The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced grants totaling $563,915 to fund fish and wildlife restoration projects in the Great Lakes Basin.
The projects are funded under authority of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1998, which provides assistance to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, states, tribes and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of fish and wildlife resources and their habitat in the Great Lakes basin.
Project proposals are developed and sponsored each year by tribes and states in the Great Lakes in response to a request for proposals from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Council of Lake Committees, a 21-member body representing state, tribal and Canadian provincial agencies, recommends projects and funding levels to the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service for consideration.
Seven projects submitted by Michigan State University, the University of Illinois, the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, and Ducks Unlimited were selected for funding this year. The projects focus on the rehabilitation of sustainable populations of fish and wildlife and their habitats.
“ I am pleased that the Fish and Wildlife Service is able to be a catalyst in this vital program that is so critical to the Great Lakes area,” said Robyn Thorson, the Service’s Midwest Regional Director. “The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act provides essential tools for working with our partners to address some of the most complex restoration challenges that we face today.”
The following projects have been selected:
Boggy Bottoms wetland restoration in Sandusky County, Ohio—Ducks Unlimited. This project will restore 50 acres of Great Lakes coastal wetlands and provide important resting and feeding areas for migratory waterfowl, bald eagles, a variety of shorebirds, and other aquatic species ($54,263).
Linking yellow perch movements to nearshore bottom substrate in southwestern Lake Michigan—University of Illinois. This project will provide important information to managers responsible for setting yellow perch harvest limits and restoring healthy populations ($71,612).
Habitat and biological community characterization, mapping, and modeling in eastern Lake Michigan nearshore zones—Michigan State University. This project will provide important information to managers trying to restore and maintain Lake Michigan nearshore species, habitats and ecosystem functions ($79,822).
Modeling historic and temporal variation of Great Lakes walleye maturation schedules—University of Michigan. This project will identify walleye populations at risk of over-harvest and provide recommendations to maximize harvest while minimizing impacts to populations ($75,170).
Estimating spawning date, hatch date and strain contribution for lake trout at Lake Michigan’s Mid Lake Reef—University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This project will help identify which lake trout strains are best suited for stocking efforts on deep spawning reefs in Lake Michigan ($84,220).
Development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) for Great Lakes aquatic habitat—University of Michigan. This project will complete a comprehensive set of Great Lakes GIS tools to support managers in their efforts to restore species and habitat. For more information on this effort visit: http://www.glfc.org/glgis ($142,360).
Lake St. Clair coastal wetland enhancement in St. Clair County, Michigan—Ducks Unlimited. This project will restore 300 acres of Great Lakes coastal wetlands and provide high-quality spawning, feeding and rearing habitat for a wide variety of fish and wildlife species ($56,468).
The Service contributes up to 75 percent of the cost of the projects, with matching funds this year coming from the Clean Michigan Initiative, Ducks Unlimited, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the University of Illinois, the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee.
When it was passed, the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act authorized $4.5 million annually for state and tribal grants through 2004. Congress is currently considering the Restoration Act for reauthorization.
Since 1998, 72 restoration projects totaling $6.6 million, including $3.9 million in federal funds, have been implemented. More than 60 organizations have contributed matching funds and expertise.
The Restoration Act is widely considered as a potential vehicle to implement various portions of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration’s “Strategy To Restore and Protect the Great Lakes,” which was finalized in December 2005.
Since 1871, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Program has played a vital role in conserving and managing native fish and other aquatic resources. The Fisheries Program focuses its efforts on achieving its long-term strategic vision of protecting the health of aquatic habitats, restoring fish and other aquatic species, and providing opportunities for the American public to enjoy the benefits of healthy aquatic resources. For more information about the Fisheries Program, go to http://www.fws.gov/fisheries.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
