COLUMBUS, OH - Conservation organizations and educational institutions are encouraged to apply for a portion of the $150,000 now available in state wildlife grants to fund conservation projects, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
"We're happy to make this funding available to organizations around the state," said Kendra Wecker, wildlife diversity coordinator for the Division of Wildlife. "Last year we had a variety of applications that resulted in important conservation projects for mussels, Indiana bats, amphibians, and American burying beetles."
The grant is open to conservation organizations, colleges and universities, as well as qualified individuals. Project proposals for all of Ohio's terrestrial and aquatic wildlife species will be considered.
To qualify, projects must produce a defined benefit to wildlife, provide evidence of matching funds, and be able to meet a completion date of June 30, 2006. Applicants will be scored on how well the proposed actions will benefit a species, its habitat, and coexisting flora and fauna. Educational or informational benefits, cost effectiveness, relative need of the project, and the sustained benefits to wildlife will be considered.
Grant funding is provided by a portion of the $1.8 million Ohio received from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program. The majority of the federal dollars is being used to fund Division of Wildlife research and conservation partnership projects, such as bald eagle, trumpeter swan and osprey restoration, and the reintroduction of Karner blue butterflies.
Grant applications and accompanying information can be obtained from the ODNR web site at ohiodnr.com or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE. Applications must be returned to the Division of Wildlife by 5 p.m. Wednesday, December 1.