Private-public partnership funds 26 projects in U.S. and Canada
CHICAGO - ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and federal agency partners - the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service - gathered today in Chicago to announce 26 projects selected to receive a total of $1.5 million in funding through the "Sustain Our Great Lakes" program.
The 26 selected projects will help restore and enhance the environmental integrity of the lakes and surrounding region by controlling invasive species, restoring wetlands and other habitats, improving passage for fish and other aquatic organisms, developing coordinated action plans and educating citizens on how to protect the ecosystem.
"The Great Lakes represent 21 percent of the world's fresh surface water and provide ecological services that are critical at both local and global scales," said Donn Waage, Central Partnership Office Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. "The partners in this program have made a significant commitment to protecting and restoring this invaluable resource. Their collaboration and support makes these important grants possible."
The bi-national grants program, formerly known as the ArcelorMittal Great Lakes Watershed Restoration Program, is coordinated by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and currently funded by ArcelorMittal, the U.S. EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service. The funds are leveraged by grantees to enable a total on-the-ground benefit of $10 million throughout the Great Lakes basin over three years.
"A vibrant, sustainable Great Lakes watershed is important to our business and our community," said Bill Steers, president, ArcelorMittal USA Foundation. "ArcelorMittal is committed to helping preserve the Great Lakes region, not only because it's critical to the success of our business, but because it's where thousands of our employees, customers and other key stakeholders reside."
The "Sustain Our Great Lakes" program is an important step toward restoring the ecological integrity of the Great Lakes basin. The program is designed to address the habitat and ecosystem restoration goals developed through the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. The regional collaboration, created by a presidential executive order, is a wide-ranging, public-private cooperative effort to design and implement a strategy for the restoration, protection and sustainable use of the Great Lakes.
"Since 1992, EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office has been awarding grants to local governments and organizations to build their capacity to protect and restore natural resources," said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Bharat Mathur. "By leveraging federal, state and local resources we now are able to provide more seed money and also better address needs identified by the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration."
Last April, the partners announced 16 projects selected to receive a total of $1 million in funding from the first cycle of the program. The following grants were announced today:
Illinois
· Alliance for the Great Lakes will, with collaboration from municipal and private property owners, revise and operate its Adopt-a-Beach program to support volunteer assessment and restoration of several stretches of the Lake Michigan shoreline.
· Chicago Institute and partners will educate students from 10 Chicago schools about biodiversity, wetlands, invasive species, and the natural and cultural history of the LakeCalumet region, as well as engage students in stewardship work at seven natural sites.
· Friends of the Forest Preserves and partners will provide local high school students with hands-on environmental training, education and summer employment within the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.
· Lake County Forest Preserve District will control invasive species and improve hydrology through selective plant removal, prescribed burning and culvert replacement at Spring Bluff, a 234-acre Illinois Nature Preserve.
· South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association and partners will create a Lake Riverdale Sustainable Master Plan that will highlight opportunities to restore natural areas, develop trails and greenways, and improve LakeRiverdale water quality.
Indiana
· Elkhart County Drainage Board will solidify a partnership for the long-term stabilization of the entire Baugo Creek system and implement four habitat improvement projects based on recommendations of the 2004 watershed management plan.
· Save the Dunes Conservation Fund, Inc. will restore 37 acres of riparian wetlands and woodlands and mesic/upland forest and savanna associated with Trail Creek Fen in La PorteCounty.
· Shirley Heinze Land Trust and partners will use mechanical vegetation removal, prescribed burning and native plantings to restore 45 acres of fire-suppressed, remnant bur oak savanna habitat in the Hobart Marsh complex of northwest Indiana.
Michigan
· Clinton River Watershed Council and partners will remove two dams on the North Branch of the ClintonRiver to restore connectivity to 93 stream miles and allow fish access to some of the highest-quality habitat in the river.
· Conservation Resource Alliance and partners will remove the Manton Millpond Dam in WexfordCounty and restore the currently impounded stream to improve fish passage and aquatic habitat.
· Michigan Department of Natural Resources and partners will remove two dams in the ThornappleRiver and Butternut Creek to restore floodplain function and restore 165 miles of passage for fish and other aquatic organisms.
· Michigan State University Extension and partners will take a regional approach to assess, prioritize and build long-term capacity for detection and treatment of Phragmites and other invasive plants in northwest Lower Michigan's coastal zone.
