPA, has been a catalyst for unprecedented federal agency coordination (16 federal agencies including NOAA). NOAA works with the GLRI to implement projects that target toxic hotspots known as Areas of Concern (AOCs). The goal is to improve fish and wildlife habitat so these areas can be removed from the list of Areas of Concern.
Restoration efforts include:
Friends of the Detroit River will receive $766,408 to continue Celeron Island restoration, and $225,000 to conduct a feasibility study for restoration of Sugar Island, both in the Detroit River, Michigan. This phase of the restoration project is a major step in completing habitat re-construction among the islands in the lower part of the Detroit River.
The Great Lakes Commission will receive $375,000 to develop design plans for wetland restoration at Penn 7 in the Maumee AOC in Ohio, and to dispose of dredge material from restored wetlands at Black Creek Marsh in the Clinton River AOC in Michigan.
These organizations were chosen as partners in 2016, after a competitive selection process. This is the second year of funding for these partnerships.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was launched in 2010 to take action on protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. Due to this coordinated effort, future generations will enjoy cleaner water and healthy fish populations in our beautiful Great Lakes.
Posted July 28, 2017
