GLFT Grant Library

This project improved Great Lakes health by setting up a small grants program in order to implement restoration strategies with the help of local organizations.

The Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources (IJNR) offered a "refresher training" program, that expanded the issue-based knowledge of experienced journalists about major ecological and natural resource challenges facing Lake Michigan and the four other Great Lakes.

GLLA prepares diverse groups of leaders to become active, effective stewards of Michigan's natural resources and advocates for strategies that support sustainability.

This project funded the engineering of a biocide treatment system developed specifically for Great Lakes shipping needs on a specific ship with the largest pumping capacities in a timely manner to inform the USCG rulemaking process.

Explore the Shores is the implementation of a vital component of Manistee County's visioning process: providing more recreational access to the Great Lakes fishery for people of all ages and abilities. The project was built on four themes: 1) water stewardship; 2) the life cycles of native and non-native migratory fish species; 3) "teach a person to fish;" and 4) the importance of universal access to citizens’ quality of life and economic well-being.

Explore the Shores is the implementation of a vital component of Manistee County's visioning process--providing increased recreational access to the Great Lakes fishery for people of all ages and abilities. The project was built on four themes: 1) water stewardship; 2) the life cycles of native and non-native migratory fish species; 3) "teach a person to fish;" and 4) the importance of universal access to our quality of life and economic well-being.

LSSU’s Aquatic Research Lab (ARL) has experienced tremendous growth in fisheries research and education over the past decade. However, the facility can no longer meet current demands. This proposal seeks funding to help enhance the ARL’s facilities to address demands for timely fish disease information and fisheries research in the upper Great Lakes. The requested funding is part of a larger project to expand classroom space, outreach, and enhance rearing and analytical testing facilities.

This Implementation Plan describes the proposed activities for the new Grand Traverse Regional Hub for Place-Based Education as part of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust's Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative. The Implementation Plan incorporates the needs and capacities of a variety of academic and community partners in the region that are eager to incorporate sustained professional development for teachers, school-community partnerships and place-based education into their work…with an ultimate goal of Great Lakes stewardsh

The GLFT partially funded the construction of a 740-foot-long dock that connects to a 200-foot fishing pier. The project provides accessible shore-based fishing opportunities on the Detroit river and is located at the gateway to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. In addition to fishing access, there was need of a new dock for the Michigan Sea Grant’s Great Lakes school ship on the Detroit River and western Lake Erie. The school ship will dock at the refuge gateway to make use of the river and refuge as a living laboratory for children. School children from all Detroit Metropolitan Area communities will come regularly to the refuge gateway for day-long field trips aboard the school ship. The SEMCOG/Metropolitan Affairs Coalition estimates at least 9,000 individual fishing trips to the dock each year. 

Explore the Shores is the implementation of a vital component of Manistee County's visioning process: providing increased recreational access to the Great Lakes fishery for people of all ages and abilities. The project is built on four themes: 1) water stewardship; 2) the life cycles of native and non-native migratory fish species; 3) "teach a person to fish;" and 4) the importance of universal access to our quality of life and economic well-being.

This project developed a plan to expand an environmental news service operated by the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University. Through this effort, the project team  developed and evaluated strategies to garner greater support from Great Lakes funders, and enhance partnerships with news organizations to distribute content. The project team also examined  funding models and structures of other nonprofit news services.

MUCC’s Institute for Conservation Education (ICE) increased awareness and understanding of the biological, economic, and social science supporting natural resources management decisions to ultimately motivate citizens of all ages to move from education to active and dedicated stewardship of Michigan’s natural resources.

The Flint Area Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative helped students learn about local community issues. Place-based education was used as the tool to help teachers and students feel more empowered to enact local changes.

This project increased environmental stewardship within the Grand River Watershed in Kent County through education in school settings and community-school partnerships. It worked with community organizations to create a systemic and comprehensive “hub” aimed at promoting and addressing community engagement to further develop environmental stewardship in Kent County.

This project implemented a regionally developed vision, direction, and strategic plan to establish and launch a regional network of partners and programming in support of place-based or community-based education programming in Northeast Michigan. Programming to serve and support Great Lakes stewardship education and project opportunities with school and community partners in Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle and Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District was also developed.

The purpose of this project was to secure the purchase of 128 acres of the Arcadia Marsh, a Great Lakes coastal emergent wetland, near Arcadia, MI.

The goal of Muskegon Area ISD Continuation Grant was, through K-12 Place-Based Education, to foster stewardship of Great Lakes, Implement communications plan, and institutionalize place-based education as key research-based instructional method

This project allowed students and teachers to work with community partners and take environmental action using informed decisions concerning the stewardship of their local watershed.

Ongoing support for The Environment Report for their ongoing work to provide information to individuals in Michigan and thoughout the Nation about Great Lakes ecology issues. This grant will provide support for this unique service that combines the distinctive powers of public radio and the internet with a passion and dedication to create a better balance with the natural world.

