Wetlands throughout the Great Lakes region have become inundated with non-native, invasive plants. Invasive plants pose risks to native plant and animal biodiversity through habitat destruction and loss. Invasive plants including purple loosestrife, Phragmites, reed canary grass, narrow-leaved cattail, flowering rush, curly pondweed, and Eurasian water-milfoil are found throughout coastal wetland areas.

Controlling invasive plants is critical to the recovery of many state and federally-listed species, including the federally threatened Eastern prairie fringed orchid (EPFO). Three of the sites to receive funding have populations of this threatened plant. The federal recovery plan for EPFO lists habitat management as a number one priority for the recovery of this species. Funding received for this project will provide direct benefit to wetland habitats and listed species that depend on the Great Lakes coastal region of Ohio.