Rep. Frank Mrvan announced a federal grant award under the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund in Gary. 

According to the NFWF, the Wetlands Initiative will receive $794,000 to support planning, design and implementation of nature-based solutions along the Little Calumet River in Gary. 

The award supports the completion of final design and permitting steps for riparian and wetland restoration on the nearly 800-acre Chase Street Complex. The funding will yield habitat benefits for birds, fish and other wildlife and flooding resilience benefits for surrounding residents in Northwest Indiana. The grant will extend and build on a Community Advisory Board made up of local residents to ensure community input towards the final design of the publicly accessible green space.

This project is being collaboratively facilitated by the Little Calumet River Conservation Collaborative, spearheaded by the Wetlands Initiative in partnership with Audubon Great Lakes, Calumet Collaborative, the City of Gary, Lake County Parks and Recreation, the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission, The Nature Conservancy in Indiana, NiSource and NIPSCO.

“Thank you to all of the leaders and Northwest Indiana partners with the Wetlands Initiative for successfully securing this federal funding for restoration efforts along the Little Calumet River in Gary,” Mrvan said in a press release. “I am grateful for your dedicated work and this exemplary collaboration that is instrumental in attracting new people and economic activity to our Region.” 

Paul Botts, Wetlands Initiative president and executive director, said the collaborative restoration efforts along the West Branch of the Little Calumet River floodplain corridor are transforming the habitat for the benefit of both people and wildlife in Gary. 

“The community-driven planning process at the Chase Street Complex will center the needs and aspirations of surrounding residents in plans for the site’s restoration,” Botts said. “The Wetlands Initiative is grateful for Congressman Mrvan’s support of this important work, and thrilled that the project will continue with funding through the National Coastal Resilience Fund.”