DEC Announces $730,000 in Funding and Awards for Hudson River Estuary Resiliency Projects - A New DEC Press Release

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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DEC Announces $730,000 in Funding and Awards for Hudson River Estuary Resiliency Projects

$630,000 in Funding Available to Improve Resiliency and Restore Habitat
$100,000 Grant Award for Barrier Mitigation in the Hudson Estuary Watershed

Approximately $630,000 in new grant funding is available to help communities in the Hudson River estuary with increasing resiliency to prepare for the new reality of extreme weather, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Marc Gerstman announced today. In addition, New York provided a $100,000 grant to perform stream barrier outreach and assessments in Hudson River tributaries. The announcement comes during Climate Week, which Governor Cuomo proclaimed from September 22-29 to raise awareness about the challenges we face with a changing climate and to highlight New York's actions to increase resiliency and curb emissions as global leaders meet in New York City this week.

"Now more than ever, it's important to help communities prepare for extreme weather," said Acting Commissioner Gerstman. "These grants will help local partners better protect water quality and stream habitat and improve resiliency in the Hudson River corridor. I encourage all interested parties to apply for this funding so that they can join the State in building a stronger and more resilient New York."

$630,000 Available to Communities for Tributary Restoration and Resiliency

DEC is now accepting applications for projects that help communities in the Hudson River estuary watershed replace or right-size culverts and bridges, or remove dams to better cope with flood events, protect water quality and restore aquatic habitat connectivity for migratory fish and other species of concern in tributary streams of the estuary.

To be eligible for this funding, projects must conserve and restore aquatic habitat connectivity for Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) found in the tributary streams of the Hudson River estuary watershed.

The grants are also intended to help communities with existing and projected impacts of localized flooding along tributaries of the estuary. Projects that accomplish both habitat and local flood risk-reduction objectives are desired. A map of identified and prioritized barriers can be viewed on DEC's website.

The grants are provided through the Environmental Protection Fund, the Natural Resource Damages Fund and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Program State Wildlife Grant and are administered under DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program.

The minimum grant award is $10,500 and the maximum award is $630,000. Additional points are given to projects in environmental justice areas and projects which support regional economic development strategies. Projects must be completed by October 31, 2017.

The DEC Hudson River Estuary Program 2015 Request for Applications (RFA) and the application form for the Tributary Restoration and Resiliency Grants are available online through the NYS Grants Gateway (link leaves DEC website) at www.grantsreform.ny.gov . The Grants Gateway is a web-based grants-management system that streamlines the way grants are administered by the State of New York. The Tributary Restoration and Resiliency RFA includes detailed eligibility criteria, and requirements for geographic location, permits, and municipal approvals. General information about the grants is also available on DEC's website. Completed grant applications must be submitted online by close-of-business November 13, 2015.

General questions about the Hudson River Estuary grants application process may be directed to Susan Pepe, DEC's Estuary Grants Manager, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-3506; susan.pepe@dec.ny.gov.

$100,000 Grant Awarded for Stream Barrier Mitigation Education and Design Assessment

DEC, in partnership with the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, selected the Chazen Companies of Poughkeepsie, in cooperation with Dr. Stuart Findlay of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, to develop an outreach program for owners of culverts and dams about the impacts barriers have on stream ecology and the importance of aquatic connectivity for fish migration.

Chazen will also identify landowners who are willing and interested in participating in a barrier mitigation process, and will develop conceptual plans for 10 candidate sites prioritized by the state.