Department of the Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced Jan. 4 that 29 conservation projects encompassing nearly 10,000 acres of coastal wetlands will be funded with $20.5 million from 2008 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants.
The grants will be used to acquire, restore or enhance coastal wetlands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish, wildlife and habitat. States receiving funds include California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, Maryland, and Massachusetts, along with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. These federal grants will be matched by nearly $46 million in partner contributions from state and local governments, private landowners and conservation groups.
In the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Midwest Region, projects were funded in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. Grants for these seven projects totaled more than $4 million, matched by more than $3.7 million in partner funds.
"By tapping into the power of partnership through these grants, we are joining with states, local governments, conservation organizations and other partners across the country to conserve and restore our vitally important coastal wetlands," Kempthorne said. "The projects offer enormous benefits. Coastal wetlands filter pollution, reduce storm surge from hurricanes, protect coastlines from erosion, provide habitat for many species of fish and wildlife, and offer recreational opportunities for millions of Americans."
The program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act, drawing from Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue – money generated from an excise tax on fishing equipment and motorboat and small engine fuels.
“The number of plant and animal species that rely on coastal wetlands for their health and well-being is remarkable, and I include people among that group,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall. “This coastal grant program continues to provide valued funds for a valued resource, and we have the angling and boating industries – and the anglers and boaters themselves – to thank for their financial support.”
Including the 2008 grants, the Service has awarded more than $200 million nationwide to coastal states and territories since the program began in 1992. When the 2008 projects are complete, 244,000 acres of habitat will have been protected, restored or enhanced.
2008 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants in the Midwest Region
Illinois:
Hegewisch Marsh Restoration (Part II) – The office of Illinois Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will continue restoring Hegewisch Marsh, a 68.75-acre wetland in the City of Chicago, expanding the effort to two other parcels that make up the marsh. Grant funds will support the restoration and enhancement of 18.08 acres of wetlands through exotic plant control, native seeding and planting. Once restored, the marsh will provide important bird stopover habitat along the Mississippi Flyway. It is also home to numerous birds and presents opportunities for expanded fish, reptile, amphibian and invertebrate habitat. The restoration effort has involved dozens of citizen volunteers and students from Chicago schools are using the project site as outdoor laboratory. The project site is also adjacent to Ford Calumet Environmental Center, slated to open in fall 2009.
Grant: $399,750
Partner share: $178,328
Total cost: $578,078
4Michigan:
Controlling the Spread of Phragmites Within the Lake St. Clair Watershed – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority and Charter Township of Harrison, will restore more than 800 acres of vital coastal wetlands habitat in the Lake St. Clair watershed currently being threatened by the invasion of the non-native plant Phragmites. The project is located within a primary focus area of the Upper Mississippi River/Great Lakes Region Joint Venture and contains important habitat for a variety of birds and fish. This is one of six priority projects developed by the Macomb/St. Clair Inter-County Watershed Advisory Group to implement the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair Comprehensive Management Plan. The Inter-County Group is a partnership of local, regional, state and federal agencies focused on protecting Lake St. Clair resources.
Grant: $379,192
Partner share: $172,360
Total cost: $551,552Lower St. Mary’s River/Munuscong Coastal Wetlands Project – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will acquire a 217-acre parcel on Connely’s Point on the lower St. Mary’s River as part of the Munuscong Wildlife Management Area. This parcel, along with a state match parcel, will protect 359 acres in perpetuity, providing habitat for bald eagles, osprey, migratory songbirds, river otter, bobcat, white-tailed deer, moose and gray wolves. Important fisheries and aquatic resources in and adjacent to the St. Marys River will also be protected. Conserving this shoreline and the associated coastal wetlands and uplands will protect these areas from disturbance, maintain water quality and provide high-quality fish and wildlife habitat.
Grant: $366,667
Partner share: $166,667
Total cost: $533,334Negwegon Coastal Wetlands Acquisition – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division will acquire 390.8 acres on Lake Huron in Alcona County and permanently protect it as part of Negwegon State Park. The parcel includes 322.5 acres of wetland and 68.3 acres of associated upland, including 1,500 feet of the pristine southern coast of Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay. Wetlands comprise approximately 86 percent of the project area. This parcel and the adjoining state park lands provide important habitat for migrating waterfowl, breeding birds, native plants, threatened and endangered species, and other wildlife.
Grant: $825,000
Partner share: $375,000
Total cost: $1,200,000Wildfowl Bay Coastal Wetland Acquisition – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, partnering with the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy, Michigan Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and Ducks Unlimited, will permanently protect 322 acres along the eastern shore of Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron in Huron County. With its sand spits and barrier beaches, this parcel also protects and directly influences an additional 34 acres of coastal wetlands. The project will protect important habitat for coastal and migratory birds and the hydrology needed to sustain the wetland ecosystem, buffer Saginaw Bay from agricultural and industrial runoff, and provide the basis of the aquatic food web and spawning habitat. Although the project area is the focus of intense development pressure, the owners prefer to sell the land for conservation purposes.
Grant: $930,000
Partner share: $581,550
Total cost: $1,511,550
Wisconsin:
Lake Michigan Ridge and Swale Coastal Wetlands Protection – Kellner Fen and Sturgeon Bay Canal – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and partners will acquire 440 acres, of which 322 acres are decreasing coastal wetlands types in the Cave Point to Clay Banks State Natural Area along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shoreline. This project will protect habitat for several listed species, including Hines emerald dragonfly, Pitchers thistle and dwarf lake iris. The Door County Land Trust will acquire the land and dedicate it as a Wisconsin State Natural Area, and has also committed to raising $15,000 as a match for acquisition and additional funds for long-term stewardship of the land. The Sturgeon Bay High School Ecology Club, South Lake Michigan Drive Property Owners Association and Lake Forest Park Corporation have committed to provide in-kind services valued at $2,367.
Grant: $1,000,000
Partner share: $1,017,376
Total cost: $2,017,376Washington and Detroit Coastal Wetlands Land Acquisition Project – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, partnering with the Door County Land Trust, will acquire 195 acres within the Washington and Detroit Coastal Wetlands Project. Of these, 105 acres are nationally decreasing wetlands, including 83 acres of forested coastal wetlands, 20 acres of emergent coastal wetlands and two acres of scrub-shrub wetlands. Ten acres of nationally stable wetland types will also be protected. Together, these areas encompass 6,465 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline. These acquisitions will also protect habitat for the endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly and threatened dwarf lake iris, and the bald eagle.
Grant: $1,000,000
Partner share: $1,270,000
Total cost: $2,270,000
For more information, contact the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203, or Division of Federal Assistance, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203, or visit the programs home page at http://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants.
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 97-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 548 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.
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