COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda have announced that $30 million worth of funding will be made available to farmers in a dozen counties in the state starting in February.
The funds will be awarded as part of Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio plan to reduce agricultural phosphorus runoff and prevent algal blooms in Lake Erie.
“Since announcing the details of my H2Ohio plan in November, we’ve had a great deal of interest from farmers in the Maumee River Watershed who want to do their part to improve the health of Lake Erie,” said Governor DeWine. “H2Ohio will provide farm-by-farm support to help farmers minimize phosphorus runoff while increasing profit over the long-run.”
H2OhioFarmers living in the following 14 northwest Ohio counties will be eligible to apply for funds at their local Soil and Water Conservation Districts starting on February 1, 2020: Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Lucas, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, Williams, and Wood.
H2Ohio will fund investments in 10 scientifically proven interventions to reduce nutrient runoff from agriculture, which is the primary cause for algal blooms in Lake Erie and elsewhere. Algal blooms can threaten drinking water and impact the health of both people and animals.
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The H2Ohio phosphorus reduction plan will focus first on reducing runoff into the Maumee River Watershed and Lake Erie but will eventually be offered to other parts of the state.