Formerly known as the ArcelorMittal Great Lakes Watershed Restoration Program, Sustain Our Great Lakes is coordinated by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and currently funded by ArcelorMittal, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service. The funds are leveraged by grantees to enable a total on-the-ground benefit of $10 million throughout the Great Lakes basin over three years. The grant money available in 2010 could total more than $8 million (US). Locally, it means grants will be available for environmental organizations, not-for-profits, governments, tribes and educational institutions working to improve the health of the Great Lakes Basin.

About 40 representatives from various government agencies and environmental organizations attended a workshop held this morning at the headquarters of ArcelorMittal Dofasco in Hamilton. Participants learned about what is involved in applying for grants under the Sustain Our Great Lakes initiative.  The workshop covered funding priorities and the application process, provided guidance on how to submit proposals, and gave potential applicants the opportunity to ask questions.

“We want to ensure that the Hamilton area is well represented when the next round of grants is announced,” said ArcelorMittal Dofasco General Manager of Public Affairs Andrew Sloan. “We had a terrific turnout this morning, and we look forward to seeing more Canadian projects included in this next round of grants.”

Last year, the program contributed $47,400 (CAN) to the Bay Area Restoration Council’s Hamilton Harbour coastal wetland and watershed restoration project. The grant covered the cost of replanting native marsh vegetation in Cootes Paradise, as well as helped establish the Adopt-a-Creek program.

Commenting on today’s workshop, Susan West, Program Manager for the Ontario Trillium Foundation said, “The Sustain Our Great Lakes initiative is a significant opportunity for organizations to obtain funding to further their work in protecting our environment. The workshop clearly identified the process for applying for funding and the importance of leveraging funding from other sources, including the Ontario Trillium Foundation. We look forward to working with ArcelorMittal as they invest valuable resources in this important work for our community.”

"It is great to have ArcelorMittal Dofasco take the lead on this initiative and bring this opportunity to the attention of  conservation authorities and environmental groups in Ontario. We also hope that the Sustain Our Great Lakes program will generate more interest among governments in Canada to support environmental work on the Great Lakes," said Joan Bell, Manager, Grants and Special Projects, Hamilton Conservation Authority. "We'd like to thank ArcelorMittal Dofasco for hosting this workshop and giving us the opportunity to apply."

For more information about Sustain Our Great Lakes visit the website at www.sustainourgreatlakes.org. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

ArcelorMittal is the world’s No. 1 steel company with 320,000 employees in 60 countries.  ArcelorMittal Dofasco is a leading North American steel producer and supplier of high quality flat rolled steels.