Nature-Based Solutions Take Root with $1.6 Million Investment Across Southeast Michigan

DETROIT (May 28, 2026) - The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and partners today announced $1.6 million in grant funding to five projects that will benefit communities and wildlife habitats in southeast Michigan. The grants will leverage more than $1.6 in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of more than $3.2 million.

The grants were awarded through the Southeast Michigan Resilience Fund, a partnership between NFWF and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, the Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service. The fund supports projects across the region by investing in nature-based infrastructure solutions that reduce flooding and storm impacts while also creating healthier, more accessible natural spaces for people and wildlife.

"These projects demonstrate how nature-based solutions can help communities better manage stormwater, reduce flood risk and create places where people can connect with nature," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. "By restoring habitat for migratory birds, pollinators and other wildlife while investing in natural infrastructure, these projects also deliver real economic value by reducing long term flood damage costs, supporting local jobs, and helping build healthier, more resilient communities."

The 2026 grant projects will restore and reconnect streams and floodplains, expand tree canopy and improve access to natural areas. Together, the selected projects will:

• Add 1.6 million gallons of stormwater storage
• Plant 1,220 trees for increased stormwater storage and habitat
• Restore 301 acres of habitat
• Develop five public access points
• Improve the quality and connectivity of the region's unique habitats
• Improve quality of life by increasing public access to natural areas and parks through multiple new access points and 4 miles of trails

"Nature-based infrastructure gives communities proven, cost-effective protection from flooding and severe storms while improving water quality," said EPA Great Lakes National Program Office Director Teresa Seidel. "Through partnerships like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Southeast Michigan Resilience Fund, EPA is delivering lasting benefits for communities, wildlife and ecosystems."

"These projects reflect what is possible when communities, nonprofit partners, and funders work together to strengthen both people and places. Nature-based solutions help reduce flooding, improve water quality, restore habitat, and create healthier public spaces for residents across Southeast Michigan," said Melissa Damaschke, president of the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation. "At the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation, we believe protecting our shared waters and expanding access to nature are deeply connected to long term health of communities. We are grateful to the organizations leading this work and to the many partners collaborating to build a more resilient future for the region."

Southeast Michigan Resilience Fund 2026 grant recipients include:

• Oakland Township Parks & Recreation will remove a culvert, restore stream habitat, and increase public access through a new pedestrian bridge at Fox Nature Preserve in Oakland County.
• The Greening of Detroit will plant 1,000 native trees across Detroit to improve stormwater storage, enhance natural areas and sustain four local jobs.
• Ducks Unlimited will restore 825 acres of floodplain and improve fish passage and public access at the St. Clair Flats State Wildlife Area in Clay Township.
• Downriver Community Conference will construct a wetland basin system to intercept and treat stormwater, adding more than 1 million gallons of annual stormwater storage and improving water quality in the North Branch Ecorse Creek watershed.
• Detroit Future City will transform vacant lots into accessible natural areas, planting trees, controlling invasive species and improving public access in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood, sustaining 11 jobs.

Since its launch in 2018, the Southeast Michigan Resilience Fund has awarded 44 grants totaling more than $10.8 million, leveraging an additional $13.5 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation investment of more than $24.3 million.

To learn more about the Southeast Michigan Resilience Fund and the projects announced today, please visit nfwf.org/semichigan.

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About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) works with partners to foster sustainable and impactful conservation solutions so that people and nature thrive together. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF has grown to become the nation's largest conservation foundation. Since its founding, NFWF has funded more than 23,900 projects that have generated a total conservation impact of more than $12 billion. Learn more at nfwf.org.

About Cleveland-Cliffs
Cleveland-Cliffs is a leading North America-based steel producer with focus on value-added sheet products, particularly for the automotive industry. The Company is vertically integrated from the mining of iron ore, production of pellets and direct reduced iron, and processing of ferrous scrap through primary steelmaking and downstream finishing, stamping, tooling, and tubing. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland-Cliffs employs approximately 25,000 people across its operations in the United States and Canada.

About Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation
The Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation envisions a flourishing, healthy, and resilient Great Lakes ecosystem and a culturally vibrant, sustainable Southeast Michigan. Toward this end, we strengthen the cultural and environmental organizations that share our vision to make this a reality for generations to come. For more information, visit erbff.org.

About The Kresge Foundation
The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress. Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to opportunity for low-income people in America's cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant, loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually to foster economic and social change. For more information visit kresge.org.

About the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect the devotion of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his beloved Buffalo Bills NFL team. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson provided that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. Based in Detroit, the Foundation began with a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson's desire for the Foundation's impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable, and overseen by those who knew him best. For more information visit www.rcwjrf.org.

About the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and the environment. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office oversees the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative which was established in 2010 and is used to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the largest system of fresh surface water in the world - the Great Lakes. For more information, visit the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative website.

About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit fws.gov.

About the U.S. Forest Service
The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology- and rooted in communities-the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.

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Contact:

Matt Winter, [email protected], 202-595-2455