How much money has been provided under the GLRI for Great Lakes restoration?
GLRI received approximately $2.56 billion from FY 2010 to FY 2017.
How does the money fund restoration projects?
EPA and its partner agencies agree on program and project priorities to implement the GLRI Action Plan.
The money is appropriated to EPA. EPA provides funding to other federal government agencies. In turn, those agencies (and EPA, too) use that money to fund restoration projects. Since the start of GLRI, EPA has provided more than half of the funds appropriated to its partner federal agencies.
Agencies undertake projects themselves; they also fund projects performed by other entities such as:
- states
- tribes
- local governments
- universities
- nongovernmental organizations
Agencies that receive GLRI funds use several kinds of funding mechanisms, including:
- interagency agreements
- fund transfers
- competitive grants
- capacity-building grants
Agencies provide notice of funding opportunities in accordance with their regular practices, such as posting competitive announcements through grants.gov.
See projects funded under GLRI
What kind of projects have been funded?
All projects must support one of the GLRI focus areas:
- Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern
- Invasive Species
- Nonpoint Source Pollution Impacts on Nearshore Health (formerly Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution FY2010-2014)
- Habitat and Species (formerly Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration FY2010-2014)
- Foundations for Future Restoration Actions (formerly Accountability, Education, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication and Partnerships FY2010-2014)
| Focus Area | FY 2010 | FY 2011 | FY 2012 | FY 2013 | FY 2014 | FY 2015 | FY 2016 | FY2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern | $146.9M | $100.4M | $107.5M | $111M | $104.6M | $117M | $108M | $108M |
| Invasive Species | $60.3M | $57.5M | $56.9M | $45M | $54.6M | $53M | $57M | $59M |
| Nonpoint Source Pollution Impacts on Nearshore Health | $97.3M | $49.3M | $54.3M | $45M | $59.7M | $55M | $49M | $52M |
| Habitat and Species | $105.3M | $63M | $57.2M | $65.5M | $60.6M | $46M | $51M | $50M |
| Foundations for Future Restoration Actions | $65.2M | $29.3M | $23.5M | $17M | $20.5M | $29M | $35M | $31M |
| TOTAL | $475 million | $299.4 million | $299.5 million | $283.5 million | $300 million | $300 million | $300 million | $300 million |
The percentage of total funding allocated to each focus area has stayed largely the same year to year.
See FY 2017 GLRI Report to Congress (PDF, 36 pp) for more details
See also: GLRI FY2017 Funding by Agency
What grant opportunities are available for GLRI funding?
Agencies use their own mechanisms to announce grant opportunities that use GLRI funds.
| Topic | Amount | Proposals Due | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 GLRI Trash Free Waters | $2 million | Feb. 14, 2020 | U.S. EPA |
| 2019 GLRI Request for Applications to Reduce Excess Nutrients and Stormwater Pollution in the Great Lakes | Approximately $14 million | July 12, 2019 | U.S. EPA |
| Great Lakes Bay Watershed and Training (B-WET) Program) | approximately $800,000 | July 12, 2019 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Tree planting and forest health improvement | $4.1 million | June 28, 2019 | USDA Forest Service |
| Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network | up to $6 million (approximately $1.2 million per year for five years) | May 28, 2019 | U.S. EPA |
| Restoring and Enhancing Stream and Riparian Habitat | $1.5 million | Pre-proposal: Feb. 12, 201 Full Proposal: April 18, 2019 |
Sustain Our Great Lakes – Multiple Agencies |
| Restoring and Enhancing Coastal Wetland Habitat | $1.6 million | Pre-proposal: Feb. 12, 2019 Full Proposal: April 18, 2019 |
Sustain Our Great Lakes – Multiple Agencies |
| Expanding Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Great Lakes Communities | $3.2 million | Pre-proposal: Feb. 12, 2019 Full Proposal: April 18, 2019 |
Sustain Our Great Lakes – Multiple Agencies |
| Maintaining and Enhancing Benefits of Habitat Restoration through Invasive Species Control | $1.9 million | Pre-proposal: Feb. 12, 2019 Full Proposal: April 18, 2019 |
Sustain Our Great Lakes – Multiple Agencies |