Sustain our Great Lakes 2016 Request for Proposals announced for coastal wetland, riparian, and stream habitat restoration projects in the Great Lakes basin

On January 6^th, the public-private partnership, consisting of federal agencies and environmental organizations, announced their request for proposals for 2016 funding for stream, riparian, and coastal wetland restoration projects in the Great Lakes basin. Up to $5 million will be awarded, with individual awards ranging from $50,000 to $1,500,000. Grants are supported with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and other sources. A 1:1 match is highly encouraged for the project to be competitive, and may include in-kind and materials and services donated.

Eligible activities include stream bank stabilization, , dam removal, bridge and culvert replacement, fish passage structure installation, stream meander restoration, and invasive species control and native plant restoration. Stream restoration priority areas for brook trout and coldwater fish species have been identified by the Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership. In addition, sustain our great lakes provides a fishworks tool to help describe expected connectivity improvements associated with aquatic barrier removal projects.

Sustain Our Great Lakes partners will host the following two webinars to share additional information pertinent to this funding opportunity:

 
2016 Funding Opportunity – Guidance for Applicants January 13, 2016 at 11 AM Eastern Time/10 AM Central Time This webinar will provide additional information on the current funding opportunity, offer additional guidance on the application process, give examples of past projects, and provide answers to participant questions. Webinar participants can register by clicking here.

Navigating the Fishworks Tool January 28, 2016 at 11 AM Eastern Time/10 AM Central Time This webinar will provide an overview of the online Fishworks tool, demonstrate how it can help prioritize aquatic passage barriers for removal, and explain how to incorporate this information into project proposals. Webinar participants can register by clicking here.                 

Pre-proposal applications will be due February 17^th, 2016, and those invited to provide full proposals will have applications due April 21^st. More information is available at: http://www.sustainourgreatlakes.org/apply/ 

Interested applicants are encouraged to connect with New York's Great Lakes program staff and basin wide stakeholders to develop competitive project proposals.