$250,000 Grant Awarded to Restore Section of the St. Clair River Shoreline

September 22, 2011 9:20 AM

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10) today praised the awarding of a $250,000 federal grant to the Community Foundation of St. Clair County to support the restoration of a one-mile section of the St. Clair River shoreline. The grant funding comes from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Costal Program-Great Lakes, and will specifically support the Foundation’s efforts to restore and naturalize up to 750 linear feet along Desmond Landing.

“The St. Clair River is a beautiful, irreplaceable jewel that we need to showcase. This grant will certainly allow us to do just that. I think this improved and restored shoreline will be a great economic driver from a tourism standpoint, as well as provide an enhanced quality of life for our area residents,” Miller said.

“This is the beginning of a significant community development project in St. Clair County and is a prime example of how well a private and public sector partnership can work,” said Randy Maiers, President of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County. “All of the stakeholders in the project share the same vision, which is to see the restoration of this mile-long stretch of the St. Clair River to guarantee public access in perpetuity and to enhance local economic development initiatives.”

The Community Foundation of St. Clair County and Acheson Ventures (who donated the land along the shoreline) have contributed $336,395 in funding to match the grant awarded by the FWS. The combined funding will restore up to 750 linear feet of shoreline and create up to 37,500 square feet of habitat. The project will focus on removal of existing pile walls and debris, shoreline regarding and stabilization, invasive plant removal, native landscape planting, and installation of in-River, shoreline spawning habitat for native fishes.

Note: This U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Costal Program-Great Lakes funds are to be used to protect and restore Great Lakes coastal ecosystems for the benefit of fish, wildlife and people. For more information, please visit http://www.fws.gov/midwest/GreatLakes/glcoastal.htm.

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