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November 23, 2005
ODNR SEEKING TO FUND PRESERVATION PROJECTS
UNDER THE COASTAL & ESTUARINE LAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM
More than $10 million potentially available to the nation’s 34 coastal states
SANDUSKY, OH - Ohio communities within the Lake Erie Watershed seeking to acquire land for preservation and recreation can apply now through December 16 for more than $10 million in potential federal grants through the Coastal & Estuarine Land Conservation Program. In Ohio, the program is administered through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Office of Coastal Management.
Municipalities, park districts and other similar entities that can identify sites of high-quality ecological, conservation, recreational, historical or aesthetic value will be top contenders for funding through program. Projects with strong relationships to coastal and estuarine ecology will be given higher consideration. A 100 percent funding match is required.
The Coastal Estuarine & Land Conservation Program (CELCP) was established to protect coastal and estuarine lands considered important for their ecological, conservation, recreational, historical or aesthetic value or that are threatened by development. The program provides federal funding for land acquisition projects in the 34 coastal states by public entities that ensure conservation and management of these areas for the benefit of future generations.
Interested organizations should identify suitable acquisition projects and develop supporting materials that convey why their project should be selected on the national level. Organizations with projects in mind should contact Ohio’s CELCP Coordinator Sandra Kosek-Sills at 419-626-7980 for application assistance. Three worthy projects will be referred to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for final consideration and funding in 2007.
For more information about Ohio’s CELCP visit: ohiodnr.com/coastal
CELCP federal guidelines can be found at: www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/landconservation.html
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