Great Lakes Restoration

Great Lakes Restoration is a grant from the Department of the Interior, administered through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, that funds environmental restoration and protection projects across the Great Lakes Basin.

The program is part of the collaborative Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, involving the EPA and 15 other federal agencies, and addresses the region's most significant environmental challenges including invasive species control, coastal wetland restoration, habitat protection, and tributary reopening. The initiative serves 35 million people who depend on the Great Lakes for drinking water, transportation, and recreation.

Eligible applicants are determined by program-specific requirements. Estimated annual funding is approximately $35,000,000. Applicants should monitor agency announcements for specific funding opportunity notices and application deadlines.

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Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Great Lakes Restoration Initiative's impact The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is a driver for environmental action in the Great Lakes Basin, building upon strategic recommendations presented in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy of 2005.

The initiative is a collaborative effort of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and 15 other federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to address the most significant environmental concerns of the Great Lakes.

The importance of the Great Lakes is evident when we look at the numbers: 35 million people in the Great Lakes Basin rely on this important resource for drinking water, transportation, power and recreational opportunities. 10,000 miles of coastline (more than 4,500 miles in the U.S.) and 30,000 islands. 95% of surface water in the U.S. and the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth.

Initiative funding has enabled the Service and our partners to: Restore, protect, and enhance more than 80,000 acres of coastal wetland and other habitats. Reopen more than 1,000 miles of Great Lakes tributaries.

Implement projects on more than 11,500 acres of land and water to help control invasive species invasive species An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars. Learn more about invasive species .

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is a collaborative effort to address the most significant environmental concerns of the Great Lakes.

Through an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has allocated funding for projects in the following focus areas: Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern The areas of the Great Lakes Basin most severely impacted by toxic substances and pollutants are known as Areas of Concern. We work to restore and protect aquatic ecosystems from the threat of persistent pollutants.

More than 180 non-native species are established in the Great Lakes. The most invasive species spread rapidly and they can degrade habitat, out-compete native species and disrupt food webs. Service activities are working to control and eradicate harmful, non-native species.

Nonpoint Source Pollution This work, delivered in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, supports projects aimed at reducing environmental impacts from contaminated stormwater runoff into bays and estuaries of the Great Lakes. A multitude of threats are affecting the health of the Great Lakes habitats and native wildlife.

Service projects work to identify, restore and protect important habitat for the area’s fish and wildlife. Foundations for Future Restoration Actions Our agency takes a science-based adaptive management approach to new and ongoing projects. We also educate the next generation about the importance of the Great Lakes to fish, wildlife, plants and people.

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Success Stories Restoring the Great Lakes (2010) Restoring the Great Lakes (2011) Restoring the Great Lakes (2012) Restoring the Great Lakes (2013) Restoring the Great Lakes (2014) Restoring the Great Lakes (2015) Restoring the Great Lakes (2016) Restoring the Great Lakes: A Decade Retrospective Restoring the Great Lakes (2024) Restoring the Great Lakes: 15 years of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Find Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Projects and Stories Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

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