DNR offering $1.5M in grant funding for fisheries, aquatic resources

By Emily Brown

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    MICHIGAN (WNEM) — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has more than $1.5 million in grant funding available for applicants to improve state fisheries and aquatic resources.

The funding, offered through the Fisheries Habitat Grant, is available to local, state, federal, and tribal governments and nonprofit groups. The funding will be distributed through three themes: aquatic habitat conservation, dam management, and aquatic habitat and recreation in the Au Sable, Manistee, and Muskegon river watersheds.

Grant applicants can apply for and receive funding from all three themes with one application based on eligibility.

The DNR said the expected funding is derived from the following three sources:

$989,000 from the state’s Game and Fish Protection Fund, supporting the aquatic habitat conservation theme $350,000 from the state’s General Fund, supporting the dam management theme At least $225,000 from a hydropower license and settlement agreement between Consumers Energy and several entities including the DNR, supporting aquatic habitat and recreation in the Au Sable, Manistee, and Muskegon river watersheds

Grant amounts start at a minimum of $25,000 and could total the amount of funding available in all theme areas for the eligible projects, the DNR said.

If necessary, smaller projects within the same region addressing similar issues can be bundled into a single grant proposal package to reach the minimum grant amount, according to the DNR.

The DNR said there are specific priority projects, identified through its Fisheries Priority Habitat Conservation Projects list, which may receive preference during proposal review.

Applicants have to discuss their projects with their local DNR fisheries biologist, then complete and submit a short preproposal for DNR review, the DNR said.

Preproposals must be submitted using an online form available at the Fisheries Habitat Grant website and must be submitted by Oct. 20.

Applicants who have questions about preproposal submission can reach out to Joe Nohner at 517-599-6825 or Chip Kosloski at 517-281-1705.

More information, such as a detailed program handbook, including timeline, preproposal guidelines, and forms, is available on the DNR’s website.

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