GLIN==> NOTICE: LAKE ERIE COMMISSION AWARDS NEARLY $45,000 IN GRANTS

["Jill Woodyard" <jill_woodyard@ameritech.net>]

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

December 24, 2007 

   

 

Ohio Lake Erie Commission awards NEARLY $45,000 in grants to THREE ORGANIZATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND RESTORATION

 

TOLEDO, OH – The Ohio Lake Erie Commission has awarded a total of $44,806 to three projects that will enhance the lake’s shoreline and contribute to protection efforts in its watershed.

Heidelberg College will receive $15,000 to research the effect of cyanobacterial blooms on mayfly larvae in Lake Erie. Mayflies are an important food source for many of the lake’s sportfish. This is an area of research that has been neglected to this point. Information gathered may be applied to other insects that also play a fundamental role in the lake’s ecosystem.

The Ohio State University Center for Farmland Policy Innovation will receive $14,906 to create models of locally driven, voluntary agreements, addressing resource protection and growth and development by area governments. The models will allow communities in the watershed to work together to link land use and local economic planning. The models will include best practices using both current, yet under-utilized tools and new approaches. Work products will include: models of cooperative cross-jurisdictional agreements, a Web page, articles in stakeholder publications and a workshop.

The Toledo Lighthouse Preservation Society will receive $14,900 for a first-phase study of preserving the exterior of the lighthouse. The project will complete a detailed assessment of the building’s condition, including structural, mechanical, electrical and fire protection systems. Previously, the society received funding for a boat dock at the site. The society of also received a $24,000 grant from the Ohio Coastal Management Program for restoration work on the lighthouse.

These quarterly grants are limited to $15,000 or less each and are generally awarded for one year unless the specific nature of the project warranted a longer time period. Small grants may be used as seed money to test the feasibility of larger research projects or to support other small projects. Small grant proposals are reviewed and selected at each quarterly meeting of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission.                                                                           

The commission was created to preserve Lake Erie's natural resources, enhance its water quality and promote economic development in the region. The director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources serves as the commission's chairman. Additional members include the directors of the departments of transportation, development, health, agriculture and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

The commission oversees the Ohio Lake Erie Protection Fund, which is the source of grant funding. This fund is supported by Ohioans each time they purchase a Lake Erie license plate displaying the Marblehead Lighthouse as designed by Ohio artist Ben Richmond.

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For Further Information Contact:

Edwin J. Hammett, Executive Director;
Ohio Lake Erie Commission

(419) 245-2514