Applications now open for Round Two of the Ecofootprint Grant Program

Jan. 17, 2024

Enbridge and Lumberjack Resource Conservation and Development Council are excited to announce the opening of applications for Round Two of the two-year $500,000 Ecofootprint Grant Program.

The Ecofootprint Grant was created by Enbridge to support environment restoration and improvement projects along the Line 5 Segment Relocation Project in northern Wisconsin’s Ashland, Bayfield, and Iron counties as well as the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa and the Red Cliff Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa.

Enbridge is partnering with Lumberjack Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. to administer the Ecofootprint Grant Program.

“We are excited about the projects funded in the first round of Ecofootprint grants and look forward to seeing new proposals. We are focused on being a good neighbor to the communities where we operate, and we are committed to investing in local initiatives to protect and restore the natural environment,” said Enbridge Community Engagement Strategist Michelle Johnson.

“A partnership with Enbridge to administer their Ecofootprint Grant Program fits squarely within our mission to enhance area natural resources, promote a higher standard of living, improve quality of life and foster partnerships. We are equally as excited to partner with Enbridge and are eager to seek out conservation partners & projects that could be helped through this program,” said Tracy Beckman, Executive Director for Lumberjack RCD.

Lumberjack RCD is a 10-county conservation nonprofit in Northeastern Wisconsin and through their own community conservation grant program, has granted more than $1.2 million to over 100 conservation projects in the past 20 years. Lumberjack also administers dozens of state and federal contracts and grants, all for the purpose of conserving our natural resources.

In their 50-plus years of service, they have developed a reputation for quality, resourcefulness, and transparent nonprofit governance.

In 2023 Enbridge Ecofootprint Grant Program awards went to proposals from the Bayfield County Forestry and Parks Department and the Bayfield County Land and Water Conservation Department. In collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Bayfield County Forestry and Parks Department received a $50,000 Ecofootprint award to maintain globally rare high quality pine barrens in strategic locations.

The Bayfield County Land and Water Conservation Department in collaboration with the Town of Clover and Wisconsin DNR was awarded $100,000 to add 5.5 miles of spawning grounds for native brook trout to the Cranberry River system through the replacement of a failing culvert that is preventing trout from swimming upstream.

In 2015 Enbridge announced a three-year Ecofootprint Grant Program supporting $3 million worth of environmental projects across the Line 3 Replacement Project area. Learn more about those projects.

The second round of the Ecofootprint grants in northern Wisconsin will continue to prioritize:

• Improving and/or protecting surface water and/or groundwater quality in watersheds crossed by project.
• Advancing research and science related to threatened and endangered species and/or declining populations.
• Fostering environmental postsecondary education and stewardship.
• Improving research related to the transportation of crude oil as it relates to the environment.
• Focusing on environmental areas most relevant to local communities.

The Ecofootprint Grant Program application process opened on Jan. 16, 2024 and the deadline to apply is March 29, 2024. Awards will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2024.

To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit our Ecofootprint program webpage or the Lumberjack RCD website.