FEDERAL FUNDING AVAILABLE
FOR PRESERVATION PROJECTS IN LAKE ERIE WATERSHED
Communities have until August 31 to submit applications for land acquisition

COLUMBUS, OH - Communities within Ohio’s Lake Erie Watershed seeking to acquire land for preservation and passive recreation such as hiking and wildlife watching can apply for up to $3 million per project in federal grants through the Coastal & Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP). The program is administered through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Office of Coastal Management.

Municipalities, park districts and other public entities can submit applications now through August 31. Sites of high-quality ecological, recreational, historic and/or aesthetic value will be top contenders for funding. Sites within Ohio’s designated Coastal Management Area will be given highest priority, followed by sites in coastal counties and then other sites within the Lake Erie Watershed. Applicants need to provide at least 50 percent of the total project cost as match.

The Coastal & Estuarine Land Conservation Program was established to protect important coastal and estuarine lands that are threatened by development. Application materials can be found at http://ohiodnr.com/coastal/regs/celcp.htm or by contacting Ohio’s CELCP coordinator Sandra Kosek-Sills at 419-626-7980.

Up to three Ohio projects will be referred to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for final consideration. Funding will come in the fiscal year 2009 budget bills. Ohio has been awarded more than $21 million for projects since the Coastal & Estuarine Land Conservation Program began in 2002.

Additional information about the Coastal & Estuarine Land Conservation Program can be found at www.ohiodnr.com/coastal and coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/land/welcome.html.

For Further Information Contact:
Sandra Kosek-Sills, ODNR Office of Coastal Management
(419) 626-7980
or
Sandra.kosek-sills@dnr.state.oh.us