Friends Of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge

THE LAKE ERIE MARSHES REGION OF NORTHWEST OHIO IS UNDERGOING A TRANSFORMATIVE RESTORATION EFFORT SPEARHEADED BY THE FRIENDS OF THE OTTAWA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE (FONWR) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE S PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE (PFW) PROGRAM. SINCE 1997, FONWR HAS TIRELESSLY ADVOCATED FOR CONSERVATION IN THIS ECOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT AREA, FOCUSING ON ENHANCING AWARENESS AND CAPACITY FOR OHIOS ONLY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. THIS NEW COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AIMS TO RESTORE CRITICAL HABITATS THAT WILL BENEFIT BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS AND FEDERAL TRUST SPECIES. THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WILL EMPHASIZE THE RESTORATION OF WETLAND AND UPLAND COMPLEXES BY PROVIDING VOLUNTARY HABITAT RESTORATION TO PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AND FOSTERING AN ECOLOGICAL NETWORK. FONWR PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN OUTREACH AND FACILITATING FUNDING FOR PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, PROMOTING COLLABORATION THROUGH COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES THAT ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN RESTORATION PROJECTS. THE INITIATIVE ALSO ADDRESSES FINANCIAL BARRIERS BY PROVIDING REIMBURSEMENT FOR ELIGIBLE RESTORATION EXPENSES TO PRIVATE LANDOWNERS. A CENTRAL FOCUS WILL BE ON WETLAND RESTORATION TECHNIQUES THAT RESTORE HYDROLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, BENEFITTING ECOSYSTEMS AND IMPROVING WATER QUALITY, WHICH IN TURN ENHANCES LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY. THE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF RESTORED WETLANDS ARE SIGNIFICANT, SUPPORTING FISH NURSERIES LINKED TO LOCAL FISHERIES AND FOSTERING TOURISM. MOREOVER, RESTORED SITES WILL ACT AS NATURAL BUFFERS AGAINST FLOODING, SAFEGUARDING COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENHANCING RESILIENCE TO EXTREME WEATHER. SUPPORT FROM KEY POLITICAL FIGURES AMPLIFIES THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS INITIATIVE, ALIGNING LOCAL NEEDS WITH NATIONAL CONSERVATION GOALS. AS FONWR AND PFW EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY, THEY ENVISION A VIBRANT ECOLOGICAL FUTURE FOR THE LAKE ERIE MARSHES THAT BOLSTERS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. ULTIMATELY, THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT SERVES AS A BLUEPRINT FOR SUSTAINABLE INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN NATURE, COMMUNITY, AND ECONOMY IN NORTHWEST OHIO, ENSURING THRIVING ECOSYSTEMS AND ENHANCED QUALITY OF LIFE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

THIS PROJECT WILL INVOLVE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE FRIENDS OF OTTAWA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AND THE UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE. THE FRIENDS AND THE SERVICE HAVE A LOT OF COMMON GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE PROGRAMS. THE FRIENDS WORK TO PROVIDE INTERN STIPENDS TO SEVERAL INTERNS EACH YEAR. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A CAREER LADDER WITH THE SERVICE, ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO NETWORK AND EXPAND THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WHILE ACCOMPLISHING RESTORATION AND EDUCATION EFFORTS AT OTTAWA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. WORKING TOGETHER, THE FRIENDS AND THE SERVICE WILL IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS TO HIRE INTO INTERN OR ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS TO FOCUS ON PROJECTS CRITICAL TO THE REFUGE'S MISSION. THE FRIENDS WILL ASSIST WITH ADMINISTRATIVE PORTIONS OF THE PROGRAM AND PROVIDE LIVING STIPENDS FOR INTERNS AND WAGES FOR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM.

THIS PROJECT WILL INVOLVE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE FRIENDS OF OTTAWA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE (FONWR) AND THE USFWS PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM (PFW). THE FONWR AND PFW HAVE A LOT OF COMMON GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE PROGRAMS. PFW WAS DEVELOPED TO OUT OF A NEED TO HELP RESTORE HABITAT ON LANDS ADJACENT TO REFUGES IN ORDER TO EXPAND THE REACH OF THE USFWS MISSION. IN NORTHWEST OHIO, PFW IS FOCUSED ON RESTORING HABITAT IN STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS, ONE OF WHICH IS THE LAKE ERIE MARSHES. FONWR WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1997 TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION IN THE LAKE ERIE MARSHES BY INCREASING AWARENESS AND CABABILITY OF OHIO'S ONLY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. WORKING TOGETHER, FONWR AND PFW WILL IDENTIFY STRATEGIC HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS THAT WORK TOWARDS ACHEIVING THE MUTUAL GOALS OF EACH ORGANIZATION. HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS WILL BE FACILITATED BY THE SERVICE BIOLOGIST THROUGH A PFW LANDOWNER AGREEMENT FOR EACH PROJECT. FONWR WILL ASSIST WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE PORTION OF PROJECTS AND PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT TO PRIVATE LANDOWNERS FOR ELIGIBLE EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH RESTORATIONS. AS PART OF THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT A MINIMUM OF 75 ACRES OF WETLAND WILL BE RESTORED.

THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WILL FOCUS EFFORTS TO RESTORE HABITAT FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS, FEDERALLY THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES, AND OTHER FEDERAL TRUST SPECIES IN NORTHWEST OHIO. THE WORK WILL FOCUS ON RESTORING WETLAND AND UPLAND COMPLEXES IN THE LAKE ERIE MARSHES AREA OF OHIO. SITES COMING OUT OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION WILL BE PRIORITIZED, AS WILL EXISTING CONSERVATION AREAS THAT ARE CONDUCIVE TO FURTHER RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THESE HABITATS. THE WETLAND RESTORATION EFFORTS WILL AIM TO RESTORE WETLAND HYDROLOGY BY REMOVING FIELD TILE AND CONSTRUCTING LOW LEVEL BERMS, EXTENDING HYDROPERIOD IN EXISTING WETLANDS. THE USFWS WILL WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE RECIPIENT, AS WELL AS OTHER PARTNERS INCLUDING THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (ODNR), THE USDA-NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (USDA-NRCS), AND OTHER PARTNERS WHO ALSO SHARE A MUTUAL INTEREST IN RESTORING AND ENHANCING NATIVE HABITATS IN THIS AREA.

THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WILL FOCUS EFFORTS TO RESTORE HABITAT FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS, FEDERALLY THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES, AND OTHER FEDERAL TRUST SPECIES IN NORTHWEST OHIO. THE WORK WILL FOCUS ON RESTORING WETLAND AND UPLAND COMPLEXES IN THE LAKE ERIE MARSHES AREA OF OHIO. SITES COMING OUT OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION WILL BE PRIORITIZED, AS WILL EXISTING CONSERVATION AREAS THAT ARE CONDUCIVE TO FURTHER RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THESE HABITATS. THE WETLAND RESTORATION EFFORTS WILL AIM TO RESTORE WETLAND HYDROLOGY BY REMOVING FIELD TILE AND CONSTRUCTING LOW LEVEL BERMS, EXTENDING HYDROPERIOD IN EXISTING WETLANDS. THE USFWS WILL WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE RECIPIENT, AS WELL AS OTHER PARTNERS INCLUDING THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (ODNR), THE USDA-NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (USDA-NRCS), AND OTHER PARTNERS WHO ALSO SHARE A MUTUAL INTEREST IN RESTORING AND ENHANCING NATIVE HABITATS IN THIS AREA.

THE LAKE ERIE MARSHES REGION OF NORTHWEST OHIO IS UNDERGOING A TRANSFORMATIVE RESTORATION EFFORT SPEARHEADED BY THE FRIENDS OF THE OTTAWA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE (FONWR) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE S PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE (PFW) PROGRAM. SINCE 1997, FONWR HAS TIRELESSLY ADVOCATED FOR CONSERVATION IN THIS ECOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT AREA, FOCUSING ON ENHANCING AWARENESS AND CAPACITY FOR OHIOS ONLY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. THIS NEW COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AIMS TO RESTORE CRITICAL HABITATS THAT WILL BENEFIT BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS AND FEDERAL TRUST SPECIES. THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WILL EMPHASIZE THE RESTORATION OF WETLAND AND UPLAND COMPLEXES BY PROVIDING VOLUNTARY HABITAT RESTORATION TO PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AND FOSTERING AN ECOLOGICAL NETWORK. FONWR PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN OUTREACH AND FACILITATING FUNDING FOR PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, PROMOTING COLLABORATION THROUGH COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES THAT ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN RESTORATION PROJECTS. THE INITIATIVE ALSO ADDRESSES FINANCIAL BARRIERS BY PROVIDING REIMBURSEMENT FOR ELIGIBLE RESTORATION EXPENSES TO PRIVATE LANDOWNERS. A CENTRAL FOCUS WILL BE ON WETLAND RESTORATION TECHNIQUES THAT RESTORE HYDROLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, BENEFITTING ECOSYSTEMS AND IMPROVING WATER QUALITY, WHICH IN TURN ENHANCES LOCAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY. THE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF RESTORED WETLANDS ARE SIGNIFICANT, SUPPORTING FISH NURSERIES LINKED TO LOCAL FISHERIES AND FOSTERING TOURISM. MOREOVER, RESTORED SITES WILL ACT AS NATURAL BUFFERS AGAINST FLOODING, SAFEGUARDING COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENHANCING RESILIENCE TO EXTREME WEATHER. SUPPORT FROM KEY POLITICAL FIGURES AMPLIFIES THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS INITIATIVE, ALIGNING LOCAL NEEDS WITH NATIONAL CONSERVATION GOALS. AS FONWR AND PFW EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY, THEY ENVISION A VIBRANT ECOLOGICAL FUTURE FOR THE LAKE ERIE MARSHES THAT BOLSTERS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. ULTIMATELY, THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT SERVES AS A BLUEPRINT FOR SUSTAINABLE INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN NATURE, COMMUNITY, AND ECONOMY IN NORTHWEST OHIO, ENSURING THRIVING ECOSYSTEMS AND ENHANCED QUALITY OF LIFE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.