Hudson RiverNet
News from the Hudson River Estuary Program

Request for Applications: Local Stewardship Planning

$350,000 in competitive grant funding is now available to help communities in the Hudson River Estuary watershed increase resiliency to flooding; protect water quality, fish and wildlife habitat; and enhance natural resources. The grants are provided through New York’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and are administered by DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program. 

The Local Stewardship Planning Request for Applications grants support planning for local stewardship of the river environment to help achieve the goals of the 2015-2020 Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda. The deadline for applications is July 10, 2019 at 3 p.m. The Requests for Applications (RFA) for “Local Stewardship Planning” is available online through the NYS Grants Gateway For more information visit the Grants Program and Funding Opportunities for the Hudson River Estuary on DEC's website.

Climate-Adaptive Design Opportunity for a Hudson Waterfront Community

DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program announces an opportunity for a Hudson waterfront municipality to host the Cornell University Department of Landscape Architecture’s Climate-adaptive Design Studio (CaD) during the fall of 2019.  The program links Cornell University graduate students in landscape architecture with flood-risk communities to explore design alternatives for more climate resilient and connected waterfront areas. 

Student design teams meet with local stakeholders to develop an understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges faced on the waterfront of the host community, focusing on public access, economic development, and climate resilience.

An informational webinar about this opportunity will be held on June 12 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Please visit https://tinyurl.com/y4dxjfvv to register. Interested municipalities can learn more about the Climate-adaptive Design Studio by visiting the New York State Water Resources Institute website. A letter of interest must be submitted to Libby Zemaitis,  libby.zemaitis@dec.ny.gov by June 28, 2019. Visit  2019 Community Application for the CaD Studio for instructions on submitting a letter of interest.

Three DEC Water Quality Grant Opportunities Offered Through the CFA

Three DEC water quality programs are now available through the the 2019 Consolidated Funding Application (CFA):

• Water Quality Improvement Projects - funding for implementation projects to address documented water quality impairments or protect a drinking water source.
  For more information view the Water Quality Improvement Program Overview (PDF).
• Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant - in partnership with the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation, funding to produce a planning report for eligible Clean Water State Revolving Fund water quality wastewater projects.
• NEW! Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning Grant - funding to produce a planning report for nonpoint source water quality improvement projects.