News and Updates

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Achieves its Action Plan III Target with Monumental Remediation Efforts

The recent removal of the 128th Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) marks the completion of a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan III target.

March 31, 2025

Port Clinton Coastal Restoration Project Restores Costal Wetland Along Ohio’s Lake Erie Shoreline

March 2025 - Federal, state, and local agencies celebrate significant progress in Lake Erie’s shoreline expansion through the implementation of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Program and support from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

March 13, 2025

Great Lakes Sediment Nutrient Reduction Program Releases a Request for Proposal for Great Lakes Water Quality Projects

On Feb. 28, 2025, the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) today issued a request for proposals (RFP) for projects that would help improve Great Lakes water quality by reducing nutrient loads from agricultural watersheds and eroding shorelines and streams.

March 7, 2025

National Park Service assists in improving the Waabizheshikana trail in the second largest Area of Concern in the U.S.

Utilizing funding from GLRI, the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) has supported the City of Duluth, Minnesota, to improve and expand park and trail spaces near historically disadvantaged neighborhoods located along the St. Louis River Estuary. The initial revitalization efforts to improve Waabizheshikana: The Marten Trail will enhance residents’ opportunities to connect back to a cultural and ecologically significant area of the waterfront. Partners are working together to preserve and enhance this trail while promoting awareness of the interconnectedness between Indigenous heritage and environmental stewardship.

January 17, 2025

EPA announces Notice of Funding Opportunity to support the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program

The EPA Great Lakes National Program Office has issued a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to conduct coastal wetlands sampling in support of the Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Monitoring Program. The deadline to apply is March 14, 2025.

January 14, 2025

EPA announces Notice of Funding Opportunity to support the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program

The EPA has announced a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to conduct fish sample analysis in support of the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program. The deadline to apply is March 14, 2025.

January 13, 2025

Ashland, Green Bay, Two Harbors, and Oscoda Township selected for engineering and design support through Great Lakes coastal resilience program

Projects will use nature-based solutions to address coastal hazards and support habitat and species goals prioritized by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

December 30, 2024

Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action Project Wraps Up First Season of Construction

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) celebrates the completion of the first of two construction seasons at the Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action project in the St. Louis River Area of Concern.

December 16, 2024

Final Remaining BUI, Degradation of Benthos, Removed at Muskegon Lake AOC

The last remaining BUI in the Michigan AOC, the Degradation of Benthos, was removed after federal, state, and local partners determined that measures of benthic community health met established criteria.

December 12, 2024

The ultimate invader:  USDA Wildlife Services works to minimize feral swine threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem

Feral swine are a highly destructive invasive species with populations that have expanded across the country, resulting in damage to a wide range of resource types. Wildlife biologists and field specialists from USDA Wildlife Services work to reduce feral swine damage by providing technical assistance and conducting targeted management activities in the field.

December 3, 2024