This grant was used to increase forest cover in the watershed (identified by previous GLFT-funded research as a priority action to protect the long-term health of the Muskegon River), support educational programming, provide base operating support, and produce a sustainability plan for the organization.

The goal of the project was to develop students as citizen stewards able to understand and promote healthy ecological and social systems affecting the Great Lakes basin and their communities through community-based learning projects. This was accomplished by bringing schools and community partners together.

The GLFT provided funding to the HeadWaters Land Conservancy (HWLC) to identify priority parcels for conservation within the Au Sable watershed and support landowner outreach efforts leading to new conservation easements. Through the GLFT’s support, the HWLC placed easements on seven properties representing 507 acres of land and 15,896 feet of waterfront.

Using genetic and age composition data, Michigan State University's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife developed new methods for identifying stock and cohort contribution to admixed, open-water fisheries. This innovation improves the ability to evaluate stock-specific recruitment from routine assessment or harvest data. The usefulness and performance of this new method were demonstrated with simulations and applications to Great Lakes stocks of lake sturgeon, lake trout, and walleye, which range in longevity, aging uncertainty and geographic scale of movements.

Thiamine Deficiency Complex (TDC), caused by thiaminase in the diet, adversely affects reproduction in Great Lakes lake trout, resulting in fry mortality. Thiaminase in prey may come from thiaminase-producing bacteria or may be produced de novo by the fish themselves. Preliminary data indicate that thiaminase-producing bacteria Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus are undetectable in some alewife with high thiaminase activity. Oregon State University used genetic and biochemical approaches to determine if alewife produce thiaminase de novo.

This study encompassed molecular, histological, and microbiological analyses of preserved Diporeia collected from the Great Lakes over three decades. Microorganisms and parasites will be identified and quantified. Quantitative analysis was combined the results obtained on disease status and prevailing environmental conditions during sampling in a system of analysis. The study helped developed a better understanding to the mechanism(s) that led to Diporeia decline in the Laurentian Great Lakes.

Despite agency actions (regulations, outreach programs) in Ontario and Michigan to halt the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) and viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) in the Great Lakes basin, live baitfish are thought to be a growing vector for these problems. Mail surveys of anglers and bait industry individuals were used to learn why live baitfish continue to be illegally dumped in the basin's waters despite management efforts to stop this practice. Results are being used to strengthen management programs.

This grant money was used for the transfer of the Calhoun County conservation easement.

The Nature Conservancy received funding from the GLFT to support fee acquisition of 179 acres, including 2,750 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline, along the garden peninsula. The acquisition represents Phase III of a four-phase, multi-partner effort to protect 1,153 acres of coastal wetland and adjoining upland habitat.

Large scale mortality of fish due to Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) has resulted in an urgent need to contain the pathogen and inhibit its rapid spread to all Great Lakes and inland waters. This project’s goal was to promote development of an effective chemical delivery system to treat ballast water, which helps stop the spread of this pathogen and help prevent the introduction of new invasive species and fish diseases to the Great Lakes.

The 2007 Consent Decree, signed by five tribal nations, the State of Michigan and the United States, recognized tribal rights for hunting, fishing, and gathering within the inland portion of the 1836 Treaty of Washington ceded territory. Tribal rights for the Great Lakes had been established prior to this agreement, which contained similarities and differences in institutional structure. The 2007 Inland Decree recognized the tribes may need to conduct biological assessments and restoration—as well as reclamation and enhancement activities—and specific provisions were developed recognizing this need.

When the 2007 Consent Decree was signed, and since that time, leaders of the respective agencies  recognized that an opportunity existed to collaborate to achieve outcomes that would protect the fishery resource within the treaty area in a mutually beneficial manner. Grant funding from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust  enabled the project team to work with the respective agencies to develop strategies for collaboration on assessment and restoration activities.

This grant was funded under the GLFT's Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI). Its supported a planning process for a GLSI hub to serve the Grand River Watershed in Kent County. The process resulted in an implementation plan for the hub, which was successfully submitted to the GLFT for funding.

This grant was funded under the GLFT's Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI). It was jointly supported by the C.S. Mott Foundation and the GLFT, funded a planning process to create a GLSI hub focused on Flint, the Flint River (in the Saginaw Bay Watershed), and selected schools in region. Partners in planning included the Genesee County Land Bank, the Michigan Nature Association, and Flint Community Schools. The planning process involved an assessment of school and community readiness (when additional planners will be identified and recruited), developing a vision for a sustainable effort, and crafting an implementation plan. The plan was approved and funded by the GLFT.

This grant was funded under the GLFT's Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI). It supported a planning process for a GLSI hub to serve the Saginaw Bay area. The process resulted in an implementation plan/proposal for the hub, which was submitted to the GLFT for funding. While the planning process resulted in stronger partnerships amoung educators and community organizations, it was not funded by the GLFT.

