During fiscal year 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Great Lakes - Big Rivers Region, along with numerous conservation partners, will carry out 121 Challenge Cost-Share Program (CCSP) projects, valued at over $2 million, throughout the Midwestern states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. The Service provided almost $543,000 which was matched by over $1.6 million from partners. These funds will help restore 1,100 wetland acres, 1,360 grassland acres, 13 acres of bottomland forest, two miles of riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian corridors and two miles of in-stream habitat. Since the programs inception in 1988, the Service has provided over $3.5 million in matching federal funds to support more than 850 fish and wildlife conservation projects valued at approximately $10 million.
The benefit to fish and wildlife of the upper Midwest can be measured in the thousands of acres of on-the-ground restorations. said Nita Fuller, Regional Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System. We credit this success to the dedication of our biologists and restoration partners.
The program matches federal funds with non-federal funds and in-kind services to cost-share projects that support fish and wildlife conservation. Many CCSP projects are associated with the restoration, enhancement and protection of important fish and wildlife habitats on private, tribal, state and other non-federal lands. Projects include enhancing public recreational opportunities and facilities on Service lands, enabling fish and wildlife research, conducting conservation outreach and environmental education and assisting with the recovery of endangered species.
Challenge Cost-Share Program projects emphasize cooperative partnerships through local involvement over a wide geographic area. Funds available through the CCSP require at least a 50-percent match from partners and stress a minimal habitat-restoration cost per acre. Restored fish and wildlife habitats are protected through short-term agreements and long-term easements. Conservation projects are planned and carried out by national wildlife refuges, wetland management districts, state private lands offices, ecological services field offices, fishery resources offices, national fish hatcheries and biological field stations.
From 1988 through 1999, the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region has partnered with over 1,000 organizations and individuals. Partners have provided cost-share assistance, including funds, in-kind services, equipment and materials, on more than 850 projects valued at approximately $10 million--matched by over $3.5 million from the Service. Through cooperation with state fish and wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, institutions, communities, tribes, individuals and private landowners, approximately 11,000 acres of wetlands and 9,000 acres of native grasslands have been restored and enhanced.
During Fiscal Year 2000, Service field stations projects will restore and enhance grasslands and wetlands deemed critical for use by migratory birds, control and reduce invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species , support fish- and wildlife-dependent recreation, environmental education and outreach programs. Many of the proposals are providing high-quality fishing and hunting opportunities, new recreational fishing facilities, diverse self-guided interpretive programs and facilities, wildlife observation and photography; and are improving opportunities for youth and physically-challenged refuge visitors.
Among highlights of projects underway for the 2000 Challenge Cost-Share Program are:
- The Services regional expenditure for 121 projects amounts to almost $543,000, or an average project cost-share of $4,485.
- More than 150 partners are providing approximately $1.6 million in matching funds and in-kind services, an average cost-share of $13,714 per project.
- Habitat projects are restoring 1,100 wetland acres, 1,360 grassland acres, 13 acres of bottomland forest, two miles of riparian corridors and two miles of in-stream habitat.
