Michigan State University Extension staff conduct surveys of aquatic plants to assess fish habitat on Michigan’s inland lakes. (Jeremy Hartsock photo)

LANSING — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is offering over $1.6 million in funding for a variety of activities tied to improving state fisheries and aquatic resources, including fish habitat conservation, dam removal and repair, resource assessment studies and access to recreation.

Distributed through three themes — aquatic habitat conservation, dam management, and aquatic habitat and recreation in the Au Sable, Manistee and Muskegon river watersheds — Fisheries Habitat Grant funding is available through an open, competitive process to local, state, federal and tribal governments and nonprofit groups.

“Healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands provide benefits through better fishing, boating and enjoyment of our aquatic ecosystems,” said Joe Nohner, a resource analyst with the DNR Fisheries Division. “These grants help our partners protect and rehabilitate fisheries and waters in a state that relies heavily on those resources as a foundation for tourism and quality of life. In cases where we remove, repair or renovate dams, we also can improve safety for our communities.”

Examples of proposed projects addressing the causes of habitat decline include efforts to:

–Improve the management of riparian land (land situated near or on the water).

— Restore natural lake levels.

— Improve or create passage for aquatic organisms by removing culverts, dams and other barriers.

— Improve water quality.

— Implement watershed-based approaches to improving both the quality and quantity of water.

— Develop projects that demonstrate habitat conservation.

— Restore stream function.

— Add structural habitats, like woody habitat or aquatic vegetation.

— Conduct assessments that will guide conservation projects.

— Complete other projects that meet program goals.

Grant and application guidelines

Grant applicants may apply for and receive funding from all three themes with one application, if eligible for each. Expected funding is derived from three sources:

— $1,040,000 from the Game and Fish Protection Fund, supporting the aquatic habitat conservation theme.

— $350,000 from the state’s General Fund, supporting the dam management theme.

— About $242,955 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 have the potential to be as large as the total amount of funding available in all theme areas for which a project is eligible. The DNR identifies priority projects through its Fisheries Priority Habitat Conservation Projects list.

All applicants must first discuss their project with their local DNR fisheries biologist, then complete and submit a short preproposal for DNR review. This year, preproposals will be submitted using an online form available at the Fisheries Habitat Grant website.

Preproposals must submitted be no later than Nov. 18; applicants can reach out to Joe Nohner at 517-599-6825 or Chip Kosloski with questions about the grant or preproposal submission.