FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 27, 2021 Nick Assendelft, Public Information Officer, AssendelftN@Michigan.gov, 517-388-3135 Robert Sweet, Nonpoint Source Grants Coordinator, SweetR@Michigan.gov, 517-512-9765
18 watershed organizations awarded EGLE conservation, education grants
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) today announced 18 grants totaling $600,000 for projects that will support watershed organizations with conservation and educational efforts.
The Watershed Council Support grants are funded under Michigan’s Public Act 166 of 2020. Grants were limited to $40,000 per applicant and the projects must be put into action within a year of receiving the grants.
Among the projects funded: Targeting audiences including underserved communities and non-English speaking households with environmental outreach; monitoring to detect and control aquatic invasive species and support boat cleaning stations; supporting watershed management planning; coordinating water quality monitoring among local units of government in a watershed; and supporting farm-based conservation planning.
Michigan-based organizations and projects selected to receive funding:
Calvin University, Grand Rapids, $40,000
Chippewa Luce Mackinac Conservation District, Sault Ste. Marie, $40,000
Clinton River Watershed Council, Rochester Hills, $32,420
Flint River Watershed Coalition, Flint, $21,150
Friends of the Rouge, Plymouth, $39,808
Genesee Conservation District, Flint, $31,500
Great Lakes Water Authority, Detroit, $40,000
Huron Pines Resource, Conservation and Development Councils, Gaylord, $40,000
Isabella Conservation District, Mount Pleasant, $30,995
Kalamazoo River Watershed Council, Kalamazoo, $15,000
Little Traverse Lake Property Owner's Association, Cedar, $14,602
Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, Holland, $39,950
Muskegon River Watershed Assembly, Big Rapids, $40,000
River Raisin Watershed Council, Adrian, $39,984
Superior Watershed Partnership, Marquette, $37,231
Two Rivers Coalition, Paw Paw, $17,360
Village of Onekama, $40,000
Washtenaw County Water Resources, Ann Arbor, $40,000
A total of 69 applications requesting about $2.4 million were received in response to the request for proposals.
The grants are issued by EGLE’s Nonpoint Source Program, which helps local stakeholders reduce pollution and excess runoff by supporting efforts to develop and launch watershed management plans. The Nonpoint Source Program issues an annual request for proposals for projects with the next request for proposals available in mid-July. It will be posted at Michigan.gov/NPS.
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