Kaptur: $249,000 to Bay Point Conservation in Ottawa County

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Co-Chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force, today announced $249,000 in federal conservation funds for the Bay Point Conservation Project in Ottawa County. The investment comes from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.

"This is welcome news in our work to restore Lake Erie," said Kaptur. "This investment will fortify our work with the community to ensure we restore this vital coastal ecosystem and protect the wetlands in Sandusky Bay. I am especially grateful to Western Reserve Land Conservancy for putting the pieces of this complicated funding puzzle together."

"The rarity and quality of Bay Point's 34-acre freshwater coastal wetland habitat and nearly 2.5 miles of undisturbed Lake Erie shoreline make this coastal ecosystem a nationally significant conservation priority," noted Rich Cochran, president and CEO of the nonprofit Western Reserve Land Conservancy. "We are extremely proud to preserve such an extraordinary landscape."

The Western Reserve Land Conservancy has been instrumental in acquiring the property and leading the charge in conservation of these lands.

Once permanently conserved, the property will be accessible to the public on a limited, by-permission basis for research, education, and some passive recreational and naturalist-led activities. This limited access is intended to allow public use and involvement while ensuring that the rare and fragile habitats of the property retain their extraordinary pre-settlement conditions.

More about the Bay Point Conservation Project from U.S. Fish and Wildlife:

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will purchase a conservation easement encumbering the 65-acre Bay Point peninsula in Ottawa County, Ohio. The rarity and quality of Bay Point's 34.1 acres of freshwater wetland habitat and 12,500 linear feet of undisturbed Lake Erie shoreline make this coastal ecosystem a conservation priority for the state.

Moreover, the peninsula's critical role in protecting the health of the abundant Sandusky Bay wetlands to its west underscores Bay Point's unique conservation value. This area is composed of sandy substrates that are constantly shaped by wave and wind action. The southern portion of the property contains beaches, sand bars, small sand dunes and wetlands. The northern portion of the property is more stable and contains mature trees along with extensive forested wetlands and wetland pools. Protection of Bay Point will provide habitat for rare plants, and nesting, foraging and stopover habitat for several species of coastal-dependent migratory birds.