WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Brown (D-OH) announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $364,630 to the Nature Conservancy to control and remove invasive plant species in Lake County through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), an interagency effort to protect the Great Lakes. Nature Conservancy was awarded $364,630 to control invasive plant species on 500 acres of land surrounding the Grand River and its tributaries, working alongside private landowners. This project is expected to create five seasonal jobs.

“We must act now to keep Asian Carp and other invasive species out of Lake Erie. The health of our lake is critical to economic development in northeast Ohio and this federal investment will help ensure that invasive plant species do not disrupt these important ecosystems,” Brown said. “That’s why it’s so critical we continue to fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.”

According to the State of Ohio, more than $10 billion of the state’s nearly $40 billion tourism industry is derived from counties along the Lake Erie shoreline. Restoration efforts in the region are essential to maintaining a strong economy along the Ohio coast. The EPA awarded a total of $2,410,860 for invasive plant species control projects across Ohio. Below is a full list of awardees:

Award  Recipient

Award Amount

Project Area

Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization

$534,230

Cuyahoga River Watershed

Lorain County, Ohio

$634,889

Black River Watershed

The Nature Conservancy

$622,594

Western Lake Erie Watershed

The Nature Conservancy

$364,630

Land Adjacent to the Grand River and its Tributaries

The Nature Conservancy

$254,517

Western Lake Erie Basin

Brown recognizes the importance of preserving our Great Lakes. Last month, Brown cosponsored the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act (GLEEPA), bipartisan legislation that would protect the Great Lakes – and the millions of jobs they support – by formally authorizing the GLRI. Last year, Brown helped secure more than $300 million in bipartisan Omnibus Bill funds for the GLRI. After the release of President Obama’s budget proposal which recommends a reduction in GLRI funding from $300 million to $250 million, Brown again highlighted the importance of the program.

 

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