Great Lakes Restoration
Open Opportunities (2)
Live Grants.gov opportunities funded under this program — you can apply now.
- F26AS00084 Aquatic Invasive Species Grants to Great Lakes Tribes – Fiscal Year 2026 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Deadline: Dec 31, 2026 · up to $100K
- F26AS00085 Aquatic Invasive Species Interjurisdictional Grants to the Great Lakes States and Tribes – Fiscal Year 2026 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Deadline: Dec 31, 2026 · up to $924K
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Who has received this funding
Organizations awarded under CFDA 15.662 (USAspending.gov).
- National Fish And Wildlife Foundation 6 awards $72,906,891
- Department Of Natural Resources Illinois 4 awards $33,115,962
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
Program Objective
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) provides environmental and public health benefits to the region’s twenty million Americans who rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water, recreation, and fishing. GLRI also fuels local and regional economies across the basin. Technical and financial assistance are provided in five focus areas: Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern, Invasive Species, Nonpoint Source Pollution, Habitats and Species, and Foundations for Future Restoration Actions.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Federal
- State
- Native American organizations
- Individuals / families
- Public nonprofits
- Local governments
Program-specific.
How to Apply
Award Procedure
Program requirements are specified in the announcements of the individual financial assistance programs.
Contact the USFWS Midwest Regional Office for program application deadlines.
Program details & compliance
Description
As the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, the Great Lakes hold 95% of the United States’ surface fresh water. With strong bipartisan support and a proven record of success, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is creating jobs, revitalizing communities, and supporting local economies across the eight-state Great Lakes region. Fishing, hunting and wildlife watching in the Great Lakes generate almost $18 billion in annual revenue. Communities are benefiting from economic recovery and re-investment of GLRI work. A 2018 University of Michigan study found that the investments in the region will have long-term impacts. For every dollar spent under GLRI, the program is projected to generate more than three dollars in additional economic activity. GLRI funding has enabled the Service and our partners to restore, protect, and enhance more than 80,000 acres of coastal wetland and other habitats; reopen more than 1,000 miles of Great Lakes tributaries; and implement projects on more than 11,500 acres of land and water to help control invasive species.
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
Funds are provided for projects that address aquatic and terrestrial invasive species, environmental contaminants, nonpoint source pollution impacts, and protection and restoration of fish, wildlife, and their habitats in the Great Lakes. Funding for land acquisition and construction projects associated with ecological restoration, e.g. dam removal, river connectivity restoration, coastal and upland habitat restoration etc., is eligible under this program.
Matching Requirements
Program requirements are specified in the announcements of the individual financial assistance programs. More information on Great Lakes Restoration Initiative programs is available at http://www.fws.gov/glri.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements