Grants are for up to 50 percent for natural resource protection projects involving multiple landowners. Projects include wetlands development, storm water management, mitigation for agricultural drainage. Annual inspection and permanent maintenance are required. Landowners must purchase permanent or 30-year easements on streamside wetlands for the protection of these sensitive and important areas. Grants provide cost sharing for restoration of wetlands, and payments for giving up easements on riparian areas.
Funds implement programs and projects which protect or improve natural functions of water resources.
Projects generally provide cost sharing to landowners or managers to apply nonpoint source pollution control practices. Farmers and owners of agricultural lands capable of cropland production. Land must be within the Lake Erie drainage area of 27 eligible counties in northwest Ohio. Cost-share grants and incentive payments are allotted to enroll in conservation management practices to reduce soil erosion, field runoff, and sediment pollution from agricultural lands. Organizations can request a six-year declining grant to employ a watershed coordinator to work on watershed planning and implementation to control nonpoint source pollution.