BROWN ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $870,000 IN GREAT LAKES RESTORATION FUNDS TO FIGHT INVASIVE SPECIES IN NORTHWEST OHIO
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Brown (D-OH) announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded federal resources to The Nature Conservancy to control and remove invasive plant species in northwest Ohio through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), an interagency effort to protect the Great Lakes. The Nature Conservancy was awarded $622,594 to remove invasive species from 400 acres of land in the western Lake Erie watershed, and $254,517 to help private landowners in the western Lake Erie Basin control invasive plant species on their property.
“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 northwest 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.
