Applications open for Lake Michigan conservation grants

Pre-proposals are being accepted until Friday, Dec. 5 for grants that support the protection, preservation, and restoration of natural, cultural, and historical resources within Indiana's Lake Michigan watershed.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Lake Michigan Coastal Program (LMCP) provides annual competitive grants to units of local government, regional and state agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations.

Program funds may be used in a variety of project categories, including public access or habitat improvements, land acquisition, planning and coordination, education and outreach, and applied research. Projects in any of these categories that align with the 2026 grant funding priorities will receive a higher score once the pre-proposals have been submitted for review. The funding priorities for the 2026 cycle are:

• Facilitating land conservation or protection via habitat restoration and/or land acquisition.
• Developing education and outreach efforts to enhance public knowledge of natural, cultural, and historic resources located in the Lake Michigan watershed.
• Improving opportunities for public use of new and existing public access sites.

Projects must be located entirely within the LMCP area, which follows the boundary of the Lake Michigan watershed. This area includes the northern portions of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties. Any applicant not located within the watershed boundary must demonstrate how the proposed project would benefit the LMCP area. With an allocation of approximately $600,000 per year, the Coastal Grants program has provided more than $13 million to local partners for projects since 2003.

The pre-proposal form as well as the guidance for filling out the application can be found under the "Applying for Grants" section on the LMCP Grants Program website, dnr.IN.gov/lake-michigan-coastal-program/grants.

The LMCP is funded through the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Coastal Management.