SANDUSKY, OH -- Applications for $250,000 in grants to preserve, protect and enhance Ohio's Lake Erie coastal resources are currently being accepted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Office of Coastal Management. Grant applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. December 5.
The Coastal Management Assistance Grants are available to communities, local government agencies, non-profit organizations, planning commissions and educational institutions. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, with applicants providing 50 percent of the project costs. The grants will be awarded next spring for 15-month projects scheduled to begin after July 1, 2004.
Funding priority will be given to proposals emphasizing local planning that assists coastal communities in addressing growth, natural resource-based, land-use planning and recreational tourism issues. Updates of existing plans and new planning proposals will also be considered for funding. Preference will also be given to implementation applications from communities that have conducted successful community planning.
Applications and guidelines for the Coastal Management Assistance Grants program are available by writing to the ODNR Office of Coastal Management, 105 West Shoreline Drive, Sandusky, Ohio 44870; or by visiting the Office of Coastal Management home page at ohiodnr.com/coastal. Inquiries can also be directed to the ODNR Office of Coastal Management at 419-626-7986.