The Department of Natural Resources is now accepting applications for the 2010 Inland Fisheries Grant (IFG) program, which offer grants up to $200,000 for local projects that enhance Michigan's aquatic resources.

The IFG program is intended to foster citizen and community understanding and appreciation of inland fisheries resources and to encourage participation and commitment to the improvement and protection of inland fishing opportunities, habitat, and fish communities. Eligible applicants include individuals, nonprofit organizations, and units of government, including school districts. Preference is given to nonprofit organizations and governmental units.

For 2010, the IFG program focus areas are fish passage and inland lake management. Projects will only be considered if they mitigate the impacts on a fishery related to fish passage or if they involve inland lake management on publicly accessible lakes. Examples of the types of projects that will be considered include, but are not limited to, those that:

• Enhancement of habitat and fisheries.
• Improvement of water quality and ecology.
• Improvement of riparian property for public fishing use.
• Rehabilitation of riparian natural form and function.
• Quantification and removal of sediment, including contaminated sediment.
• Rehabilitation of stream stability for maintaining channel dimension, pattern and profile.
• Quantification of nutrient loading.
• Improvement of lake level maintenance that more closely mimic natural variations.
• Long-term planning projects for water quality and riparian lands improvement benefiting inland lake ecosystems.

The DNR Fisheries Division receives an annual appropriation of up to $200,000 to administer the IFG program. Projects proposed for funding must cost between $10,000 and $400,000. The program has a 50 percent match requirement; thus awarded grants will range from $5,000 to $200,000 and will not exceed one-half of the total project cost. Applicants must provide the other half of the project cost in any combination of cash, paid or volunteer labor, and provision of materials or equipment.

Applicants are strongly urged to seek assistance from DNR Fisheries Division staff in preparing their application. Applications must be postmarked no later than March 31, 2009.

For more details about project eligibility, contact a fisheries biologist at the nearest DNR Fisheries Management Unit Office. Go to www.michigan.gov/dnrfishing for a directory and watershed map that shows the boundaries for each Fisheries Management Unit. Application forms and instructions for the 2010 grant programs are available online.