Habitat database catalogs restoration efforts

A treasure trove of information on habitat restoration and protection efforts around the region is now available online through the Great Lakes Habitat Initiative.

A database developed by the Great Lakes Commission for the project (see http://gis.glin.net/dropbox/query.php) contains extensive information on nearly 200 planned or ongoing wetlands and habitat restoration projects throughout the Great Lakes region.

It is a useful resource for anyone seeking to research habitat restoration projects or identify potential project partners, as well as for funding agencies seeking to effectively target their resources.

The Great Lakes Habitat Initiative is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to identify high-value habitat restoration and conservation projects that are ready for near-term implementation and can be funded under existing authorities. As such, the two-year, $1 million project builds upon the habitat recommendations of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration.

The Great Lakes Commission and Public Sector Consultants were contracted to develop the database, compile an inventory of habitat projects throughout the region and prepare an inventory of funding sources.

The GLC also conducted a series of workshops in all eight Great Lakes states to familiarize state agency personnel with the Habitat Initiative and assist them in submitting project information to the database.

A total of 188 projects have been entered into the database to date. The Commission will continue to maintain the database as a regional resource and accept submittals of new project information.

This project will also help showcase state progress in protecting and restoring habitat around the Great Lakes and demonstrate the ongoing need for restoration activities. It will help the states identify – to Congress, the Corps, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal agencies – projects that are important to the Great Lakes states and in need of federal funding. This will help ensure that the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration extends to on-the-ground actions to protect and restore habitat across the Great Lakes basin.

To access the database, visit http://gis.glin.net/dropbox/query.php. More information on the Habitat Initiative is available at www.glhi.org. Contact: Victoria Pebbles, vpebbles@glc.org