U.S. Forest Service Grants Spur Environmental Investments
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The United States Forest Service announced it will award 22 grants to organizations in seven states to help restore urban and community forests, reduce toxic substances and remediate emerald ash borer damage as part of the multi-year, interagency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
"Strong land management practices keep the Great Lakes great," said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. "This funding will help communities from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin make investments that will protect and preserve these American treasures."
During the past two years, more than $10 million have been distributed by the initiative to clean up toxic waste, combat invasive species, protect watersheds from polluted run-off, restore wetlands and other habitats, and track progress with strategic partners. This year's grants total $3.7 million, and were awarded to organizations in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin.
The initiative's overall goals are to improve water quality and ecosystems. Michigan projects funded were:
* Genesee Conservation District for restoration of Flint's urban forest and street trees: $60,658
* Downriver Community Conference for forest restoration at the Detroit Refuge Gateway: $113,700
* Greening of Detroit for the city's model project using trees to clean up toxins in soil and water: $473,020
* Delta Institute for its project to use hybrid poplar tree farms to reduce toxics in the environment: $203,733
* City of Grand Rapids for emerald ash borer recovery project: $210,000
* Calhoun Conservation District for forest restoration: $99,960
* Alliance of Rouge Communities to restore trees in the urban watershed: $374,980
Other Great Lakes states' projects funded were:
Illinois:
* Open lands for habitat tree planting in Chicago parks: $50,000
* Metropolitan Mayors Caucus for Illinois urban forest restoration projects: $500,000
* City of Chicago to help restore urban forests impacted by the emerald ash borer: $72,020
Indiana:
* Indiana Department of Natural Resources for its use of existing urban forestry tools: $50,000
New York:
* Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper to reforest parts of Riverbend and Griffon Park: $397,396
* New York Department of Environmental Conservation to help control non-native invasive plant species: $24,500
Ohio:
* Ohio Department of Natural Resources to help clean up brownfields in Toledo: $498,276
* Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization to restore forest habitats impacted by the emerald ash borer: $73,040
Pennsylvania:
* Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to help control non-native invasive plant species: $48,900
Wisconsin:
* Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources for the expansion of First Down for Trees Program: $31,627
* City of Milwaukee to assess the city's urban forest: $100,000:
* Menomonee Valley Partners for stormwater treatment: $74,875
* Landen Consulting Turnkey Green Infrastructure project: $220,000
* Door County SWC Dept. for non-native invasive plant species control: $24,500
* Southeast Wisconsin for non-native invasive plant species control: $48,871
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Recreational activities on our lands contribute $14.5 billion annually to the U.S. economy. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.
