10/30 Northern Watershed Networking Session highlights funding...

Here's a link to the agenda for Tuesday's session at Salamonie. If you haven't signed up - NOW is the time.

http://www.iaswcd.org/pdfs/watersheds/networking/fall2007ntwrkng_agenda.pdf

See you there - or on the river,

Ron James, Executive Director
Wabash River Heritage Corridor Commission
765-427-1505

2008 Lake and River Enhancement Program Grant Applications

Each year grant funds are made available through the IDNR Lake and River Enhancement program. One half of the money is used for the same types of traditional projects that have been funded since the inception of the original LARE program. The other half of the money is used to pay for projects to address sediment and exotic or invasive plants or animals in public lakes.

LARE grants can only be awarded for activities involving public lakes, and to organizations having the resources and ability to properly administer the funds. This would include formally established lake associations, conservancy districts, local units of government, or other similar entities. Participation in the program requires the submittal of an application form for each program element, copies of which are available electronically on our web site at http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/lare/manual.html
If you desire, paper copies of the application forms can be mailed to you.

Traditional LARE Project Grants Grants are available on a competitive basis for several actions that can address the ecology and management of public lakes and their watersheds.

Depending on your particular lake's needs, you may want to consider applying for funds for any of the following: 1) a preliminary lake study, 2) a comprehensive lake diagnostic study, 3) an engineering feasibility study of possible pollutant control measures, 4) a design study for a specific pollutant control measure, 5) construction of a particular pollutant control measure, 6) a management plan for the lake, or 7) a performance appraisal of a constructed pollutant control measure.

The deadline for submittal of applications for these types of projects is January 31, 2008. Grants for approved projects will be awarded in July 2008. Sediment Removal Plan Development or Sediment Removal Grants Following several forums during which public guidance was solicited, policies were developed regarding the manner in which a portion of the LARE funds can be used for sediment removal or exotic species control.

A copy of those policies is available on our web site or through postal mail. A specific application form is available for lake organizations interested in applying for funds to be used to contract for the production of a sediment removal plan or, if such a plan has already been prepared, for funds to be used for a sediment removal project. Having a sediment removal plan is a prerequisite to acquiring grant funds for actual sediment removal projects. The deadline for submittal of the applications is December 31, 2007.

Decisions regarding those grants will be made in March 2008. Exotic Plant Control Grants An application form is available for funds to be used to contract for the production of aquatic plant management plans. Having an aquatic plant management plan is a prerequisite to acquisition of grant funds for actual aquatic plant control.

For organizations that already have (or will have) an approved plan in place, the same application form can be used to apply for actual aquatic plant control, based on the plan's recommendations. The deadline for submittal of exotic plant-related applications is January 15, 2008.

Decisions regarding those grants will be made in March 2008. It is our desire to make the LARE program as accessible and simple as possible, so please do not hesitate to communicate freely with us if you have questions or comments.
We can be contacted at 317/233-3871 or by e-mail at jray@dnr.IN.gov

Jim Ray, Chief
Lake & River Enhancement Section
IDNR Division of Fish and Wildlife
Room W273402 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204317/233-3871

Meeting November 7th at 1:30pm at Honeywell Center

Plan to motor over to the next Wabash Erie Canal Towpath Trail Group Meeting!


Hosted by Charley Creek Foundation.
Your support and involvement will see us achieve success!

Agenda Items include:

Markers: update on the progress of markers/signs. - Ron James.

Wabash Erie Canal Towpath Trail Workbook. At our last meeting, Rory Robinson of National Parks challenged The Wabash River Heritage Corridor to begin preparing a Workbook as a beginning step for encouraging connecting/marking the route (between already established trails) along the Corridor.

The entire Towpath Trail can be tracked and included in the manual to be used for shaping our idea and marketing it to others. We can be helpful with the historic data and locating the canal and related historic sites. Here are some of the sections headlines found in the sample workbook:

• Topographic Map segments of six miles or less in rural areas; three miles or less in urban spaces.


• Current and proposed access points.


• Ownership.


• Current condition.


• User facilities and status.


• Prospective/current partners.


• Existing Trail.


• Recommended actions by WEC Towpath Trail Chapter.


• Recommended action by partners.


• Interpretive and scenic opportunity site identification standards.


• Design standards (urban vs. rural).


• Development contact information/directory list.


• Data entry and design.


• Printing/support and advertising.


• Ongoing maintenance and ranger volunteer contact lists.

etc. what can we do to assist the WRHC?

Membership:
Discussion - increasing our numbers is basic to our on-going success as we seek to move citizen onlookers to interested participants.