Informational Webinars to be Held Oct. 9 and Oct. 17

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today announced the availability of $1 million in competitive grant funding for projects to help communities in the Hudson River Estuary watershed improve resiliency and water quality and enhance Hudson River access. The grants are funded by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and administered by DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program.

“New York State is committed to investing in projects that will improve community resiliency while strengthening ecosystems and protecting our natural resources,” Interim Commissioner Mahar said. "The $1 million in grant funding announced today bolsters Governor Kathy Hochul’s comprehensive plans to protect communities from the impacts of climate change by investing in resilience. Funding will provide Hudson River Estuary watershed communities with the support they need to mitigate flooding, improve water quality, and enhance recreational access to the Hudson for people with disabilities."

Two Requests for Applications (RFAs) are available: Tributary Restoration; and Resiliency and Hudson River Estuary Access.

$800,000 for Tributary Restoration and Resiliency
Approximately $800,000 is available for projects to support restoration of free-flowing waters to benefit water quality, conserve and restore habitat, and help communities with existing and projected impacts of localized flooding. Eligible projects include:

• Dam Removal: Shovel-ready projects to remove a dam affecting fish passage on Hudson River Estuary tributaries. This project type may include removal or mitigation of multiple barriers, such as dams, as well as mitigation/right-sizing of one or more road-stream crossings that are barriers to fish movement;
• Planning for Dam Removal: Engineering and planning projects to remove a dam affecting fish movement, other aquatic organisms, riparian-dependent wildlife, and/or improve water quality conditions on Hudson River Estuary tributaries;
• Initial Reconnaissance for Feasibility of Dam Removal: Projects to conduct initial reconnaissance to assess the scope and challenges of a dam removal to determine feasibility of removing a dam or dams;
• Stream Crossing Replacement: Mitigation/right-sizing of a single culvert or bridge that is a barrier to a free-flowing stream and is a priority of a municipal management plan;
• Stream Crossing Design: Design plans for mitigation/right-sizing of a single stream crossing (culvert or bridge) or multiple crossings in the same municipality or county; and
• Stream Crossing Design & Replacement: Engineering design plans and implementation for mitigation/right-sizing of a single culvert or bridge that is a barrier to a free-flowing stream.
  

Projects that benefit herring and eel and are in closest sequential proximity to tidal waters are priorities. The minimum grant award is $10,500 and the maximum is $300,000.

$200,000 to Improve Hudson River Estuary Access
Approximately $200,000 is available for projects to improve resiliency to flooding and sea-level rise and improve accessibility to the tidal waters of the Hudson, including the tidal portion of its tributaries. The minimum grant award is $10,500 and the maximum grant amount is $200,000. Eligible projects include:

• Planning and implementation of access site resiliency to flooding and sea-level rise: Planning and /or implementation of resiliency projects at Hudson River and tidal tributary public access sites addressing the hazards of intense storms, flooding, and shoreline loss due to climate change and sea-level rise; and  
• Planning and implementation of accessibility improvements for people with disabilities: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition planning, assessments, designs, or plans for new and/or existing access sites along the Hudson River Estuary to improve access for boating, fishing, swimming, and/or wildlife-related recreation.

DEC is holding webinars about project eligibility and the application process for Tributary Restoration and Resilience on Oct. 9 at 2 p.m., and for Hudson River Estuary Access on Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. Register for the webinars on the Hudson River Estuary Program’s Grants and Funding Opportunities webpage. The webinars will be recorded and available to view on the webpage in late October.

These RFAs are only available online through the New York Statewide Financial System (SFS). The SFS streamlines how all New York grants are administered. All grant applicants, including government agencies and not-for-profit corporations, must be registered in the Statewide Financial System to be eligible to apply for any State grant opportunity. For more information about SFS, visit the Grants Management website  or contact the SFS Help Desk at helpdesk@sfs.ny.gov  or by phone (518) 457-7717 (855) 233-8363 (toll free).

General information about these grants is also available on DEC's Hudson River Estuary Grants Program website. Completed grant applications must be submitted online through SFS by Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. General questions about the Hudson River Estuary grants application process may be directed to Susan Pepe, Estuary Grants Manager, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-3506; HREPgrants@dec.ny.gov.

Now in its 21^st year, the Estuary Grants Program implements priorities outlined in DEC's Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda 2021-2025. To date, the Hudson River Estuary Program has awarded 643 grants totaling $28 million. Funding for DEC’s Estuary Grants program is provided by the EPF, a critical resource for environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, water quality improvement, and environmental justice projects. Governor Hochul’s 2024-25 Executive Budget maintains EPF funding at $400 million, the highest level of funding in the program’s history.