The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York Sea Grant (NYSG) today announced $199,696 in grants for five Great Lakes basin projects. The initiatives support local community plans to restore water quality, protect ecosystems, and strengthen community resilience and stewardship. These selected projects support measurable progress toward the priority goals of the Great Lakes Action Agenda for New York’s Great Lakes watershed.   

“New York’s Great Lakes Basin Small Grants support local science-based projects that restore habitats, combat invasive species, and engage communities while strengthening the resilience of our shared environment and the State’s economy,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “Through partnerships like this with New York Sea Grant, DEC is advancing the goals of the Great Lakes Action Agenda and delivering real, measurable results.”  

“New York’s Great Lakes Basin Small Grants support local efforts to restore and revitalize the natural features that are vital infrastructure for their communities and economies,” New York Sea Grant Associate Director and Cornell University Cooperative Extension Assistant Director Katherine Bunting-Howarth, PhD, JD, said. “The projects apply a holistic approach that recognizes the dynamic interaction of ecological, social, and economic systems.”

New York’s Great Lakes Basin Small Grants program has awarded more than $2 million in small grants to date for a combined total of 66 projects since the program’s inception in 2015. The five projects selected for this round of New York’s Great Lakes Basin Small Grants funding include:

Erie County 
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper: $40,000 for “Sheridan Park Living Shoreline” to implement a living shoreline restoration at Sheridan Park in the Town of Tonawanda. This project will transform 6.75 acres and more than 2,700 linear feet of degraded land along Two Mile Creek into a resilient and ecologically functional riparian area.

Erie County 
Western New York Land Conservancy: $40,000 for “Addressing Common Invasive Species in Western New York Forests with Education for Forest Landowners” to restore 49 acres at Kenneglenn Scenic Nature Sanctuary and Mossy Point Preserve. This project will include invasive plant species management and programming workshops to educate local forest landowners about invasive species identification and management strategies.

Genesee County  
Genesee County Parks: $39,753 for “Healthy Headwaters: Empowering Youth to Restore Riparian Habitat in the Upper Black Creek Watershed” to restore 140 linear feet of riparian habitat in the headwaters area of the Upper Black Creek watershed, using ecosystem-based management techniques and nature-based solutions that reduce erosion in Genesee County Park and Forest. The project will engage a coalition of community organizations plus 200 youth and 25 adult volunteers, in hands-on restoration and education to build stewardship and inspire future environmental leaders.

Jefferson County 
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County: $40,000 for “Seeds of Stewardship: Community-Based Native Seed Network for the Northeast Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River Region” to launch a native seed collection and propagation program across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. The project will train volunteers, develop local seed storage and propagation infrastructure, and utilize native plant material to support habitat restoration and resilience.

Oswego County 
Atlantic States Legal Foundation: $39,943 for “A Community-Driven Tree Planting Initiative for Adaptation and Revitalization in Pulaski” to engage residents and partners in planning and planting more than 70 trees in priority locations throughout the village of Pulaski, reducing risks such as flooding and heat stress, enhancing ecosystem services, and supporting long-term environmental stewardship. Guided by the Richland-Pulaski Comprehensive Plan and Climate Action Plan and three inclusive community workshops, residents and local partners will help identify strategic planting locations, develop site-specific plans, and learn about the social, ecological, and economic benefits of trees.

New York Sea Grant, a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, administers the program in partnership with DEC’s Great Lakes Program. The program is funded through the New York State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and Article 14: the New York Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Act outlined in the EPF. The 2025-26 enacted State Budget increases the EPF to a record $425 million, helping support critical environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, enhanced recreational access, water quality improvement, and an aggressive environmental justice agenda. 

More information on the New York’s Great Lakes Basin Small Grants program with past project profiles is online at nyseagrant.org/glsmallgrants. Learn more about the New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda that applies ecosystem-based management to conserve, protect, and enhance New York State’s Great Lakes natural resources on DEC’s website dec.ny.gov/nature/waterbodies/lakes-rivers/great-lakes/action-agenda.