Kaptur Applauds $600,000 Federal Award to Restore Fish Access to Ottawa County’s Toussaint Wildlife Area

Toledo, OH — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) today applauded the announcement that the Toussaint Wildlife Area, the 231-acre coastal wetland complex in Ottawa County, will receive $600,000 in a federal award for restoration efforts conducted by Ducks Unlimited, the leading non-profit wildlife restoration organization. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, notified Kaptur this afternoon about the competitive award, which Ducks Unlimited applied for in January 2016 and for which Kaptur sent the attached letter of support.

NOAA’s announcement stated that “the project will restore fish access into the wetlands and remove levees and water control structures. A total of up to $20,000,000 for additional restoration in the region is anticipated over a three-year period.”

“This is terrific news for anyone who has visited the Toussaint Wildlife Area and who supports preserving our natural habitat. It is also terrific news for Ottawa County’s local businesses, many of whom enjoy an economic benefit from visitors to the Toussaint Wildlife Area,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a longtime supporter of wildlife restoration programs. “I am particularly pleased to hear about NOAA’s commitment of up to $20 million for other regional restoration projects in the next thirty-six months.”

GLRI was launched in 2010 to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the largest system of fresh surface water in the world. Since then, GLRI has funded more than 2,930 projects totaling over $1.5 billion. Priority funding areas include restoration work in highly contaminated Areas of Concern, nutrient reduction, invasive species control and habitat restoration.

For more information about the GLRI, visit: https://www.glri.us.

For the NOAA announcement: https://www.habitat.noaa.gov/highlights/newpartnershipstorestoregreatlakes.html

For background on Ducks Unlimited: https://www.ducks.org/

For information on the Great Lakes Information Network, or GLIN: https://www.glin.net/