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Corporate Social Responsibility
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4.29.2008 - 10:30am ET
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The ArcelorMittal Great Lakes Restoration Program Announces Funding of 16 Projects; Grants Total $1 million
(CSRwire) CLEVELAND, OH - April 29, 2008 — ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT), the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation and federal agency partners - the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
U.S. Forest Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) — gathered today in Cleveland to announce 16 projects selected to
receive a total of $1 million in funding through the ArcelorMittal Great
Lakes Restoration Program.
The 16 selected projects will restore and enhance the environmental
integrity of the lakes by controlling invasive species, restoring wetlands
and other habitats, promoting the recovery of threatened species, and
educating citizens on how to protect the ecosystem.
"These grants help the Great Lakes by restoring critical habitat for fish
and wildlife," said Peter Stangel, director of science and conservation,
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. "We are here in Northeast Ohio
today because this region stands out in its commitment to conservation and
in its collaborative approach. We are pleased to be able to support your
good conservation projects and strong collaborative approach."
The program is funded by a three-year $2.1 million bi-national grant from
the ArcelorMittal USA Foundation that was bolstered by $3 million in
matches from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the EPA, the Fish
and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service and the NOAA. The contributions
will then be leveraged by grantees to enable a total on-the-ground impact
of $9 million throughout the Great Lakes watershed.
"The Great Lakes are among the most important natural resources in the
world," said Lou Schorsch, president and CEO, ArcelorMittal Flat Carbon
Americas. "The basin is crucial to the well-being of our employees and our
communities, as well as to our operations and production, and we are
committed to sustaining them. We're confident that these grants will
promote positive steps toward significant, measurable improvement of the
quality of the Great Lakes."
The ArcelorMittal Great Lakes Restoration Program is an important step
toward restoring the ecological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin. The
program is designed to address the habitat and ecosystem restoration goals
developed through the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. The Regional
Collaboration, created by a Presidential Executive Order, is a
wide-ranging, public-private cooperative effort to design and implement a
strategy for the restoration, protection, and sustainable use of the Great
Lakes.
"This unprecedented coordination of resources helps us to attain the goals
identified by the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration," said Lyn Luttner,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Cleveland Office manager. "Public
private partnerships are the key to restoring, enhancing and protecting
the waters of the Great Lakes for the benefit of everyone."
These grants were announced today:
Basin-wide Projects
Izaak Walton League of America - The Great Lakes Clean Boats Campaign
will help to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species by raising
awareness among boaters and anglers about invasive species through
educational events and public service announcements.
Illinois
Lake County Stormwater Management Commission - The project will
produce a stream corridor restoration plan for Dead Dog Creek, guide
stewardship and restoration activities and help improve water quality in
Lake Michigan.
Indiana
The Nature Conservancy - This project will establish a program to
detect an invasion of hydrilla verticillata in Indiana. The effort will
provide a framework to coordinate surveillance efforts between state
agencies and community partners.
Michigan
Alger Conservation District - This project will reduce sediment by
replacing inappropriately sized culverts at four priority sites on
tributaries to Lake Superior. This effort also involves stream
restoration and an inventory of road-stream crossings in Alger County.
Monroe County - This project will increase the amount of land devoted
to natural habitat in the county by converting 10 acres of county parks
into native habitat, controlling exotic species on 200 acres, and
providing examples of native habitats on public lands.
Michigan State University - This project will develop quantifiable
metrics for prairie fen restoration projects and create a pocket field
guide that supports fen restoration and monitoring.
The Nature Conservancy - In an effort to improve reproductive success
for piping plover, the project will remove invasive species from 30 miles
of prime nesting habitat and provide educational information to visitors
near plover nesting sites.
Superior Watershed Partnership - This project will improve sections
of the Salmon Trout River Watershed by restoring three miles of stream
habitat for fish, reducing sediment input into the river, and collecting
data for long-term evaluation of coaster brook trout habitat.
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council - This project will protect the
diversity of aquatic habitats in the Cheboygan River by controlling
sediment, nutrients and invasive species.
Watershed Center of Grand Traverse Bay – This project will conduct
a survey of macrophyte beds, comparing current growth and densities of
macrophytes to previous studies in Grand Traverse Bay to better understand
the ecosystem dynamics and avian botulism.
New York
The Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper - The project will restore 14 acres
of floodplain forest and riparian wetland on Buffalo Creek. In addition,
workshops with local landowners and a manual on watershed restoration will
be created to promote local stewardship.
The Nature Conservancy - This project involves a comprehensive
analysis of invasive species on portions of the Tug Hill plateau as well
as the development of an invasive plant identification guide, training
workshop and best management practices to control the spread of invasive
species.
Ohio
The Lake Erie-Allegheny Partnership for Biodiversity – This project
will promote collaborative conservation among more than 20 conservation
organizations in Northeast Ohio by setting up a funding mechanism for
wetlands restoration and water quality improvement.
Ohio Environmental Council - This project will advance vernal pool
conservation by promoting a vernal pool curriculum, training volunteers in
monitoring and developing vernal pool video.
Wisconsin
The City of Manitowoc Parks and Recreation Department – The project
will stabilize 400 feet of shoreline in Red Arrow Beach Park through the
creation of sand dunes, restoration of native dune vegetation and
development of public educational displays about dune ecosystems.
Ozaukee Washington Land Trust – Through the removal of invasive
plants on 600 acres, planting of 10,000 tree seedlings and volunteer
education, the project will restore and improve 1,000 acres of forests,
wetlands, and prairies in the Lake Michigan Basin.
For more information on the Great Lakes Watershed Restoration Program
including applicant eligibility, eligible projects, and submission
requirements visit http://www.nfwf.org/greatlakes/.
About National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation sustains, restores and enhances the Nation's fish,
wildlife, plants, and habitats. The Foundation creates partnerships
between the public and private sectors to strategically invest in
conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. . Since its
establishment, NFWF has awarded nearly 9,500 grants to over 3,000
organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged – with its
partners – more than $400 million in federal funds into over $1.3
billion for conservation. For more information, visit http://www.nfwf.org.
About ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal is the world's number one steel company, with 310,000
employees in more than 60 countries. The company brings together the
world's number one and number two steel companies, Arcelor and Mittal
Steel.
ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global markets, including
automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading
R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials
and outstanding distribution networks. An industrial presence in 27
European, Asian, African and American countries exposes the company to all
the key steel markets, from emerging to mature, positions it will be
looking to develop in the high-growth Chinese and Indian markets.
About ArcelorMittal USA Foundation
The ArcelorMittal USA Foundation makes grants in three primary focus
areas: education, environment and healthy and safe communities. In 2007,
the foundation provided about $5 million in grants. The Foundation
supports those communities in which its employees live and its business
and clients operate.
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