Reports detailing the results of five projects supported by the Lake Erie Protection Fund are available online for public view, according to the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, the awarding agency.
The projects funded included: an analysis of wetlands along Lake Erie prioritized by their quality of animal habitat, a prioritization of land parcels in the Western Reserve by specific ecological, agricultural and scenic criteria, an examination of the effects of zebra and quagga mussels on nutrient cycling in the lake, a prioritization of restoration opportunities on Chippewa Creek and continued research into the timely prediction of water-quality advisories at beaches along the lake.

Aboard Air Force One, President Bush signed S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008," which permanently restores a long-standing exemption for recreational boats from permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act. This signing of the bill is the capstone moment of a two-year campaign to eliminate an onerous permit program for recreational boaters that would have dictated maintenance and operation procedures, potentially subjected boaters to citizen lawsuits, and put recreational boats under a penalty system designed for industrial polluters.

For anyone who fishes, a fish that qualifies as a Fish Ohio is a really exciting catch, no matter how long you've been fishing.
A few weeks ago, the granddaughters of Lakeside resident Joseph Britting experienced this exciting achievement for themselves.
Joseph took Summer Lynn Britting, 12, of Avon Lake, OH, out fishing just north of Kelleys Island on July 11. Summer caught a 14 1/4-inch perch. Just a few days later on July 15, he took Katie Lynn Kasunic, 19, of Fairview Park, OH, fishing at the same spot. She caught a 13 1/4-inch perch.

Congress Restores 35-Year Exemption for Recreational Boats from Proposed EPA Permitting Requirements

In a remarkable display of bipartisan support for recreational boating, both the House and Senate today passed S. 2766, "The Clean Boating Act of 2008" which will permanently restore a long-standing exemption for recreational boats from permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act. The legislation now goes to the White House for the President's signature.