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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Do you have an idea for a project that would help clean up Lake Erie and make it more productive and sustainable over time? If you do, and need the money to make it happen, you might want to apply for a grant from the Lake Erie Protection Fund. The Ohio Lake Erie Commission is now accepting applications for such grants, which are available to local governments, research institutions and nonprofit groups. The grants are awarded for up to $50,000. The money can be used “for projects that will improve water quality, restore habitats, and strengthen the long-term sustainability of Lake Erie,” according to the commission. The money for the grants comes from the sale of Lake Erie license plates, which come in four designs, as well as from donations. The grant proposals must line up with the priorities that are outlined in the 2025 Lake Erie Protection and Restoration Plan. Examples include reducing harmful algal blooms on the lake; improving the way farmers apply nutrients to their fields, knowing they can run off into rivers and streams and into the lake; restoring habitats such as wetlands that filter out pollutants; and finding beneficial ways to use dredged sediment. The Ohio Lake Erie Commission is chaired by the director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and includes as members the directors of the state departments of transportation, health, development services, agriculture, natural resources, as well as several other appointees by the governor. Grant applications are due Jan. 9 and recipients will be announced in April. For more information, go to the Lake Erie Protection Fund website. The three previous grant recipients were Cleveland Metroparks, to study nature-based ways to improve the shoreline; Chagrin River Watershed Partners, to plan for ways to reduce nutrients flowing into Lake Erie’s Central Basin; and East Cleveland for its Caledonia Ravine Restoration Planning and Design project.
