WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) for awarding five separate grants to Ohio EPA, Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC), Ohio Department of Natural Resources (Ohio DNR), and the Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization (NEFCO). These grants, which are part of a larger effort to restore the Great Lakes through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), will be used to restore wetland habitats, to control and prevent invasive species, and to continue cleanup and restoration work in Ohio’s Areas of Concern (AOCs). 

“These grants are great news for Ohio and Lake Erie,” said Dave. “As someone who has fought tirelessly to ensure GLRI receives the funding necessary to protect and preserve our region’s national treasures, I look forward to seeing these grants help us control and prevent invasive species, restore wetland habitats and clean up AOCs. I applaud the EPA for following through on its commitment to not only the Great Lakes but to the millions of Americans that rely on them for clean water, their jobs, and making life-long memories with their families.”

Specifically, the grants include:

• A $285,000 grant to Ohio DNR to improve wetland function in a coastal marsh and the Moxley Wetland Area on Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay. The project will restore 433 acres of coastal wetland and 1.4 miles of shoreline.
• A $374,865 grant to Ohio EPA and OLEC to stabilize 1,950 feet of streambank on the West Branch of Euclid Creek using native plants and to enhance 10.7 acres of existing forest through invasive species treatment.
• $1,000,000 in incremental funding toward Ohio EPA and OLEC’s $2,497,258 grant to reduce approximately 515 to 715 pounds of phosphorus runoff per year and to protect and restore streams and wetlands by working with farmers.
• $1,125,000 in incremental funding toward Ohio EPA’s $3,675,000 grant to develop and implement Lakewide Action Management Plans for Lake Erie and Remedial Action Plans for Lake Erie AOCs.
• A $800,000 grant to NEFCO to remove the Canal Diversion Dam and the resulting impoundment, from the Cuyahoga River. The project will open a segment of the river to critical fish passage and historic free-flowing conditions and address other environmental impairments in the Cuyahoga River AOC.

Dave has long been a fierce advocate of programs that aim to protect and preserve the Great Lakes, like GLRI, and has successfully fought to ensure the GLRI receives appropriate funding every year since coming to Congress in 2013. Since 2010, GLRI has helped remove more than four million cubic yards of contaminated sediment, prevent more than 402,000 pounds of phosphorus from running into the Lakes, trap and remove six million pounds of Asian carp from the Illinois River and restore over 195,000 acres of wildlife habitat. As the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, Dave continues to lead the effort in Congress to ensure the Great Lakes receive the investments necessary to protect them to the fullest extent.

###