Applying for Grants

Funding for the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control has been authorized in the 2008 appropriations by Congress.

It is with great appreciation that the Great Lakes Commission announces that Congress has restored funding for the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control for 2008. Through the combined efforts of our partners, the appropriation was reinstated for 2008 after the program received no funding in 2007, causing the cancellation of the 2007 grant awards.

Because of severe Federal budget constraints, the amount currently authorized by Congress for the program will be less than 20% of past funding levels. Therefore, the 2008 grants program will be limited to an estimated one or two grants per state. Given the limited number of projects to be funded, the Sediment Task Force, comprised of members from each Great Lake state and our regional and federal partners, decided to modify the 2008 grant process. Projects for 2008 funding will be selected from the 2007 applicant pool. There will be no 2008 RFP.

The Commission and its partners are also working with members of the Great Lakes Congressional Delegation to ensure that the Basin Program is authorized under the current Farm Bill now before Congress so that funding may be restored to more normal levels in the future.

The top-ranked 2007 applicants will be contacted to inquire as to the viability of their project as stated in their original application and whether they wish to pursue funding under the 2008 program. Projects will be selected from the responding applicants.