$2.8M available in Clean Ohio Conservation Fund

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The District 6 Natural Resources Advisory Council says there is nearly $2.8 million available that area agencies can apply for through the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund.

To improve applications, council representatives plan to have meetings sometime in September to educate potential applicants about the proper way to apply.

There is expected to be one meeting each in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

The fund is designed to fund preservation of open spaces, sensitive ecological areas and stream corridors.

In addition, there is a special emphasis on programs that are designed to protect habitat for rare, threatened or endangered species; preserve natural resources including wetlands; and secure easements to reduce erosion and runoff from fertilizers and pesticides.

Council members wanted to have the educational meetings before the Oct. 15 date when pre-applications are due. For those applications that are considered eligible for the program, the completed application will be due by Jan. 12.

Materials have to be submitted to the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, 100 E. Federal St., downtown.

More information about the fund is available online at http://development.ohio.gov/cleanohio/greenspaceconservation/.