Grant Opportunities, Public Comments and Black History Month 

WE ACT Grant Program Open for Applications

In October 2019, DEC announced that West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc., (WE ACT) was chosen as the administrator for New York's Environmental Justice Capacity Building Grant Program and awarded $1 million to support and grow environmental justice organizations across the state. The organization will award 18 grants – $50,000 each, for a total of $900,000 – to eligible groups throughout New York State’s nine DEC regions. These grants will help build administrative, technical, and programmatic capacity of grassroots and community-based organizations working to achieve environmental justice and sustainability in low-income communities, communities of color, or underserved communities across the state.

Important Dates

• WE ACT will host a webinar February 13, 2020 to review the proposal process. After they give a brief presentation about the grant program and the RFA, there will be a Q&A for participants. Registration is now open for this event. 
• February 21, 2020 - WE ACT will publish a finalized Q&A document online. 
• Completed applications are due at 11:59 p.m. EST on March 30, 2020. Submit applications online or mail to:
  • WE ACT for Environmental Justice
    Attention: Matt Dean
    1854 Amsterdam Avenue, 2nd Floor
    New York, NY 10031 

To learn more about this grant opportunity and to view the request for applications, please visit WE Act's website. 

Employment Opportunities Available

DEC Summer Employment
Do you know someone looking for a summer opportunity that offers a rewarding experience with competitive pay? DEC is hiring for the 2020 Summer Conservation Education Camp season.

Working at a DEC summer camp is more than just a summer job. It’s an opportunity for students to gain leadership skills, brush up on natural history, and meet others who share a love for conservation and the outdoors. Staff live in beautiful, rustic camp settings and are provided room and board for the summer.

There are four camps around the state, each in need of talented summer staff. We are still filling a variety of positions including cooks, waterfront directors and counselors/lifeguards.

Interested? Want to learn more? Visit our website for general information about camp and camp employment information.

NYPA Seeking EJ Coordinator

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is seeing an environmental justice program coordinator. The successful candidate will be part of an existing team of coordinators responsible for raising awareness of  NYPA's programs and initiatives, by building and maintaining relationships with elected and governmental officials, civic leaders, community and public opinion makers, business executives and special interest groups in those communities with NYPA facilities and/or energy efficiency projects.

Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Tracking, monitoring and influencing government actions that impact NYPA’s business plan and policies via direct involvement at the local level
• Researching and reporting on issues pertaining to Environmental Justice communities 
• Actively researching opportunities for NYPA representation in targeted local, regional &/or professional organizations to enhance NYPA’s profile

To read this job listing in its entirety, or apply for this opportunity, please visit NYPA's website.

Strategic Planning Advisory Group to Post Meeting Summaries Online

DEC and the members of the newly launched High Peaks Strategic Planning Advisory Group encourages New Yorkers to share their input on the State’s efforts to help promote sustainable use of the High Peaks region. In addition, Advisory Group meeting summaries will be posted online for public review.

DEC announced the formation of the High Peaks Strategic Planning Advisory Group in November 2019, and tasked its members with making recommendations by the end of June 2020, including strategies, actions, and tactics to manage increased use in the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks.

The High Peaks Strategic Planning Advisory Group webpage provides links to meeting summaries and will be updated to include future meetings. DEC and the Advisory Group are also encouraging New Yorkers to share their concerns and questions with the group. Submit public comments regarding issues related to managing use in the High Peaks Region, and what might be done to address these issues, to Info.R5@dec.ny.gov. We encourage you to submit comments as soon as possible to ensure they are considered by the Advisory Group during their deliberations.

Recognizing The Contributions of Black Environmentalists

February is Black History Month, and DEC joins the rest of the nation in paying tribute to African American men and women whose significant contributions are woven into the fabric of American culture.

Visit our website throughout the month of February to learn more about African Americans whose legacies have continued to impact the fields of science, education, farming, pollution cleanup, medicine, energy, parks, and green jobs.

About Black History Month
Disturbed that history textbooks largely ignored America's black population, Carter G. Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Woodson also founded the group's widely respected publication, the Journal of Negro History. In 1926, Woodson developed Negro History Week. He believed "the achievements of the Negro properly set forth will crown him as a factor in early human progress and a maker of modern civilization." In 1976, Negro History Week expanded into Black History Month. Woodson chose the second week of February for his celebration because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population: Frederick Douglass, who escaped slavery and became an abolitionist and civil rights leader; though his birthdate isn't known, he celebrated it on February 14. President Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Emancipation Proclamation, abolishing slavery in America's confederate states, was born on February 12. For his work, Woodson has been called the Father of Black History.

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