Milwaukee — The U.S. Forest Service has awarded nearly $4.5 million in grants to support 27 Great Lakes restoration projects in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin.

These projects are funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative under an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As part of a multi-agency regional working group, the U.S. Forest Service uses GLRI grants to strategically target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem and accelerate progress toward shared long-term restoration goals. As a result of this collaborative effort of the Forest Service and Environmental Protection Agency, more than 540,000 trees have been planted on nonfederal lands since 2010, preventing over 31 million gallons of stormwater runoff per year.

Some of the expected outcomes of this year’s projects:

— Plant over 230,000 trees;

— Mitigate invasive insect and disease impacts on over 800 acres;

— Enhance over 1,200 acres of coastal, riparian and shoreline habitats, supporting resilience to climate change and other ecosystem stressors;

— Intercept an estimated 13 million gallons of stormwater annually through 10 green infrastructure projects involving trees.

Constituting 84 percent of North America’s surface freshwater, the Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system in the world and the source of drinking water for more than 30 million people. According to Gina Owens, USDA Forest Service Eastern Regional Forester, “Through the distribution of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants, we are able to serve organizations and communities who are taking local approaches with projects to enhance the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. These projects are an investment in communities, to manage and maintain community trees, provide employment and job training, promote community volunteerism, and enjoy the economic and health benefits of trees and natural areas.”

To learn more about GLRI grant recipients in your area and the Forest Service’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative program, visit the Forest Service GLRI grant website.

This year’s funded organizations, project descriptions and federal funding amount awarded are listed below. Each grant recipient provides at least 20 percent match for this funding, in collaboration with state or local partners, donors or volunteers.

Grants in Michigan include:

— Ottawa Conservation District, $200,000: The Ottawa Conservation District will survey and treat 15,000 trees within 500 acres at the northern known extent of hemlock woolly adelgid in five west Michigan counties where it is present.

— Ottawa National Forest, $10,000: The Ottawa National Forest will work with the Ontonagon Conservation District on a pilot project to plant suitable trees in black ash wetlands vulnerable to emerald ash borer prior to EAB infestation in the County.

— Alliance of Rouge Communities, $261,780: This project will build on past Forest Service GLRI grants by planting 895 trees and installing 2.9 acres of green infrastructure to intercept a total of 1.3 million gallons annual runoff throughout 17 Rouge River Watershed communities.

— Michigan Department of Natural Resources, $100,000: This project will use a subgrant program to target tree planting in priority communities and watersheds where water quality is impaired and tree cover is deficient, supporting municipal plans for sustainability and climate resiliency.

— Michigan Department of Natural Resources, $254,134: Trees for School Forests will plant 111,475 trees at 10 school forests in Michigan. All schools will have Forest Stewardship Plans and will become Tree Campus K-12 certified by end of project. Over 1,000 students will visit the forests and learn how trees protect water quality.

— Superior Watershed Partnership, $116,268: The Superior Watershed Partnership and City of Marquette will plant over 1800 native, climate-adapted trees and shrubs along approximately 4,200 feet of severely impacted Lake Superior coastline to restore coastal habitats.

— Lake Superior State University, $250,000: Lake Superior State University will create the first green stormwater demonstration project along the St. Marys River, near the Center for Freshwater Research and Education and an adjacent park in Sault Sainte Marie. The project includes rain gardens, treescapes, and community education.

— Trout Unlimited, $200,000: Trout Unlimited will enhance the resilience of West Michigan forests by planting 31,000 trees and shrubs at 13 riparian and shoreline sites in the Lower Grand, Pere Marquette, White, and Muskegon watersheds and along Lake Michigan resulting in 87 acres of forest restored.