A Bi-Weekly Publication Friday January 28, 2005

				In This Issue: · Grants, Grants, and more Grants · Making the Connection Communications Conference · WWA Coastal Wetlands Conference Wrap-Up · Georgian Bay Report GRANTS, GRANTS, AND MORE GRANTS There are many wetland protection related grant opportunities currently available with deadlines looming. The following is a list, ordered chronologically (by proposal deadline), with a short description of each. Click on the links to learn more about applying for these grants. The Great Lakes Coastal Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides funding to conserve fish and wildlife and their habitats and to support healthy coastal ecosystems. The application deadline has been extended to February 7, 2005. The National Association of Counties (NACo) and the Five Star Restoration Challenge Grant Program project partners are currently accepting applications for the 2005 Five Star Restoration Challenge Grants. The Five Star Program provides modest financial assistance ($10,000 on average) to support community-based wetland, riparian and coastal habitat restoration projects that build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach and training activities. The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (Act) of 1989 provides matching grants to organizations and individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The 2005 deadlines are March 4 and July 29. The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund (GLAHNF) grants program provides financial support to advocacy activities that strengthen the role of individuals and community groups working locally to protect and restore shorelines, inland lakes, rivers, wetlands, and other aquatic habitats in the Great Lakes Basin. Advocacy work, as defined here, involves local community members actively promoting aquatic habitat protection by influencing community and/or individual behavior or opinion, corporate conduct, and/or public policy. The spring 2005 deadline is March 31. MAKING THE CONNECTION COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE The Biodiversity Project is hosting an exciting conference focusing on new strategies for Great Lakes public education and communications in East Lansing (at the Kellogg center) from February 23-25. The conference will include workshops on communications and education strategies, and hands-on sessions with evaluation experts. Effective communications is absolutely essential in the work of protecting Michigan's wetlands, and I would highly encourage interested citizens and groups to attend this valuable conference. You can learn more about this conference and how to register at the Michigan Wetland Action Coalition website.			WWA Coastal Wetlands Conference Wrap-Up I'm just back from "the other side of the pond" and the Wisconsin Wetlands Association's Coastal Wetlands Forum held in Green Bay, WI. Of particular interest for Michigan wetland advocates was a presentation by an MSU grad student on public preferences (among surveyed Michiganians) for Great Lakes coastal wetland protection programs. The report is available for download here (PDF File). Georgian Bay Report If you've picked up a newspaper within the Great Lakes in the past week, you probably noticed a story about ongoing water loss from Lakes Michigan and Huron attributed to a 1960s era dredging project in the St. Clair River. The natural fluctuations of Great Lakes water levels are critical to maintaining coastal wetlands. The study was commissioned by the Georgian Bay Association and can be found here. Article in Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
	Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council 426 Bay Street , Petoskey, Michigan 49770 Phone: (231) 347-1181 x 118 Fax: (231) 347-5928 Email: chrisgrubb@watershedcouncil.org Web: http://www.michiganwetlands.org