· The Nature Conservancy and partners in the Central Upper Peninsula Cooperative Weed Management Area will restore and protect Great Lakes shoreline and upland habitats by removing invasive plants and educating the public on invasive species.
· The Nature Conservancy will replace a stream crossing on the South Branch of the TwoHeartedRiver to improve fish access to 24 miles of habitat, improve vehicle access and safety, and improve water quality in the stream.
New York
· Izaak Walton League of America, Inc. and partners will engage students, schools, and community-based organizations in environmental education, water quality monitoring and restoration activities within the LakeOntario watershed.
Ohio
· Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District and partners will inventory and prioritize potential sites for storm water retrofit projects and implement a Residential Best Management Practices Program in target subwatersheds tributary to Lake Erie.
· West Creek Preservation Committee will restore 300 linear feet of West Creek immediately upstream of the CuyahogaRiver to reduce sediment and pollution loading and improve aquatic habitat.
Ontario
· Bay Area Restoration Council and partners will restore and monitor coastal wetland and tributary habitat associated with Cootes Paradise Marsh and HamiltonHarbour through its Adopt-A-Creek program.
Quebec
· Nature-Action Quebec and partners will conserve and improve habitat along the St. Lawrence River by protecting 700 feet of shoreline against erosion, planting windbreaks along three miles of river, and enhancing 85 acres of riverside parks.
Wisconsin
· Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and partners will restore natural hydrology and vegetation to a farmed wetland on the Little Menomonee River to reduce non-point source pollution, reduce flood damage and enhance wildlife habitat.
· Gathering Waters Conservancy and partners will use the Trust for PublicLand's Greenprint model to produce a regional conservation plan designed to protect high-priority tributaries and coastal habitat in Wisconsin's Lake MichiganBasin.
· Bayfield County Land and Water Conservation Department and partners will provide education, resources and tools to local communities and land owners to help them prevent and control invasive species in the Lake Superior watershed.
· The Bad River Watershed Association will develop a watershed action plan for the Marengo River basin that coordinates watershed improvement and land-use planning activities among local citizens, governments and natural resource agencies.
Multiple States/Provinces
· Bird Studies Canada will coordinate bird and amphibian surveys to track progress toward achieving wildlife and habitat delisting criteria identified within the BuffaloRiver and Niagara River Area of Concern Remedial Action Plans. (New York and Ontario)
· The Field Museum and partners will engage teachers and students in environmental education in the 15,000-acre Calumet region of northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana. (Illinois and Indiana)
· Fishin' Buddies will coordinate a Youth Conservation Conference and follow-up internships that expose at-risk high school students to conservation management careers while engaging them in hands-on restoration actions. (Illinois and Indiana)
For more information on the "Sustain Our Great Lakes" program including applicant eligibility, eligible projects, and submission requirements visit www.nfwf.org/greatlakes.
About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation sustains, restores and enhances the Nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. The Foundation creates partnerships between the public and private sectors to strategically invest in conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. Since its establishment, the Foundation has awarded more than 10,000 grants to more than 3,000 organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged - with its partners - more than $450 million in federal funds into over $1.5 billion for conservation. For more information, visit www.nfwf.org.
About ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal is the world's leading steel company, with operations in more than 60 countries.
ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global steel markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and outstanding distribution networks. With an industrial presence in over 20 countries spanning four continents, the Company covers all of the key steel markets, from emerging to mature.
Through its core values of sustainability, quality and leadership, ArcelorMittal commits to operating in a responsible way with respect to the health, safety and wellbeing of its employees, contractors and the communities in which it operates. It is also committed to the sustainable management of the environment and of finite resources.
ArcelorMittal recognizes that it has a significant responsibility to tackle the global climate change challenge; it takes a leading role in the industry's efforts to develop breakthrough steelmaking technologies and is actively researching and developing steel-based technologies and solutions that contribute to combat climate change.
In 2008, ArcelorMittal had revenues of $124.9 billion and crude steel production of 103.3 million tons, representing approximately 10 per cent of world steel output.
ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MT), Brussels (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).
For more information about ArcelorMittal visit: www.arcelormittal.com.
About ArcelorMittal USA Foundation The ArcelorMittal USA Foundation makes grants in three primary focus areas: education, environment and the health and safety of our communities. In 2008, the foundation provided more than $4.5 million in grants. The Foundation supports those communities in which its employees live and its business and clients operate.