Access to the Great Lakes Fishery

Examples of previously funded and completed projects can be found on the GLFT’s grant library page.

Check with your local unit of government for management plans that could align with your project. Priority will be given to projects that are identified through a five-year recreation plan, community master plan, capital improvement plan, or similar planning document.

Yes, the GLFT encourages prospective applicants to contact staff when developing proposals. Staff can provide guidance that can help you align a proposal with GLFT priorities.

Yes. The GLFT prioritizes capital improvement and renovation of existing access sites, previously funded by the GLFT or other funding sources, that have exceeded or are nearing the end of their planned lifecycle.

It depends. GLFT access funding is focused on enhancing access to Great Lakes fish populations. Funding is limited to sites along the Great Lakes or within tributaries below the lowermost barrier. If you aren’t sure whether your site is eligible, please contact GLFT staff.

Yes. GLFT prioritizes projects within the Lake Michigan basin but does fund projects in other lake basins. All projects must be located within the state of Michigan.

Yes, a letter from a fisheries biologist must be submitted with your grant application. The application portal will provide a space to upload the letter as an attachment.

Please contact GLFT staff if you need assistance with connecting to a state or tribal fisheries biologist.

Yes, the GLFT encourages grantees to use GLFT funding as match for other sources. GLFT funding can fulfill matching requirements of many state and federal funding programs that require sources of nongovernmental match funding.

Match funding is not required for shore-based angling sites; however, proposals that include local funding and promote community participation in the use of fishery resources will be favored. The GLFT does require match funding to support the development of fish cleaning stations.

Yes. The GLFT supports project teams that reflect the capacity and interests of communities. We encourage partnerships between entities capable of managing construction projects and entities capable of long-term site maintenance to accomplish the goals of the program.

Yes, and these projects have additional criteria for funding, which is outlined in the policy on feasibility, engineering, and design-only studies.

Yes, though land acquisition projects must conform with the GLFT’s policy on land acquisition and a grant application must provide evidence that the purchase cost is an essential component to increasing access to shore-based angling.

Improvements to accommodate recreational small-boat access at shore-fishing sites may be eligible only if it can be demonstrated that other funding sources have been exhausted. The GLFT does fund boat access sites to increase access for tribal commercial fishers.

In most circumstances, the GLFT evaluates all proposals for each of our grant categories at the same time during the year. This helps ensure that requests are considered in the context of each other and that the proposals best aligned with GLFT priorities are funded. Our website is kept up to date with future application periods and the request for proposals from our most recent application period. These documents can be used to help begin developing a proposal. We encourage applicants to submit a proposal once the application period is open. If you feel that there are compounding factors that would require immediate action, you are encouraged to contact GLFT staff.