Fourteen habitat restoration projects totaling more than $2 million will be funded by several Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant programs in 2018. Nonprofit organizations, government agencies and private citizens submitted a total of 41 applications requesting more than $7.72 million in funding to complete priority habitat projects in their areas. These projects were submitted, evaluated and awarded through three grant processes.
The Aquatic Habitat Grant Program seeks to protect and restore fish and aquatic habitats; the Dam Management Grant Program focuses on dam removal, maintenance and repair; and the Habitat Improvement Account provides funding for habitat projects in the Manistee, Muskegon and Au Sable rivers’ watersheds.
“These projects continue our investment in habitats to sustain healthy fisheries for generations to come,” said Joe Nohner, a DNR fisheries biologist. “We’re excited to award these grants and work with the recipients to improve upon Michigan’s already world-class fisheries.”
This year’s grant recipients (applicant, project name, county and grant amount) include:
Aquatic Habitat Grant Recipients
Huron Pines, Brook Trout Habitat Restoration: Improving Regional Priority Road/Stream Crossings (Ogemaw and Presque Isle), $110,000
DNR Fisheries Division, Manistique Dam Center Flume Wall Removal (Schoolcraft), $362,650
Conservation Resource Alliance, Reconnecting the North Branch of the Platte River (Benzie), $100,000
Golden Lotus, Inc., Pigeon River Restoration at Song of the Morning Ranch (Otsego), $301,850
Ottawa County Parks, Grand River Shoreline Restoration & Bayou Connectivity Project at Riverside Park (Ottawa), $88,000
Clinton River Watershed Council, Clinton River Restoration at Yates (Oakland), $287,500
TOTAL: $1,250,000
Dam Management Grant Recipients
DNR Wildlife Division, Trowbridge Dam Removal – Kalamazoo River (Allegan), $52,000
Conservation Resource Alliance, Lake Kathleen Dam Removal – Maple River (Emmet), $125,000
