Funding for Great Lakes protection

The Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative

The goal of the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative (FEI) is to target the most significant environmental challenges affecting Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health by delivering on Canada’s commitments under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). The Initiative focuses on the following priority areas for action:

• restoring water quality and ecosystem health in Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs)
• preventing toxic and nuisance algae
• restoring and protecting critically important coastal areas, including wetlands
• reducing releases of harmful chemicals
• supporting community-based science
• increasing participation of Indigenous Peoples in governance, stewardship, and monitoring
• advancing Great Lakes governance, accountability, and reporting mechanisms

To assist in achieving this goal, the Great Lakes FEI supports action by others to:

• restore AOCs: Supporting action at the local level to restore water quality and aquatic ecosystem health by implementing projects identified in AOC Remedial Action Plans (RAPs).
• prevent toxic and nuisance algae: Supporting on-the-ground actions following the Precision Conservation approach, targeting implementation of phosphorus load reduction measures in critical sources areas for nutrient loss, as well as increasing participation in the application of phosphorus load reduction measures by demonstrating innovative approaches and best management practices, and filling knowledge gaps through research and science.
• restore and protect critically important coastal areas, including wetlands: Supporting and promoting local-level action to enhance water quality, ecosystem health, and the resilience of coastal areas experiencing stress due to climate risks and impacts.
• reduce releases of harmful chemicals: Increasing participation in the application of beyond-compliance measures to reduce releases of chemicals of mutual concern (CMCs) by developing, implementing, assessing, and promoting use of innovative approaches, as well as enhancing understanding of emerging contaminants that could become CMCs and their potential impacts to the Great Lakes ecosystem.
• support community-based science: Promoting public engagement in Great Lakes protection through community-based science projects, including advancing stakeholder and public knowledge, improving the sharing and quality of data produced, and advancing broader application of new technologies.

Note: The Great Lakes FEI includes dedicated funding to enhance First Nations and Métis capacity to implement on-the-ground actions that restore and protect Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health, conduct science and monitoring that informs decision making, and participate in Great Lakes governance. Discussions are underway with First Nation and Métis partners regarding distinctions-based approaches to develop and deliver programming that supports Indigenous inclusion in Great Lakes protection. For more information, contact us by email at greatlakes-grandlacs@ec.gc.ca.

Application guides for funding streams

• Funding for restoring Great Lakes Areas of Concern (closed for applications)
• Funding for preventing toxic and nuisance algae  – Lake Erie Innovation Sub-Stream (closed for applications)
• Funding for preventing toxic and nuisance algae – Lake Erie Precision Conservation Sub-Stream (closed for applications)
• Funding for restoring and protecting critically important coastal areas (closed for applications)
• Funding for reducing releases of harmful chemicals (closed for applications)
• Funding for supporting community-based science (closed for applications)

Related links

• Great Lakes protection
• Projects funded by the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative

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