Bizzarro announces $168K in grant funding to protect Lake Erie Coastal Zone
Money will benefit four projects along 77 miles of Lake Erie shoreline
Rep. Ryan Bizzarro December 2, 2025 | 2:30 PM
ERIE, Dec. 2 – Four projects in Erie County meant to protect and restore the Lake Erie Coastal Zone is receiving help from the state through grant funding, Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) announced Tuesday.
More than $168,000 was awarded to the four projects by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection via Coastal Zone Grants. This grant program benefits projects that impact coastal zones, an area where land meets the coast and includes both coastal waters and adjacent shorelands. The Lake Erie Coastal Zone is 77 miles, which includes the Lake Erie shoreline and several major tributaries. It also stretches to the middle of the lake to the international border.
The projects that received grants, which focus on research, community outreach and environmental education, include:
- Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development: $49,000 for coordination and technical assistance with Lake Erie Coastal Zone grantees, municipalities, and residents, and to assist Lake Erie coastal communities in administering the Bluff Recession and Setback Act of 1980 to prevent coastal erosion.
- Regional Science Consortium: $60,000 to support monitoring, water sampling and data analysis of the Harmful Algal Blooms in the waters of Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay.
- Bayfront East Side Taskforce: $15,000 to implement the Same Day Work and Pay Program, a neighborhood-wide program to remove litter, alleviate some barriers to employment, and foster pride in the community.
- Erie Bird Observatory: $44,337 for songbird migration research and visitor engagement at Presque Isle State Park.
“The Lake Erie Coastal Zone offers our residents and visitors alike with a tremendous amount of recreational, educational and environmental resources. This is a critical habitat and ecosystem, one that deserves to be protected so we can enjoy it for years to come,” said Bizzarro, who represents Fairview and Millcreek Townships. “This funding will help researchers conduct studies that will protect this incredible resource, keep the shoreline clean and increase community and visitor engagement.”
The grant announcement continues Bizzarro’s efforts to bring state investments back to the local community. So far this year, he has helped secure more than $18.8 million in state funding for projects across the region.