Conservation Fund

The Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership for Conservation Fund has been established to finance projects that promote and protect our region’s biodiversity.

The goal of the Conservation Fund is to attract funds for conservation projects from sources not previously available to our individual members and to distribute these funds through a collaborative, community driven process. The Fund is positioned to capture environmental settlement monies that might otherwise leave the region, corporate, philanthropic and personal donations.

Call for Proposals - Spring 2024

Non-profit organizations and government entities are invited to apply. For-profit entities and individuals are not eligible to apply. Applicants may request up to $1,000 per project. Grant funds are dispersed via cost reimbursement. Invoices or receipts for project costs must be submitted for reimbursement. The Conservation Fund plans to award 5-8 proposals depending on applicant pool and total funds requested. Priority will be given to current LEAP members and member organizations. An organization may submit more than one application. The project period is 5/1/2024 through 4/30/2025. Funds may not to be used for overhead or administrative expenses. Travel expenses are not eligible. Food and promotional items for events are not eligible.

Projects may be for on-the-ground restoration, research, or public programs. Projects should focus on rare or threatened species and/or protection and restoration of area biodiversity. Projects must demonstrate meaningful impacts and show tangible results at the close of funding cycle. If the project is part of larger effort, please explain how your project contributes to this larger effort. For example projects scroll to the bottom of this page.

Application Procedure

  • The application is due Friday, April 12, 2024 by 5:00pm.
  • Please submit the complete application, including signature, by April 12, 2024 to Kristen Trolio. PLEASE INCLUDE “LEAP CONSERVATION FUND PROPOSAL” in the subject line. You will receive a confirmation email.
  • Members of the Conservation Fund Committee will review and score all applications and scores will be averaged. MEMBERS WILL NOT SCORE APPLICATIONS FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS.
  • Applicants will be notified of award at the LEAP meeting scheduled for May 15, 2024.

    LEAP Conservation Fund Application - PDF

    LEAP Conservation Fund Application - Word Version



Fund Committee January 2023 (3-year term)

Organization Representative (*chair)
Chagrin River Watershed Partners Josh Myers
Cleveland Metroparks Kristen Trolio*
Holden Forests & Gardens Mary Lineberger
Lake Metroparks Justine Wylie
Medina County Park District Jim Spetz
Cleveland Museum of Natural History Julia Mitchell
Portage Park District Bob Lange
Presque Isle State Park Holly Best
The Wilderness Center Dan Volk
OPEN VACANT
Western Reserve Land Conservancy Renee Boronka

Beginnings
In 2004, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) approached several conservation organizations in NE Ohio about ways to increase grant making in northeast Ohio. They were interested in providing a vehicle for capturing new (or previously unattainable) sources of funding to preserve and restore natural areas within the northeast Ohio region. As a result, a subcommittee of the Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership (LEAP) for Biodiversity was formed.

LEAP Fund Committee
From 2005 through 2009, the Conservation Fund Committee, an informal group, met periodically to develop an agreement between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History on behalf of LEAP, reach out to the US Attorney’s Office, and prepare grant requests. In 2020, due to a lack of activity, the NFWF account was dissolved. The LEAP Conservation Fund is now at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and controlled by the LEAP Conservation Fund.

First Grant Awarded
In April 2008, LEAP received a $100,000 grant award from the Arcelor Mittal Great Lakes Restoration Program to open the LEAP Fund at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and to open the Fund and provide seed money for projects.

Fund Created at National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
In September 2009, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, on behalf of the LEAP consortium, entered into an agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to establish the Conservation Fund account. This NFWF Account was dissolved in 2020 and the Conservation Fund is now administered by Western Reserve Land Conservancy with direction from the LEAP Conservation Fund Committee.

Projects Funded

Fall 2023: Holden Forests and Gardens was awarded $933.79 for their project titled Using AHDriFT Camera Trap Arrays to Monitor Herptefauna Community Response to Wetland Restoration at The Holden Arboretum. Lead: Mike Watson

Fall 2023: Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland was awarded $623 for their project titled Invasive Plant Species Management in Audubon Sanctuaries. Lead: Matthew Valencic

Fall 2023: Medina County Park District was awarded $1,000 for their project titled Utilization of Ultrasonic Recordings to Survey Rare and Threatened Bat Populations in Northeast Ohio. Lead: Jim Spetz

Spring 2023: Portage Park District was awarded $1,000 for their project titled Protecting, Preserving, and Restoring the State Endangered Primrose-leaf Violet Population at Towner’s Woods. Lead: Bob Lange

Spring 2023: Holden Forests & Gardens was awarded $967.70 for their project titled Transitioning Holden Forests & Gardens’ Core Natural Areas Spray Program from Glyphosate and Triclopyr-Centered to Largely Organic Herbicide-Centered. Lead: Rob Maganja

Spring 2023: Friends of Doan Brook Gorge was awarded $1,000 for their project titled Doan Brook Gorge Native Plant Restoration Phase 3. Lead: Greg Van Niel

Spring 2023: Forest Hills Park Cleveland Heights Team was awarded $1,000 for their project titled Biodiversity Improvement in Historic Forest Hill Park. Lead: Kathleen Greenberg

Fall 2022: Medina County Park District was awarded $1,000 for their project titled A utilization of the AHDriFT to assess critical habitat components for rare herpetofauna and small mammal populations in Medina County. Lead: Jim Spetz

Fall 2022: Holden Forests & Gardens was awarded $1,000 for their project Using autonomous recording units to capture migrating bird response to forestry treatments. Lead: Mike Watson

Fall 2021: Holden Forests & Gardens was awarded $991.87 for their project titled A Survey of Native Azaleas in Northeast Ohio. Lead: Connor Ryan

Fall 2021: Cleveland State University was awarded $1,000 for their project titled CSU Native Plant Initiative. Leads: Erin Avram and Emily Rauschert

Fall 2021: Holden Forests & Gardens was awarded $954.87 for their project titled *Invasive Plant Management in High Quality and Rare Habitats and Rare Plant Populations . Lead: Rebecah Troutman

2012: Portage Park District was awarded $44,000 towards purchase and protection of the 45-acre Franklin Bog in Portage County, OH.

2010: Pennsylvania Sea Grant was awarded $6,000 for their project titled Rare, Threatened and Endangered Plant Propagation at Presque Isle State Park.