The U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Cathy Stepp and Ohio EPA Director Laurie Stevenson have announced five separate grants recently awarded to Ohio EPA, Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC), Ohio Department of Natural Resources (Ohio DNR), and the Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization (NEFCO).
The grants will be used to restore wetland habitats, control and prevent invasive species, and to continue cleanup and restoration work in Ohio’s Areas of Concern (AOCs).
These grants are part of a larger effort to restore and protect the Great Lakes through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Last month, EPA announced GLRI Action Plan III, an aggressive plan that will guide Great Lakes restoration and protection activities by EPA and its many partners over the next 5 years.
The Ohio GLRI grants include:
A $800,000 grant to NEFCO to remove the Canal Diversion Dam and the resulting impoundment, from the Cuyahoga River.