Restoring Our Great Lakes for People and Wildlife

Federal agencies frequently work with nonfederal partners, such as The Nature Conservancy, to use GLRI resources strategically and to accelerate progress toward long-term goals. By leveraging GLRI funds, we are implementing strategic initiatives that restore critical habitats, improve water quality and combat invasive species. These efforts not only enhance the health of our ecosystems but also support the well-being of local communities by providing cleaner water, healthier ecosystems and safer recreational opportunities.

Cuyahoga River Area of Concern

The Nature Conservancy works in coordination with over a dozen partner organizations on multiple projects along the Cuyahoga River within a cooperative weed management area (CWMA). TNC formalized a partnership in 2012 to begin work on the Cuyahoga River using GLRI funds to treat more than 200 acres of land within the boundaries of the Area of Concern as well as push for more cooperative workdays for all partners and volunteer events to engage the public. TNC has received grants to fund a lot of “behind-the scenes” work in this area such as mapping worksites and progress, creating shared equipment programs and inventory lists, adding more partners and providing outreach to communities along the river. The Cuyahoga River CWMA has existed in some shape or form since 2010. Today, TNC continues to explore innovative ways to be a more efficient and effective partner.

In addition to our work in the CWMA, TNC has used GLRI grant money in cooperation with Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), the Conservancy for CVNP and Sagamore Township in Cuyahoga County to plant 5200 trees on 40 acres of former farm fields on lands owned in part by CVNP and Sagamore Township. In partnership with the Conservancy for CVNP, TNC worked with volunteers to plant 4600 of those trees by the end of 2023. This project supports the Green Stormwater Infrastructure component of the grant used to fund the work by using the trees planted to capture water and sediment runoff in the many large streams that run through the project site and reduce the sediment load into the Cuyahoga River.

Sandhill Crane Wetlands

Just north of the Toledo Express Airport lies Northwest Ohio’s biggest wet prairie restoration project to date: Sandhill Crane Wetlands. This project, which strengthens a 13,000-acre corridor of protected land in the Oak Openings Region, restored 280 acres of frequently flooded, marginal cropland to historic and imperiled natural communities including emergent marsh, twig-rush wet prairie, oak savanna and mesic sand tallgrass prairie—habitats that support an abundance of native wildlife, including sandhill cranes.

Wetlands once dominated northwest Ohio but have been reduced in size due to the installation of drainage infrastructure, agriculture and land development. Today, less than 5%-10% of Ohio’s original wetlands remain. Wetlands act as nature’s kidneys, and their loss has resulted in increased fertilizers and contaminants reaching Lake Erie, a vital source of drinking water for 11 million people.

The Sandhill Crane Wetland restoration process included halting artificial pumping, breaking drainage tiles and recontouring the land to rebuild the natural terrain modified by years of plowing. The site was then planted and seeded with native vegetation to reestablish the native Oak Openings Region habitat. Funding for the multi-year effort has been provided by two grants from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Maumee River Area of Concern (including provisions from the GLRI) and Water Resource Restoration Sponsor.

Thanks to GLRI funding, The Nature Conservancy has trained 22 farmers in the Maumee River Watershed who mentor other farmers on regenerative soil health and water management practices through peer-to-peer networking. To date, these 22 trained Advocates (who manage more than 20,000 acres themselves) have directly reached over 9,500 farmers through workshops, field days, small group meetings and one-on-one interactions with around 1,000,000 acres influenced. Their messages have indirectly reached an additional 1.5 million people through articles, social media and videos.