COLUMBUS – Farmers in the Western Lake Erie Basin have the chance to sign up for a special program to
improve water quality in the Great Lakes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources
Conservation Service will pay a portion of the cost of conservation practices that keep sediment and
nutrients on the land and out of the lake.
"Impacts on Lake Erie water quality from harmful algal blooms and excessive sedimentation are a real
issue to Ohio residents," says Terry Cosby, NRCS state conservationist. "Water in the Lake
Erie watershed provides drinking water for 11 million people. More than $10 billion is spent on
recreation and tourism in the Lake Erie region every year."
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding will be available to Ohio farmers through existing
NRCS conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Wildlife
Habitat Incentives Program. Through these programs, landowners receive technical and financial
assistance to implement conservation activities on their land that conserve soil, water, air, and
wildlife resources. The deadline to sign-up for GLRI conservation programs is July 1.
Applications from farmers in the Blanchard, Lower Maumee, Upper Auglaize, Cedar-Portage, and Sandusky
sub-watersheds will receive priority consideration for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding.
Farmers in the St. Marys, Ottawa, St. Joseph, Tiffin, and Upper Maumee watersheds may also apply. The
counties in Ohio that have land in all or part of these watersheds include Wood County and all its
neighboring counties.
Maps of the areas eligible for GLRI funding are posted on the Ohio NRCS web site at
www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov/. Information is also available at local NRCS offices.