The Great Lakes Fishery Trust (GLFT) is now accepting proposals under its Habitat Protection and Restoration grant program. This request for proposals (RFP) will be used for the disbursement of up to $500,000 in grants in 2021. Grants awarded through this RFP are intended for:
- Protection, enhancement, and/or restoration of valuable Great Lakes fisheries habitat that supports the long-term, sustainable, natural reproduction of species now supported by hatchery production or the rehabilitation of lake whitefish, lake trout, lake sturgeon, or other important Great Lakes fish populations.
- Restoration of Great Lakes wetlands.
- Removal of dams or barriers to restore fish passage (see Policy on Habitat Protection and Restoration Proposals).
- Field inventories that comprehensively identify road-stream crossings and other barriers at the watershed scale for watersheds identified as a high priority in planning or other management documents. Applicants seeking funding to conduct inventories should be well positioned to implement restoration plans based upon the results.
- Targeted acquisition of land or easements to protect essential habitat.
Due to limited funding, the GLFT will only consider project sites located:
- Within the Lake Michigan basin
- In the state of Michigan within other Great Lakes basins (i.e., the Michigan shore of Lakes Erie, Huron, and Superior)Priority will be given to projects focusing on Lake Michigan. Projects located within the Lake Michigan basin but outside of the state of Michigan (e.g., Indiana, Illinois, or Wisconsin) must be regionally significant for funding consideration.
For more information and to submit a proposal, visit the GLFT website at www.glft.org. The GLFT will only accept submissions online on or before 5:00 PM EST on Friday, February 26, 2021. If you have questions regarding the program area or a proposal submission, please contact Cody Proudfoot, grant manager, at [email protected] or 517-371-7468.