Applications are now being accepted for projects under the Great Lakes Watershed Restoration Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through November 18.

To be eligible, a project must be located within the Lake Erie Watershed and support the development or implementation of local watershed management plans that address the water quality and living resource needs in the Great Lakes.

In addition, projects must also directly address at least one of the priority areas identified by the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration’s Habitat/Species Strategy Team:

· Restore, enhance, and protect near shore and off shore native fish communities and other living resources, their habitats, and ecological relationships to sustain all fisheries and provide for a balanced ecosystem;

· Preserve, protect, and restore the wetlands that are vital to the survival and diversity of the living resources of the Great Lakes;

· Preserve, protect, and restore the tributaries and their watersheds that support the living resources of the Great Lakes ecosystem;

· Restore, enhance, and protect the Great Lakes shoreline and upland habitats; and

· Promote individual stewardship and assist individuals, community-based organizations, businesses, local governments, and schools to undertake initiatives to achieve the above goals.

For more information, visit the Great Lakes Watershed Restoration Program webpage or contact Moira Mcdonald at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation at Moira.Mcdonald@nfwf.org. (courtesy POWR Watershed Weekly)

10/7/2005