Ohio Code 1506.23 – Lake Erie protection fund; purposes
(A) There is hereby created in the state treasury the Lake Erie protection fund, which shall consist of money deposited into the fund from the issuance of Lake Erie license plates under section 4503.52 of the Revised Code, money awarded to the state from the great lakes protection fund, and donations, gifts, bequests, and other moneys received for the purposes of this section. Not later than the first day of June each year, the Ohio Lake Erie commission created in section 1506.21 of the Revised Code shall designate one of its members who represents a state agency to administer the fund and, with the approval of the commission, to expend moneys from the fund for any of the following purposes:
Terms Used In Ohio Code 1506.23
- agriculture: includes farming; ranching; aquaculture; algaculture meaning the farming of algae; apiculture and related apicultural activities, production of honey, beeswax, honeycomb, and other related products; horticulture; viticulture, winemaking, and related activities; animal husbandry, including, but not limited to, the care and raising of livestock, equine, and fur-bearing animals; poultry husbandry and the production of poultry and poultry products; dairy production; the production of field crops, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, nursery stock, ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees, flowers, sod, or mushrooms; timber; pasturage; any combination of the foregoing; the processing, drying, storage, and marketing of agricultural products when those activities are conducted in conjunction with, but are secondary to, such husbandry or production; and any additions or modifications to the foregoing made by the director of agriculture by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code. See Ohio Code 1.61
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
- United States: includes all the states. See Ohio Code 1.59
(1) Funding cooperative research, data gathering, or demonstration projects related to the priorities outlined in the Lake Erie protection and restoration strategy published under this section;
(2) Encouraging cooperation with and among leaders from state legislatures, state agencies, political subdivisions, business and industry, labor, institutions of higher education, agriculture, environmental organizations, and conservation groups within the Lake Erie basin;
(3) Awarding of grants to any agency of the United States, any state agency, as “agency” is defined in division (A)(2) of section 111.15 of the Revised Code, any political subdivision, any educational institution, or any nonprofit organization for the development and implementation of projects and programs that are designed to address priorities outlined in the Lake Erie protection and restoration strategy;
(4) Expenses authorized by the Ohio Lake Erie commission necessary to implement this chapter.
(B) Moneys in the Lake Erie protection fund are not intended to replace other moneys expended by any agency of the United States, any state agency, as “agency” is so defined, any political subdivision, any educational institution, or any nonprofit organization for projects and programs that are designed to protect Lake Erie.
(C) Not later than the last day of July of each odd-numbered year, the commission shall publish a Lake Erie protection and restoration strategy that describes the goals of the commission and prioritizes the uses of the Lake Erie protection fund and other funds for the following state fiscal year. The commission shall hold at least one public meeting in the Lake Erie basin regarding the strategy. The commission shall submit the strategy to the governor, the president of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives.
(D) Not later than September 1, 1991, and annually thereafter, the Lake Erie commission shall prepare a report of the activities that were undertaken by the commission under this section during the immediately preceding fiscal year, including, without limitation, revenues and expenses for the preceding fiscal year. The commission shall submit the report to the governor, the president of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives.
The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated in R.C. 1.52(B) that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.