Category Overview
The State Lands Restoration and Enhancement category provides funding to two state agencies to help repair damaged plant and animal habitat. These grants focus on resource preservation and protection of public lands. Projects in this category help bring important natural areas and resources back to their original functions by improving the self sustaining and ecological functionality of sites.
Project Highlights
The Department of Fish and Wildlife will use this grant to place structures to mimic beaver dams in west Foster Creek in the Well Wildlife Area to help restore the creek. Beaver dams create ponds in fast-moving water, giving fish a place to rest. They also block and slow the water, keeping it at a stable level, even in drought. This reach of the creek has a deeply carved channel and the mock beaver dams will help reduce the erosion and improve water quality. In addition, the department will remove invasive Russian olive trees and plant native plants along the creekbanks. Planting trees and bushes long a creekbank helps shade the water, cooling it for fish. The plants also drop branches and leaves into the water, which provide food for the insects fish eat. Finally, the roots of the plants help keep soil from entering the water.