Kaptur Hails Toledo Zoo Award for Lake Sturgeon Project
August 1, 2016
Toledo, OH — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) hailed the announcement that the Toledo Zoo has been awarded $92,130 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help fund the first-ever Ohio facility to rear sturgeon which will eventually be released into the Maumee River in an effort to restore lake sturgeon, which are endangered in Ohio. The funding has been awarded under the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, which funds regional projects to restore sustainable populations of fish and wildlife resources in the Great Lakes Basin.
“Congratulations to the Toledo Zoo for achieving this award,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Co-Chair of Congress' Great Lakes Caucus. “I have always viewed the Toledo Zoo as a sophisticated science campus and living laboratory that can help this and future generations of all creatures live in communion with the powerful forces of nature. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative's support for programs such as these awarded today has been critical to state and local efforts to protect Lake Erie’s freshwater future. As the Representative of the longest coastline in the lower Great Lakes, our entire region is tied to Lake Erie’s health and future."
Also awarded was $559,177 to Ducks Unlimited to restore fish passage and coastal wetlands on Lakes St. Clair and Erie, benefitting Ohio’s Toussaint Wildlife Area in Ottawa County.
“My hat's off to Ducks Unlimited for its active leadership over the decades in helping our region preserve and restore some its wild, natural heritage for future generations,” said Rep. Kaptur.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (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.