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One of the most important natural resources in Indiana is Lake Michigan. Today that importance was recognized by the DNR with the announcement of the 2004 Lake Michigan Coastal Management Program grants.
At a meeting of the Save the Dunes Council, DNR Director John Goss announced the 11 projects that DNR recommended to receive $575,000 in federal funds. The grant recipients will provide a total match of $473,000 for a final cost for the projects of $1,048,000.
"Eleven excellent projects will receive more than a half-million dollars in federal funding to provide more public access for recreation, restore natural areas, create more habitat for wildlife, stabilize the shoreline and reduce pollution," said DNR Director John Goss.
"The very heart of the Lake Michigan Coastal Program is state government support for important work done locally to protect important natural resources and increase our appreciation of them," Goss said.
The 11 projects are:
Coffee Creek Watershed Conservancy — Watershed Coordinator for Coffee Creek Watershed, Nonpoint Pollution Project — $68,837 grant, $46, 264 local match
Gary Sanitary District — Marquette Park Lagoons Restoration Assessment — $100,000 grant, $66,667 local match
Indiana University Northwest — Little Calumet River Prairie and Wetlands — $15,131 grant, $24,406 local match
City of Hobart — Jerry Pavese Park — Shoreline Stabilization – $35,000 grant, $35,000 local match
LaPorte County Park Board — Joint Management Plan for Sebert County Park and Wintergreen Woods — $4,392 grant, $2,164 local match
Town of Michiana Shores — Land Acquisition Along White Ditch — $14,653 grant, $14,653 local match
City of Michigan City — Michigan City Greenways Project — $75,000 grant, $75,000 local match
City of Michigan City — Hansen Park Reconstruction Study — $24,000 grant, $16,000 local match
City of Michigan City — 8th and Dickson Trail Creek Public Access — $100,000 grant, $100,000 local match
Purdue University Calumet — Demonstration of Oak-Savanna Restoration — $38,832 grant, $25,888 local match
University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources and Environment — Fish Spawning and Nursery Areas Study — $100,000 grant, $67,000 local match
Pending final federal approval, the DNR anticipates a start date for the projects of July 1.
Goss made the announcement Friday morning at a Save the Dunes workshop titled Finding the Right Balance. The workshop was held at the Save the Dunes Council’s facility at 444 Barker Road in Michigan City.
The DNR’s Lake Michigan Coastal Program is designed to coordinate efforts between local, state and federal governments as well as local organizations and businesses to finance projects that protect and restore natural resources in Indiana's Lake Michigan coastal region.
The program uses current state law and is a part of the national Coastal Zone Management Program funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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