State Making Money Available For Lake Property Habitat Projects

A new state program is offering grants to lakefront property owners in an effort to improve habitat and control erosion on shorelines.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources launched the Healthy Lakes Grant program late last year. Lake biologist Pamela Toshner said property owners can receive money for projects like putting in rain gardens or native plants to hold runoff.

“We tend to bring this suburban-urban kind of culture mentality to northern lakes in particular, where folks think they have to mow the lawn down to the water’s edge, and sometimes — often in fact — people are relieved to know that you don’t necessarily have to do that,” Toshner said. “In reality, it’s probably better for the lake and your own property if you left it wild.”

The DNR awarded close to $82,000 for projects covering 48 properties on 15 lakes statewide this year. Toshner said the goal is to double the number of landowners taking part by 2017.