EPA awards restoration grant to Grand Calumet River Area of Concern

December 12, 2019

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Indiana Department of Natural Resources a $100,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant to help restore the Pine Station Nature Preserve in the Grand Calumet River Area of Concern.

“This grant is important because it will help us protect an incredibly diverse array of plants and animals, including more than 40 species that are considered endangered, threatened or rare,” Ronald Hellmich, director of Nature Preserves for the Indiana DNR, said in a statement. “Beyond that, this nature preserve is also near the highest concentration of endangered species anywhere in Indiana.”

The DNR plans to use the grant money to “protect and restore the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin,” according to an EPA press release. The DNR’s efforts will include improving habitat quality and removing invasives, as well as protecting endangered species.

“With this grant, EPA is reaffirming its commitment to protecting and restoring Lake Michigan so it can continue to be a source of vitality for generations to come,” said EPA Great Lakes National Program Manager and Regional Administrator Cathy Stepp.

In November, the EPA announced a revised Great Lakes restoration plan, called GLRI Action Plan III, which aims to take vigorous action to protect the region over the course of the next five years.

More information on the GLRI is available here.

EPA awards restoration grant to Grand Calumet River Area of Concern

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