As the nation's largest source of fresh surface water, the health of the Great Lakes has become a priority for the Obama administration. President Obama has created the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative which provides $475 million in funding to combat invasive species, non-point source pollution and contaminated sediment. The initiative has recently allocated $20 million to projects within New York State. Seventeen organizations ranging from colleges/universities, non-profits, state/local agencies and tribes will receive the federal funding.
Three such recipients are:
- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has received $315,225 for their "Be Green in the Great Lakes" project. The project will educate homeowners and land care providers about organic practices to reduce water use and avoid environmentally degrading synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
- The Buffalo Niagra Riverkeeper has been awarded $657,245 to design, implement and monitor a restoration project along the Buffalo River. The project will take place at the Riverbend site and is set to include river bank enhancement and floodplain habitat restoration.
- The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has been awarded a total of $1,952,522 to undertake two projects. The first will focus on restrictions on fish/wildlife consumption and population/habitat degradation along the St. Lawrence River in Massena, NY. The second project will focus on the restoration of Lake Sturgeon along the same section of the St. Lawrence.
For more information on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and a full list of New York Projects visit http://greatlakesrestoration.us/?p=1787.
