The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that approximately $200,000 in grant funding is available to municipalities and not-for-profit organizations to implement the Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda. The funding is provided by the state’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and administered under DEC’s Mohawk River Watershed Grants Program.

To be eligible for this funding opportunity, proposed projects must be located within the Mohawk River watershed (which includes portions of the Adirondack Park in the towns of Russia, Norway, Salisbury, Stratford, Caroga, Bleecker, Arietta, Morehouse and Ohio), as well as further the objectives of the Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda.

These grants are expected to help local partners fund projects designed to preserve and protect the Mohawk River watershed and further advance economic and environmental importance of investing in protecting waterways. Grant awards ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 are available, and all projects are expected to have defined measurable outcomes or deliverables that can be completed and invoiced within two years of contract approval.

Examples of eligible projects include restoration of aquatic habitats, installation of green infrastructure projects to address stormwater runoff, right-sizing of culverts, restoration of natural stream conditions, and development of environmental education programs.

Round Four of the Mohawk River Watershed Grant Request for Applications is available online through the New York State Grants Gateway. The Grants Gateway is an online grants management system that streamlines the way grants are administered by New York State. A

ll grant applicants, including governmental entities and not-for-profit organizations, must be registered in the Grants Gateway to be eligible to apply for any state grant opportunity. Not-for-profit applicants are required to “prequalify” in the Grants Gateway system. Registration and prequalification forms are available online.

All grant applications must be submitted online through the Grants Gateway no later than 3 pm on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. DEC’s Mohawk River Basin Program and the Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda were developed to bring together various local, state, and federal agencies and other interested organizations that share a passion for the conservation and preservation of the Mohawk River, its watershed, and communities.

Located wholly within the boundaries of New York State, the Mohawk River is the largest tributary to the Hudson River and encompasses 14 counties and 172 municipalities. DEC’s Mohawk River Basin Program acts as the coordinator of watershed-wide activities, bringing together stakeholders and creating partnerships with established and emerging programs and organizations throughout the watershed to provide a framework for watershed-wide collaboration in order to conserve, preserve and restore the environmental quality of the Mohawk River and its watershed.

For more information on the Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda Grants and funding opportunities through the Mohawk River Basin Program, visit DEC’s website.

Photo: Mohawk River Watershed Areas in the Adirondack Park (courtesy Adirondack Atlas).