This grant was funded under the GLFT's Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI). It builds on a capacity-building grant provided earlier by the GLFT. The grant funded a planning process for a GLSI hub to serve six counties in northeastern lower Michigan. The process resulted in an implementation plan for the hub, which was successfully submitted to the GLFT for funding.

This grant was funded under the GLFT's Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI). It supported a planning process for a GLSI hub in Traverse City that would serve the Grand Traverse region and Manistee. The process resulted in an implementation plan for the hub.

The Michigan Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Initiative is a joint project between Lt. Governor John Cherry, the Office of the Great Lakes and Michigan United Conservation Clubs. The purpose of this effort is to develop a Michigan Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Plan. A Framework for the plan has been developed that examines Michigan’s Great Lakes Protection and Restoration needs by utilizing the same focus areas of the Great Lakes Regional Collaborative, e.g. habitat, invasive species, coastal health, sustainable development, indicators, nonpoint source, toxic pollutants and areas of concern. This Framework has been shared widely and been reshaped into a series of conference calls. Next the Framework will be taken to eight regional meetings to garner stakeholders’ comments and concerns and to discuss their interest and concern for managing the Great Lakes to foster prosperity for Michigan’s economic future. These eight meetings will focus on regional interests and will examine watershed restoration efforts as the foundation for Great Lakes restoration. A final report is expected to be released by the first of the year. This grant will be used to offset the cost of the regional meetings and travel for key participants, and fund an economic analysis to reframe the report.

This project's purpose is to contribute towards the North American Benthological Society's 57th Annual Meeting to be held in Grand Rapids in 2009.

This project provides enhanced shoreline fishing access on Pentwater Lake, a tributary to Lake Michigan. The construction of a fishing pier facility provides increased opportunities to fish for migrating Great Lakes species. Pentwater is a known destination for fishing, but the opportunity for shoreline fishing in the area is limited. The new fishing pier is the only designated facility in Oceana County for Great Lakes fishing for children and individuals requiring ADA access.    

New and updated fishing access was built on the shores of Lake Macatawa, near Lake Michigan. The new facilities include fishing decks, fishing piers, and informational signage, as well as connecting walkways, boardwalk, and parking. 

A fish cleaning station was constructed on Lake Macatawa, which is connected to Lake Michigan. 

The City of Muskegon Heights  requested a grant from GLFT to construct a fishing pier, boardwalk, bathrooms with small setting plaza, walkways and native plantings. Mona Lake is a contributary of Lake Michigan and is the only source of lakefront recreation for 12,000, low to moderate income residents of Muskegon Heights. This project was part of the renovation of Mona Lake Park. The project is sustainable and meets LEED certification requirements.

The 10th Street Fishing Pier located along the East bank of Harbor Point was constructed with MNRTF, CMI, and local matching funds. Phase I of the Gladstone Harbor Point Project was the next step in an aggressive plan to revitalize Van Cleve Park and the Gladstone Municipal Harbor. The project included construction of a public restroom, fish cleaning station, paved parking lot, connecting walkways to the fishing pier, navigation light station refurbishment, shoreline erosion protection, and site restoration.

The project removed a wooden box structure running the width of the river, a wooden retaining wall at each end of the structure, an adjacent generator shed and underground wiring, and fencing around the area. Banks and other areas of the site were restored. Removal of the barrier reconnected the lower two miles of stream with the upper 21 miles of river.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition which administers the Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives public awareness campaign was launched with the generous support of the Wege Foundation and Peter Wege, a Michigan philanthropist and former CEO of Steelcase Inc. Since its inception in 1968, the Wege Foundation has supported a number of causes, including the environment, education, health care and community development.

The focus of the symposium was on habitat restoration in urban areas. The urban nearshore zone, with over 17,000 kilometers, is heavily stressed by habitat alterations associated with increasing populations, heavy industry, commercial navigation, and pollution. Despite the immense importance of the nearshore region and the major economic return it provides, scientists and policymakers know very little about how and why problems emerge or how to mitigate them. Moreover, while significant funding is available for restoring urban nearshore and riverine areas, the knowledge of how do to so—and the ultimate affect of restoration efforts—was less developed than it should be. Through this symposium, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission shared technical knowledge, coordinated these existing efforts to maximize the effectiveness of work being done, and improved attendees’ ability to define what comprises a successful urban restoration project.

The grant funded the AGL to establish the Great Lakes Education Collaborative (GLEC). The goal of the Great Lakes Education Collaborative (GLEC) is to promote and expand Great Lakes education and stewardship in the eight Great Lakes states. As a result of the grant, GLEC developed:
*A structure for the GLEC including goals and strategies
*The membership of the GLEC to include at least 15 formal and non-formal education organizations representing six of the Great Lakes states (short of the eight proposed)
*A sustainability plan (goals, strategies, budget) that promotes place-based education (PBE) among the members of the collaborative as an effective strategy to lead to stewardship and lay the groundwork for expanding the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI) beyond Michigan
*A “funder-ready” proposal as a pilot test of the structure emerging for the GLEC over the course of the grant.