Monroe News: Grants target sediment removal in River Raisin
July 5, 2016
The Lenawee County Conservation District has been awarded a $200,000 grant to reduce phosphorus and sediment in the River Raisin Watershed that stretches through several counties and empties into Lake Erie.
The grant is one of two organizations in Michigan's 7th District that have been awarded a total of nearly $400,000 in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants by the Great Lakes Commission, said U. S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton.
The Hillsdale Conservation District received a $199,998 grant for a project to reduce phosphorus and sediment in the Tiffin River and the Western Lake Erie basin.
"It's great to see Hillsdale and Lenawee Conservation Districts recognized for their important work to protect the health of our waterways and communities," said Rep. Walberg.
"These grants also highlight the need to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to continue protecting the Great Lakes, which are a vital economic and environmental asset for Michigan," he said.
Tim Eder, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission, commended both organizations for receiving the funding to protect water quality in the Great Lakes.
"This project is yet another example of the initiative generating important economic and environmental improvements in communities across the region," Mr. Eder said.
The commission's Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program strategically addresses polluting phosphorus and sediments from entering the Great Lakes Basin with a unique, targeted grassroots approach that awards grants to non-federal agencies and nonprofit organizations in priority watersheds throughout the region.
Funding for the program is provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative under a cooperative agreement between the commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
This article originally appeared in the July 2 edition of the Monroe News.
The grant is one of two organizations in Michigan's 7th District that have been awarded a total of nearly $400,000 in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants by the Great Lakes Commission, said U. S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton.
The Hillsdale Conservation District received a $199,998 grant for a project to reduce phosphorus and sediment in the Tiffin River and the Western Lake Erie basin.
"It's great to see Hillsdale and Lenawee Conservation Districts recognized for their important work to protect the health of our waterways and communities," said Rep. Walberg.
"These grants also highlight the need to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to continue protecting the Great Lakes, which are a vital economic and environmental asset for Michigan," he said.
Tim Eder, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission, commended both organizations for receiving the funding to protect water quality in the Great Lakes.
"This project is yet another example of the initiative generating important economic and environmental improvements in communities across the region," Mr. Eder said.
The commission's Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program strategically addresses polluting phosphorus and sediments from entering the Great Lakes Basin with a unique, targeted grassroots approach that awards grants to non-federal agencies and nonprofit organizations in priority watersheds throughout the region.
Funding for the program is provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative under a cooperative agreement between the commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
This article originally appeared in the July 2 edition of the Monroe News.
Issues:Local Issues